Adding to a roster of talent set to perform in Manchester this year, Mike Skinner has announced that the release of the first full-length album from The Streets in more than a decade. The English rapper also announced that the musical project would be going on tour, with a huge gig taking place in Manchester this autumn.
Mike Skinner launched the musical project and went on to release five studio albums, including their Mercury Prize-nominated debut Original Pirate Material in 2002. The last time the Birmingham-born music project released a full-length album was back in 2011, with Computers and Blues.
But all that’s about to change this autumn, as Skinner has announced new record The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light, along with a feature film of the same name. The Streets will also be going on a UK tour from October 26, including a gig at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse on October 27.
Speaking about the album and film, Mike Skinner of The Streets said: “It has been seven long years working on this film and album. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and after dipping my toe in with some shorts and music videos, I felt I was ready.
“I tried to go the traditional route for a bit, but it’s always served me better to follow my instincts and just get on with it myself, so I’ve directed it, acted in it, edited, sound mixed, funded, produced it all as well as written it. The album doesn’t exist without it.
“Ultimately it’s all the fruits of a decade on the DJ circuit, watching people in clubs and back rooms, testing out beats and basslines to see what connected – and putting it all together into The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light.”
The new album promises to be a classic Streets album filled with Skinner’s trademark lyrical wizardry and beats honed over a decade of building his other career as a legitimate bass and rap DJ in clubs. The accompanying film will be a tripped-out murder mystery based in London’s clubland, to be screened at Everyman Cinemas across the UK.
Those who pre-order The Streets new album will also have access to the UK tour pre-sale. The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light is due to be released on October 20. General ticket sales go on sale at 9am on July 21. The Streets will perform at O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester on October 27.