New collaborative track 'Always Ascending' is out now as part of HAAi’s DJ-Kicks

New collaborative track 'Always Ascending' is out now as part of HAAi’s DJ-Kicks

New collaborative track 'Always Ascending' is out now as part of HAAi’s DJ-Kicks.

I have always loved this idea of tracks having a life beyond their original incarnation. So many sounds we make end up quite deep in the mix, so a reconfiguring can be an amazing catalyst for a whole new piece of work. When HAAi first sent me this insane build she had created out of the stems for our collaboration 'Baby, We're Ascending', I was fucking excited. The beautiful, vulnerable, almost mantra-like vocals from new friend KAM-BU blew me away. She asked me to have a look at adding a few bits to the higher energy section towards the end. I already thought it sounded pretty complete but I came up with a few passes of analog stuff just to add a bit more momentum. Playing my live version of this banger out over the summer festivals was so much fun.

I love working and collaborating with friends and am grateful that this new epic exists. Thanks and love to HAAi, Kam and Pat Alvarez for letting me be involved.

Photo by Imogene von Barron

Immunity is 10 years old today

Immunity is 10 years old today

Immunity is 10 years old today. The album was written between late 2010 and early 2012. I poured everything into it, taking so much care over every element. I had often not felt my track titles in the past fully represented what I was trying to say in the music, so I worked with the poet Rick Holland on the titles for this one. We sat in pubs and talked for hours about what I was trying to convey, then he went away and wrote stream-of-consciousness style poetry and I found the titles hiding in there.

Musically I remember being pretty burnt out by the end of making this record. The main riff on Open Eye Signal was created on the 1979 Korg MS20 that's pictured. This riff alone I must have spent 4 months on. The notes were in place quite early, but the gradual changes to the sound took so long. So much effort into trying to make something sound effortless.

The title track dated back as far as 2005, to when my piano was still at my mum's house. It was recorded on a £25 mic I had since I was a kid. Around this time I met King Creosote, but didn't put his vocals on the song until a few years later when we were making Diamond Mine.

For the artwork for Immunity, I didn't want to just use a graphic that was created digitally. All the project's imagery is made up of photographs of crystals forming under microscopes, taken by biochemist and artist Linden Gledhill. I loved this idea of creating something abstract and organic but within a tiny physical space, and filming that beautifully. It felt like it represented the way I make sounds, which often involves stretching things out, slowing things down, seeing what's hidden inside.

This record changed my life. I went from playing 500 cap venues to 5000 cap in less than a year. The whole thing was a whirlwind, and has since given me the freedom to follow any creative route that comes to me. Making and releasing it was a very special experience.

I have never had anything I’ve made remastered before, but had occasionally wondered if the loud mastering on Immunity is something I would still have done today. When Guy Davie and I returned to the pre-masters, I was suddenly wary of messing with it, creatively changing something that people were familiar with and that had become important to them. So we went back to the original settings, then ran the tracks through Guy's EMI mastering console. The results were captured in 96k digital, then processed subtly by a Weiss expander. I love the added movement and flow that comes from this recovered dynamic range. It just has a little more breathing space, whilst retaining the grit and intensity it always had.

Listen to the remastered Immunity now, and order the vinyl & CD.



Announcing BBC Proms performance at Royal Albert Hall, August 29th

Announcing BBC Proms performance at Royal Albert Hall, August 29th

I'm returning to the Royal Albert Hall for a special show on August 29th, as part of this year’s BBC Proms. This involves a world premiere of my first ever composition for full orchestra and choir, alongside orchestral reinterpretations of the more meditative pieces from my albums. I have this idea of turning the Royal Albert Hall into a huge group sonic meditation. This concert will be a collaboration with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Singers, and Creative Artist In Association, Jules Buckley.

Tickets are on sale now.

Introducing 'Tayos Caves, Ecuador (Meditation Version)'

Introducing 'Tayos Caves, Ecuador (Meditation Version)'

Introducing ‘Tayos Caves, Ecuador (Meditation Version)’ and ‘Ascending, Dawn Sky (Meditation Version)’.

