Richard Dawson Announces New Album The Ruby Cord
Richard Dawson returns with antic The Ruby Cord.
The new record, which will be released on November 18th via Weird World, is the third and final instalment in a trilogy that began with Dawson's Peasant and ended—possibly—with Dawson's seventh studio album—in the prehistoric world of 2020. This is a return to Dawson's own world with seven tracks that transport us to an unreal, fantastical, and occasionally sinister future where social mores have changed and ethical and physical boundaries have vanished—a place where you no longer need to interact with anyone but yourself and your own imagination. This follows recent collaborations with Finnish metal innovators Circle and his work with Hen Ogledd.
The Ruby Cord breaks free from the constraints of so-called real life and plunges headfirst into a (sort of) sci-fi world where human society has collapsed and morphed into something noticeably less solid. Whereas 2020 dealt in social realism with explorations of contentious football matches, the fallacy of work-life balance, and therapeutic forms of repetitive exercise. We're all into these dream universes, adds Dawson. Conspiracy theories, nationalism, or amateur football punditry. "Whether it's really created virtual realities, computer worlds, or withdrawing into even more fantasy universes. People create their own realities because the current one is so faulty.
The 40-minute opening track "The Hermit" is Dawson's most ambitious composition to date, building on the expansive storytelling of 2014's "The Vile Stuff" and pushing the boundaries even farther. It serves as the introduction to the remainder of The Ruby Cord. James Hankins, the filmmaker, created a 40-minute pop video to go with "The Hermit." The short film, which tells the tale of a recluse living in a pastoral dreamworld, will have its UK debut at a number of theatres and art venues, with Q&A sessions after each showing. The Ruby Cord's music will be heard for the first time at these screening events; information on live performances in 2023 will be released soon.