WATCH THE VISUALIZER AND STREAM “PLANNINGTO RISK IT” HERE
ACCLAIMED NEW ALBUM, HiRUDiN, OUT NOW VIA PINK FIZZ
BUY / STREAM HiRUDiN HERE
“…a collection of brutally honest and therapeutic tales of love, loss and moving on...it’s her strongest offering to date." - BeatRoute
“Stelmanis traces a deeply personal journey of growth, queerness and toxic relationships. Named after the anticoagulant released by leeches, HiRUDiN fittingly explores the parasitic nature of toxicity and the healing that it can call forth." - Exclaim!
“...the most engaging, vital and ambitious album of her career. HiRUDiN is fuelled and defined by her recent emotional turmoil...It’s one of the most beautiful breakup albums you’ll hear this year." - Tinnitist
Photo credit – Virginie Khateeb
Following on from a recent slew of superb remixes, today, Austra (Katie Austra Stelmanis) is happy to unveil a new remix of “Risk It” by Planningtorock. Slowing the original track down, Planningtorock contorts and repeats Austra’s vocals to create a more melancholic and mediative sound, underpinned by synths.
Stelmanis said of enlisting them: “Planningtorock is a queer icon. Their music feels very good and very risky and their lyrical description of the queer trans experience is entirely unique. I’m thrilled to have them work on this second remix for Austra."
WATCH THE VISUALIZER AND STREAM “PLANNINGTO RISK IT” HERE
Jam Rostron, of Planningtorock added: “This is the second remix I’ve made for Katie / Austra - the first is almost 10 years ago! For this remix I wanted to build around Katie’s lovely vocals, a gentle string driven dance track.”
While Austra’s third album, 2017’s Future Politics, was concerned with the external power structures that shape society, HiRUDiN points inward, tracing a deeply personal journey towards regeneration, dealing with the fallout of toxic relationships, queer shame, and insecurity along the way. Named after the peptide released by leeches that is the most potent anticoagulant in the world, HiRUDiN is about the importance of healing the self, letting go of harmful influences, and finding the power to rebuild.
STREAM HIRUDIN HERE
WATCH THE VISUALISER AND STREAM “RISK IT” (INDIA JORDAN REMIX) HERE
WATCH THE VISUALISER FOR “MOUNTAIN BABY (FEAT CECILE BELIEVE)” HERE
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “RISK IT” HERE
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “ANYWAYZ” HERE
HiRUDiN is available to buy on tangerine coloured vinyl and CD from the Austra Store and digitally. Buy: Austra Store | Digital
MORE PRAISE FOR HiRUDiN
"Austra's most inventive album yet" Evening Standard
“Delicious” - The Independent
“Brilliant” DIY
"Revenge-pop bangers" The Line of Best Fit
"A deep dive, but a cathartic one" Sunday Times
"Her strongest cuts in some time" Uncut
"One of the most underrated pop artists working today" Beats Per Minute