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— BROCKHAMPTON (@brckhmptn) January 14, 2022

Arguably the best of their most recent ‘BUZZCUT’ kicked off the group’s victory lap. Unconfirmed group leader Kevin Abstract bounces onto the stage with enough energy to take on the whole venue himself, this backed up by a performance that has the rare title of being able to out-rap Danny Brown sets the tone for what will eventually become an energy heavy night. As Joba, Matt, Merlyn, Dom, Bearface and the rest of the ensemble arrive no single member of the audience stayed in their seats. Once the first track comes to a close, the BROCKHAMPTON history lesson kicks in, tracks from the SATURATION trilogy, followed by a couple from IRIDESCENCE. Just as the crowd start to get used to the bombardment of hype, none other than Slowthai joined the stage for a take on their joint effort ‘HEAVEN BELONGS TO YOU’. The song comes to a close and the band proceed to give Slowthai centre stage as the backing track for his own track ‘Doorman’ comes blaring through the PA. The boisterous combination however could only go on for so long. Once the Northampton rapper left the stage a few more tracks brought everyone back to the point of the evening before closing with a particularly delicate rendition of ‘SUMMER’. See some fan footage of Slowthai joining the band below.

While the second date followed most of the same beats as the first, many may have been disappointed by a stark lack of an appearance from Slowthai… maybe he was busy, or maybe we have something else to look forward to. But in this case, the secret was just that of a few (possible more niche) album tracks like SEX found their way into the set. SUMMER comes and goes as the band make their way from the stage… but the lights stay down… is more coming? How could they come back to the UK for 2 final shows and not end with BOOGIE. Since its discovery as the opening track of SATURATION III, it’s been a fan favourite. So, what better way to leave them wanting more. Quite fitting for a band that always seems to leave something hanging in the air. Farewell BROCKHAMPTON.

Speaking with NME regarding their new more dance-driven, synth-heavy new single; Tempest tells us, “More Pressure’ is the penultimate song on the album, It’s the song that the whole album is building towards in some ways because what it’s saying is that we can reframe some of the stresses that we find ourselves under as possibilities for new growth, new resilience, new acceptance – a new level of energy can come from huge amounts of pressure.” They add, “For me, it’s a song of upliftment, and it’s a switching of focus from some of the more-heavy themes that come up in the record. So, I thought it was a great song to lead with. Also, it’s just got good vibes.”

You can pre-order the new album here. But other than this, no other announcements have been made regarding 2022 for Tempest. There are, however, rumours spreading of a tour announcement to be made on Friday (December 14^th). After the resounding success that took Tempest to All Points East, Edinburgh International Festival and Glastonbury in 2019 during the tour for The Book of Traps and Lessons, one can safely assume the announcement will probably end up coming soon.

As well as Abstract’s feature on the lead single, The Line is a Curve also has a number of other guest appearances confirmed; Fontaines D.C. singer Grian Chatten, singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas, ½ of Italian production duo Ássia, South-London rapper Confucius MC, and long-term collaborator Dan Carey who is once again taking on the mantle of producer. These collaborations cement Tempest’s idea for the album, “I feel like I learned what this album was about as I started to make it. For me, the album is about increasing resilience and raising your threshold for tolerance and acceptance. And it’s a very beautiful album, because so many people involved in making it are people that I’ve known and loved for a very long time.”