Music For Psychedelic Therapy was not written to be a meditation album, but I've found that once you release something, it's better to let go of how you see it yourself, and allow it to become its own thing. It turns out a lot of people like to use it for meditation, so I thought it would be cool to make a version of one of the central pieces - Tayos Caves, Ecuador - that is better suited for this purpose. To do this, I removed all the field recordings, so that no specific imagery is brought to mind, and it no longer has that very precise sense of place. This version is more neutral, more gentle. I found revisiting this music quite inspiring, so I created a similar refinement of Ascending, Dawn Sky.

Verdant Brewery Co. Collaboration - Light Through The Veins

Verdant Brewery Co. Collaboration - Light Through The Veins

When I was 26, I was working on Insides, and kept hitting serious creative blocks. In those days I often felt like I had too many options, too many potential routes to follow. I had been working with Eno a lot around that time, and one of the many things I learnt from him was the importance of limitation, and how imposing seemingly random factors on the music you are making can create things that are more interesting than your conscious mind could conceive of.

With this in mind, I picked the number 9, which resonated with me that day. I decided to apply this number to as many aspects of the music as possible. I wrote a 9-note riff, which cycled for 9 minutes and 18 seconds over a 36-step sequence. The number 9 and multiples of 9 were applied to as many parameters in the sound design as possible.

The track went on to change my life in various ways, and be a big part of my live shows at Glastonbury over the years. Now it has become something you can drink. When I started talking to my friends at Verdant Brewing Co. about making a collab beer, the brewing team were into working this 9s idea into the recipe, so they used the number 9 at as many levels as possible:

9%
3 hop varieties
63 minute mash rest
63 minute boil
1800kg of malt
27gpl dry hop
Fermented in FV9

The beer is available now.

New collaboration with ANNA

New collaboration with ANNA

’Receiving’ is the third collaboration I have done with my friend Anna. It was a joy to create something new from this sublime piece that she made with Laraaji, and to be part of her blissful new project, ‘Intentions’. As a starting point, I made a drone part out of the zither performance, then dropped the tempo and pitch of Anna’s beat elements to form a very deep and slow heartbeat-like pulse. I then wrote the piano part on top of this combination. What came out feels a little like a companion to Sit Around The Fire. I hope you enjoy it.

JON HOPKINS & FRIENDS at KOKO

JON HOPKINS & FRIENDS at KOKO

Announcing JON HOPKINS & FRIENDS at KOKO, 12 November. Inspired by my life-changingly fun set at San Remo Glastonbury, I am curating a club night at the newly-reopened Koko in Camden. The full line-up will be announced nearer the time but I can tell you that the artists DJing are legends and friends whose stuff you will know and love. I will be doing a two hour DJ/live hybrid thing with lots of new tunes.

Pre-Sale tickets will go live on the 13th of September & general release will be on sale 14th of September. See you there! X

Remaining Tickets for Polarity Tour

Remaining Tickets for Polarity Tour

The Polarity live tour starts again next Monday. Only a few tickets remain for Helsinki, Hamburg, Barcelona & Berlin - the rest of the tour is now sold out. This show won't happen again in its current form.. it's been so special so far, with the Royal Albert Hall show in London last year being my favourite ever live experience. My friend Hayden Thorpe will be opening all shows.

Orbital - Halcyon & On (Jon Hopkins Remix)

Orbital - Halcyon & On (Jon Hopkins Remix)

When I was a teenager my brother Sam introduced me to Orbital’s Halcyon and On and On. I used to listen to it on repeat in my room before I had the ability or gear to make any of my own stuff. I was obsessed with those opening chords and that beautiful reversed vocal. 25 years later the band asked me to remix it for their upcoming anniversary release, Orbital 30. I was so honoured. It was a fucking dream to have all the original stems to play with after all that time.. I worked on it in early 2019 I think, then first played a live version at Glastonbury 2019 when closing West Holts on the Friday night. Since then you might have heard it in various incarnations in DJ sets. I’m so happy for you to all hear the full version.

Deep In The Glowing Heart (Night Version)

Deep In The Glowing Heart (Night Version)

Since finally being able to start DJing again I have had such a craving to return to making rhythmic music. The idea to use stems from my recent album as starting points for new tracks was exciting to me, but I didn't want to just make these new things just on my own, as more and more I am feeling inspired to collaborate, particularly with artists I am friends with and who have really different sounds.

