Hertfordshire duo, Chris Davids and Liam Ivory, better known as Maribou State have announced that their highly anticipated new album ‘Hallucinating Love’ is set for release on January 31st 2025 on Ninja Tune. Alongside the news comes brand new single “Otherside” featuring long-time collaborator and vocalist Holly Walker — with other featured guests across the record including Andreya Triana, North Downs and Gaidaa.
“Otherside” follows last year’s standout “Blackoak” single — a classic slice of signature Maribou sound, blending intricate electronics with organic live instrumentation and vocals, built around the kind of enticing hooks that have earned them such a huge and dedicated fan base over the years.
‘Hallucinating Love’ is said to be worth the wait: it is ambitious, packed with sublime anthemia, and is injected with restless energy, soaring strings and stunning guest vocals from long-standing collaborator Holly Walker and new friends like MOBO-nominated artist Andreya Triana. It evidences Maribou State’s evolving balance of intimacy and intricacy, as well as their knack for making epic sundown music. On the album, Liam says “When we were writing, we were imagining how great it’d feel to finally be back onstage, bringing people together again.” The overall feeling is one of hope. ‘Hallucinating Love’ is “about being in a dark place, a place of struggle, and then looking forward to bright futures,” Chris explains.
Working more closely with others also helped to mine musical gold, at various recording sessions in bucolic settings around the country. Liam and Chris invited along collaborators like incredibly talented producer Jack Sibley and bassist Jonjo Williams, creating little makeshift communities wherever they went. It infused their music with a new energy. On the album’s lead single “Blackoak”, you can even hear an amateur choir of friends, recorded in the stairwell of an old country house during one of their stays.
Crucially, the duo wanted to reflect the lineage of great British electronic music, from jungle and UK garage to IDM and trance, and celebrate its influence as well as their place in that history. “We’ve always been very hidden in the project, and reveled in the ambiguity and anonymity,” admits Liam. “But as we’ve gotten older, we’ve wanted to show who we are much more. And naturally it made sense to then point towards British dance music culture because it’s something to be really proud of.”
Even during their darkest days, Maribou State found a way to challenge themselves and push themselves creatively forward. And they’re entering this new phase stronger than ever before – not just as producers but as artists too. “We’re so much more connected as a duo now,” says Liam. “We’re more grounded and resilient.”
‘Hallucinating Love’ Tracklist:
1. Blackoak
2. Otherside (feat. Holly Walker)
3. II Remember
4. All I Need (feat. Andreya Triana)
5. Dance on the World (feat. North Downs)
6. Bloom (feat. Gaidaa)
7. Peace Talk (feat. Holly Walker)
8. Passing Clouds
9. Eko’s
10. Rolling Stone
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