Today, Leftfield, one of the UK’s most revered and innovative dance acts, release their first album in seven years, This Is What We Do.
This Is What We Do is Leftfield’s first album of new music since 2015’s acclaimed Alternative Light Source. The album was crafted with long-time studio and mix engineer Adam Wren, and features guest contributions from Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten, Lemn Sissay and more. The album cover is a shot taken by lauded photographer Steve McCurry, whose work includes the celebrated photograph Afghan Girl. This cover image is a marked departure to previous Leftfield album imagery, chosen to reflect the warmth and positivity of the album and to celebrate the connections that we make with others throughout our lives.
This Is What We Do is an eclectic long-player that embodies the core optimistic ethos of the iconic dance music act. Exploring themes around love, acceptance, diversity and healing, the album was written before and after two extremely challenging and transformative periods in the life of Leftfield’s Neil Barnes. The global pandemic, and his own personal health crisis, both having a direct impact on the creative process, with his own drive to heal childhood trauma as a backdrop. As a result the new LP is a rich, vibrant, positive and potent cocktail of incendiary cuts that epitomise Leftfield's uncompromising approach to dance music. Tapping into the roots of the culture - subversive, radical, progressive and inclusive - This Is What We Do is a positive and powerful record that addresses personal themes which also reflect our current global experience.
About Leftfield
Formed in 1988, Leftfield quickly became one of the most influential and innovative dance music acts of all time. Originally comprised of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley, Leftfield’s legendary live-performances paired with seminal albums, 1995s Leftism and 1999s Rhythm & Stealth (both Mercury Music Prize nominees), solidified their position as true pioneers.
The group then went on a hiatus in 2002 before returning in 2010 for live-appearances (now led solely by Barnes). 2015’s Alternative Light Source was the first Leftfield album in sixteen years. The record garnered acclaim from The Guardian, The Observer, Uncut, Mojo and more, and featured Jason Williamson (Sleaford Mods) and Tunde Adebimpe (TV on The Radio), amongst others. In 2017 the band reissued their classic album Leftism, remastering the original 11 tracks of the record and releasing 11 remixes. They then embarked on a special sold out tour in support of the reissue, playing Leftism in its entirety. Now, in 2022 they return with This Is What We Do.
Tracklist:
- This Is What We Do
- Full Way Round
- Making A Difference
- City of Synths
- Pulse
- Machines Like Me
- Rapture 16
- Heart and Soul
- Accumulator
- Come On
- The Power of Listening