I first came across ANNA’s music through her track Hidden Beauties, which I found myself playing in DJ sets all the time and always goes down so well. The mix is so heavy and clear, with so much weight and energy. I asked her to remix Singularity and the results were so amazing I was super keen to work with her again. We went back and forth a lot, with both of us trying early versions in our DJ sets to see what worked and didn't. I love how this one turned out, it’s such a meeting of our two styles.

Trip Reports

Trip Reports

I've received so many beautiful messages about the deep things you have been experiencing with the new album. It's been a total privilege.

I created a space called Trip Reports on my website, where you can anonymously share and discuss these with other listeners. I will also be on there occasionally to answer questions and respond. Go here: https://jonhopkins.co.uk/trip-...

A Gathering of the Tribe

A Gathering of the Tribe

I haven't done much scoring in the last few years, but occasionally something comes along that I fall in love with, and feel like I just have to work on. My friend Aubrey Marcus showed me an early version of this stunning Aldous Massie animation he produced when I was in Austin last September. The theme, the imagery and the colours all resonated so deeply.

I wrote a chord structure to follow the arc of the story, then sent it to Vylana Marcus, who sang the beautiful vocal lines that you can hear on top. I also used some of the sound design that Ben Joseph Stewart made that brought life to the narrative. Thank you to Charles Eisenstein for writing this story.

The video is available on YouTube, and the instrumental is now available on all streaming platforms.

Music For Psychedelic Therapy (Excerpt) out now

Music For Psychedelic Therapy (Excerpt) out now

Everything on the record is so intrinsically linked that rather than extract one track to release next, I made this stand-alone excerpt, which is drawn from elements of the second half.

Like everyone, I went through a lot of intensely heavy stuff in the last year. Somehow this music flowed through me in that time. I honestly have no idea where it came from, the whole creation process happened in something of a trance. I felt driven by a force way beyond myself and it was unforgettable.

It’s been a privilege to work with Stephen McNally once again on the video. This guy seems to be uniquely able to turn the images I have in my head into things everyone can see. We have previously worked together on the sleeve for Singularity as well as the video for Luminous Beings, but this is my favourite collaboration with him so far.

Play loud, and I hope you enjoy it.

Music For Psychedelic Therapy

Music For Psychedelic Therapy

My sixth full-length solo album is called Music For Psychedelic Therapy. It is released digitally and on CD on the 12th of November, and on vinyl on the 11th of February, 2022. Pre-order at the link below.

"Sit Around The Fire" is the first single. It is built around a talk by Ram Dass that was given in 1975, which I had the honour of scoring in collaboration with my friend East Forest. For the video, we had the opportunity of bringing to life the iconic imagery from Ram Dass' seminal book Be Here Now, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this autumn. This stunning animation was done by Tom Readdy and Lucy Dawkins at Yes Please. I hope you enjoy it, and that Ram Dass' words can bring you some of the clarity and love they brought me. Watch it at the link below.

All Of This Unreal Time

All Of This Unreal Time

I co-scored this amazing film with Aaron Dessner & Bryce Dessner. All Of This Unreal Time, starring Cillian Murphy and written by Max Porter, premieres as an immersive surround sound installation at this year's Manchester International Festival. The film was directed by Aoife McArdle, who I first worked with back in 2013 on her video for Open Eye Signal. Tickets on sale now from : https://mif.co.uk/whats-on/all-of-this-unreal-time/

New EP 'Piano Versions' is out now

New EP 'Piano Versions' is out now

Piano Versions is four minimal, ambient piano covers of songs I have loved for a long time but that come from very different places. It seems to me that melody is universal and the ones that I really connect to shine out irrespective of genre or context, whether from techno, folk or whatever. I loved the simplicity of having my old upright piano be the centre of a whole record for the first time. But the importance of letting the outside world into the recordings is as present for me as ever, so there are layers of incidental noise, bird song, the sound of someone washing up in the studio kitchen - whatever was going on outside my room is included and even accentuated. I want people to hear not just the recordings but to feel how it felt to be there and make them. It was a deep experience.

New shows in Bristol, Cambridge and Barcelona

New shows in Bristol, Cambridge and Barcelona

Can't wait for the rescheduled Polarity tour dates in November. I am also pleased to announce new shows in Bristol, Cambridge and Barcelona. My friend Hayden Thorpe will be supporting on all dates (except Bristol). Tickets at the link below.

