New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Following the release of her critically acclaimed sophomore album, MYCELiUM earlier this month via Mad Decent, Aluna is back today with the official music video for the album's focus track, 'Running Blind', a collaboration with French producer and DJ Tchami, with vocals from Aluna and Atlanta-born artist, songwriter, and producer Kareen Lomax. The music video was directed by Priya Minhas.
Speaking about the new video, Aluna reveals, "Kareen and I met on the night that Beyoncé made history as the first
Black woman to win the 'Dance Electronic Album of the Year' category at the Grammys. That night we felt so free, riding around town celebrating, the little girls inside us taking over the vibe. Priya Minhas captures that feeling with the story of Jordyn, Trumuir,
Haven and D'Maurier meeting on a hot summer's day in the city, their whole life ahead of them."
Talking about the track, Aluna explains, "This is an unusual track on the album because Tchami actually sent me this beat and I wrote to it remotely. The irresistible sound just immediately made me think of the insatiable pull that freedom has on me. In my experience, freedom is not something you win on your own, just like I wasn't able to single handedly change the industry for
Black women. When Kareen effortlessly added her poetry, the song took on a whole new level and I finally felt like it was doing the job it was meant."
While Aluna has always defied dance music orthodoxy by virtue of her own predilection for the genre, she has also made inroads for other creatives to follow her unapologetic path. It's why she's quietly become a boundary-breaking force, merging electronic, indie, alternative, and pop and integrating voices rarely represented in this space.
Change happens by reshaping and recalibrating the ruins of yesterday into a stronger tomorrow, but rather than wait around for the system to wake up, Aluna has actively architected structures to supportive a brighter, bolder, and, always, more inclusive future in dance.
On her latest album, Aluna shares: "The Mycelium is the cell network seeped into the fabric of nature. I'm not talking about the bloom or the fruits. You need to lay the groundwork to see the fruit one day. I got burnt out from trying to work with powerful people who have lots of money and no actual genuine care for what I'm trying to do.
I realized there was no foundation where I was standing, and we have to build our own foundation. It's not going to be all bells and whistles; it's going to be substance. So, I broke some barriers and started mentoring creative fans. I built a community of
Black Ravers on Geneva and by joining groups on Instagram and social media. Now, the album is my community I've created."
The multi-award-winning British (of Jamaican and Indian heritage) artist naturally began to build this ecosystem that would later become MYCELiUM, one move at a time, throughout 2022 in London, Paris, and Los Angeles.
This time around, she emphasized the use of analog gear, infusing her music with organic and raw energy, and collaborating with likeminded visionaries worldwide, attracting a cohort of
Black and LGBTQ+ collaborators and allies.
These ranged from KOOLDRINK in South Africa, Roofeeo in Panama,
Pabllo Vittar in Brazil, and Picard Brothers in France to TSHA, Chris Lake, and MNEK in London and many more. The result, MYCELiUM, a timeless celebration of 90's era dance music and the communities and cultures that helped impact its movement and message to this day.
Speaking about the importance of the collaborators on this project, Aluna adds "I was always used to being the only
Black person in the room, not only on stage, but also in all of the meetings and studio sessions. To be able to work with producers who are not only
Black but LGBTQ+ was the most life-affirming stage of my career. Writing remotely also opened up the door for me to be able to collaborate with people in other countries too."
Last month, Aluna released 'Oh The Glamour,' a delightfully deep groove assault to the senses, and collaboration with Brazilian GRAMMY® nominated artist Pabllo Vittar, GRAMMY® and BRIT nominated MNEK, and UK producer Eden Prince.
Following her packed-to-the-rafters set at Coachella's DoLab tent, Aluna can next be seen playing a series of summer festivals, Bleached Festival in San Diego, CA (TICKETS), Higher Ground Festival in Seattle, WA (TICKETS), North Coast Festival in Chicago, IL (TICKETS) and more.
She will then head out on her own headline tour this Fall, including dates in San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles, Toronto, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Brooklyn, NY and more. Aluna is slated to take the stage as a special guest of American electronic duo Louis The Child for two nights at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO,
September 23 and 24. For a list of all tour dates and details, please visit https://www.alunageorge.com/.
'Running Blind' with Tchami and Kareen Lomax is out now.
MYCELiUM is available everywhere now.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR & FESTIVAL DATES:
08/05 - Bleached Festival - San Diego, CA^
08/06 - Higher Ground Festival - Seattle, WA^
08/11 - Das Energi Festival - Salt Lake City, UT^
09/01 - North Coast Festival - Chicago, IL^
09/02 -
Phoenix Hotel - San Francisco, CA⇑
09/08 - The Church - Denver, CO⇑
09/09 - The Fonda - Los Angeles, CA⇑
09/10 - 916 Block Party - Sacramento, CA^
09/23 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO++
09/24 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Morrison, CO++
10/06 -
Velvet Underground - Toronto, ON⇑
10/07 - Magic Stick - Detroit, MI⇑
10/13 - Warehouse on Watts - Philadelphia, PA⇑
10/14 - Culture - Washington, DC⇑
10/20 - III Points Festival - Miami, FL^
11/11 - Elsewhere - Brooklyn, NY⇑
⇑Headline Show
^Festival Dates
Aluna originally got her start as one half of the beloved duo AlunaGeorge, achieving international renown with widespread acclaim, award nominations, major collaborations, and massive tours, but it wasn't until later that she stepped truly into her power with her debut album Renaissance in 2020 (LISTEN) via Mad Decent.
Co-produced by Aluna alongside executive producer Lido, and featuring contributions from Princess Nokia, Jada Kingdom, SG Lewis, KAYTRANADA, Scott Storch, GRADES, Mr. Carmack and Rema, Renaissance represented the culmination of her journey of "a black girl in an all-white British suburb back in the day" to launching a rule-breaking revolution where rigid boundaries dissolve between culture, race, gender, and genre.
Beyond generating over 100 million streams, it garnered widespread tastemaker acclaim. Pitchfork noted, "The album showcases her curatorial skills—honed from years of DJ sets, streaming playlists, and recently virtual shows as Aluna's Room—and her range," while
Clash raved, "Renaissance sees Aluna cementing herself as one of the most exciting artists around with this iconic offering that will inspire dance records for years to come."
Now, Aluna gears up to further cement herself as one of the most important curators and voices in dance music with her second full-length solo offering, MYCELiUM [Mad Decent] out July 7.