Tayos Caves, Ecuador

Tayos Caves, Ecuador

Excited to announce my first release of the year - a new 20 minute immersive ambient / classical piece called Tayos Caves, Ecuador. There will be a global release later in the year but for now it is available to members of The Liminal Compass, a new online journey through meditation, art, music, storytelling, poetry and community, inspired by Ecuador's Tayos Caves. Follow @Tayos_org or visit www.tayos.org to sign up.

So back in 2018 I was invited on an expedition to spend a few nights in these caves, which lie under the high Amazon in Ecuador. To get there we had to descend a 60 metre drop on a tiny rope, which was fucking terrifying. Once safely down however, it was all peace and warmth. 12 of us lived down there for 4 days with no daylight, surrounded by bizarre and beautiful creatures, the sound of oilbirds, and the underground river that created these caves. The point of me being there was to translate the experience into music. I didn't have time to build it until the disruption of my touring in 2020 - but when I did, it appeared almost fully formed. I have never encountered so little resistance in making a piece of music.

My friend Mendel Kaelen captured some stunning field recordings of the whole experience which I used heavily in the piece. I wanted to make something that would feel like a duet between my instruments and the music of this incredible place.

Follow @Tayos_org on Instagram and Facebook

Visuals by 2MS Studio.

New piano cover of 'Dawn Chorus' by Thom Yorke

New piano cover of 'Dawn Chorus' by Thom Yorke

As 2020 comes to a close, I am pleased to share my new piano cover of 'Dawn Chorus' by Thom Yorke, taken from his recent album, Anima.

I felt such bliss the first time I heard this piece - it seemed so mysterious and hypnotic, oblique but warm. I thought there was so much beauty in that chord sequence that there was room to explore it on the piano and see what grew from it. One day in early April when everything was particularly quiet and surreal outside, I went into my studio for the first time in weeks and ended up recording the whole thing in one take. I left it very raw and upfront, with just some sub bass and vocal drones in the background. The whole thing was done in a day and was a very cathartic experience.

"Singing Bowl (Ascension)" is out today

"Singing Bowl (Ascension)" is out today

Like so many people I felt pretty paralysed by this situation when it first unfolded. All my plans for the year were cancelled, and everything felt so weird and dreamlike. But gradually I found I wanted to create something - to find peace and perspective through making music, as I have always done. I wanted to make something for the meditative mindset I found myself in, so I turned to some recordings I had made last year of an 100 year old singing bowl that was found in an antique shop in Delhi. I decided to restrict myself to using just this instrument and a laptop, and with this as a starting point, built a 21 minute meditation piece.

It felt beautifully pure to just use one acoustic sound source, and no synths. It was liberating to write something without playing anything on a keyboard - to avoid the familiar diatonic scale for the first time, and thus avoid any of my own conditioned playing habits. There was a magic in setting this generative system in motion then just letting the vibrations of this bowl create their own world. I listened to harmonics layering on top of harmonics for hours and was transported.

visuals by @2ms_studio

New piano composition "Scene Suspended" out now

New piano composition "Scene Suspended" out now

My new piano composition “Scene Suspended” is out now.

The main tracks on Singularity were built of hundreds of layers and processes, and took nearly two years to build. Following on from this I’ve been craving a return to simplicity, to acoustic sound and to the instrument I grew up playing. In order to express similar themes but to use as little as possible to achieve this the only sound sources on “Scene Suspended” are piano and violin.

New track - Luminous Spaces

New track - Luminous Spaces

I made a new collaborative track with my friend Kelly Lee Owens. It started life as a remix she was doing for Luminous Beings, but when I heard what she had done to it, particularly the incredible vocal lines, it became clear this needed to be its own thing, like a more overtly euphoric sister track to the original.

Australian tour dates - January 2020

Australian tour dates - January 2020

I will be returning to Australia this Jan for a mix of live and DJ dates.

Jon Hopkins joins the inspirational exploration project Tayos

Jon Hopkins joins the inspirational exploration project Tayos

In the summer of 2018 the multi-disciplinary Tayos team descended into the caves for a four day exploration; photographing, filming, taking sound recordings and conducting a first-of-its-kind subterranean neuroscience study

New Trailer 2018 - Directed by  Stephen McNally

New Trailer 2018 - Directed by Stephen McNally

This trippy teaser film for Jon Hopkins follows mysterious luminous beings that multiply and dance across a cosmic sky scape.