By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – Melbourne, the landscape of modern electronic music is often defined by its fleeting nature, yet few acts command the same level of patience and prestige as the Australian duo The Avalanches. Known for their meticulous craftsmanship and a sample-heavy aesthetic that bridges the gap between danceable grooves and psychedelic dreamscapes, Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi have officially pulled back the curtain on their next major chapter. The group has confirmed the full tracklist and release details for their upcoming studio album, titled No Bad Memories, a project that promises to be as conceptually dense as it is musically diverse. Scheduled for a global release on October 16th, the album marks a significant return for the group, arriving four years after their critically acclaimed 2020 effort, We Will Always Love You.
While the six-year gap between their third and fourth albums might seem substantial by industry standards, it is a relatively brisk pace for a band that famously took sixteen years to follow up their seminal 2000 debut, Since I Left You. With No Bad Memories, The Avalanches appear to be leaning into their maximalist tendencies more than ever before. The record boasts a staggering 31 tracks, a figure that includes 28 core pieces and three digital exclusives. This expansive runtime is not merely a display of prolific output but a deliberate structural choice that aligns with the album’s overarching theme: the intersection of human memory and the pervasive influence of corporate branding.
The conceptual backbone of No Bad Memories is arguably its most intriguing facet. According to the group, the record serves as an exploration of how modern technology and ubiquitous advertising have begun to colonize our personal recollections. In a world where "name-brand technology" and algorithmic feeds dictate our experiences, the line between authentic memory and manufactured nostalgia becomes increasingly blurred. The Avalanches describe this phenomenon as both "magical and insidious," suggesting that while there is a certain wonder in the way we store our lives digitally, there is also a haunting quality to the way corporations "wrap" themselves around our most intimate moments.
To bring this concept to life, the band launched a sophisticated viral marketing campaign earlier this year. Centered around the "Takumi Digital Archives," the campaign utilized a "digital gorilla" strategy to present a fictitious, retro-futuristic corporation specializing in the online storage of human memories. The Takumi website, which fans have been exploring for months, features an aesthetic that mimics the early days of the internet—a period of digital optimism that now feels like a distant, pixelated dream. This immersive world-building sets the stage for the album’s sonic palette, which reportedly mirrors the rapid-fire, collage-like nature of a mind flipping through old television commercials and digital files.
The tracklist for No Bad Memories reads like a "who’s who" of contemporary and legendary musical talent, reflecting the duo’s transition from "plunderphonics" pioneers to master curators of collaborative energy. Among the most notable names is Jamie xx, a fellow traveler in the realm of emotive, sample-influenced electronic music. His contribution, "Every Single Weekend," is one of the most anticipated tracks on the record. Joining him is Barry Can’t Swim, the rising star of the UK house scene, who appears on two tracks: "Magic Wand" and the Suzanne Ciani-assisted "Our Love Is Alive." The inclusion of Ciani, a pioneer of modular synthesis and the "Diva of the Diode," highlights the album’s commitment to honoring the history of electronic sound.
The guest list continues to surprise with its eclectic range. Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, who previously collaborated with the band on "Running Red Lights," returns for "All The Time In The World," a track that also features the genre-bending producer Vegyn and Baby Marlboro. Meanwhile, the legendary Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs lends her unmistakable vocals to "Blue Shadows," and Carly Simon—an icon of 1970s singer-songwriter pop—appears on "One More Fantasy." This blending of generations and genres has become a hallmark of The Avalanches’ later work, creating a sense of timelessness that transcends specific eras.
Perhaps the most unexpected contributor is actor Haley Joel Osment. Known for his childhood roles in films like The Sixth Sense, Osment’s presence on tracks like "El Dorado TV Spot" and "Superfun!™ TV Spot" reinforces the album’s preoccupation with childhood nostalgia and the media of the past. His voice acts as a bridge to a specific era of pop culture, grounding the album’s corporate-themed interludes in a recognizable human reality. Other notable features include avant-garde vocalist Mike Patton of Faith No More, the glitch-art mastery of Ryoji Ikeda, and the ethereal pop sensibilities of Jessy Lanza.
The physical release of the album also offers something unique for collectors. The track "Evergreen Altar," which features Vegyn, is designated as an exclusive for the vinyl, CD, and cassette formats, encouraging fans to engage with the music through tangible media—a fitting choice for an album that critiques the ephemeral nature of digital storage. This tactile approach to music consumption serves as a counterweight to the "Takumi" corporation’s vision of memories stored in the cloud.
The Avalanches’ journey to No Bad Memories has been marked by a series of ambitious artistic endeavors. In 2025, the group was part of a high-profile art installation titled Piccadilly Un:Plugged, which saw their music literally sent to the Moon. Their single "We Will Always Love You," featuring Blood Orange, was among a collection of recordings beamed into the cosmos, symbolizing a desire for their art to exist beyond the terrestrial confines of the music industry. This celestial ambition seems to have filtered back into the new album, which seeks to map the inner space of the human mind with the same grandiosity.
As the October release date approaches, the full tracklist serves as a roadmap for what to expect:
‘Bd-R’
‘Together’ (feat. Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza & Prentiss)
‘Xerox Altalink B8055’ (feat. Ryoji Ikeda)
‘I Give Everything I Have 2 U’ (feat. Loaded Honey)
‘Every Single Weekend’ (feat. Jamie xx)
‘Friends Forever’
‘Blue Shadows’ (feat. Karen O)
‘Logoland’
‘Like Clockwork / Hit By Traffic’ (feat. Khadija Al Hanafi)
‘All The Time In The World’ (feat. Rivers Cuomo, Vegyn & Baby Marlboro)
‘3D Glasses Not Included’
‘Vida’ (feat. Erick the Architect)
‘Paradise Island’ (feat. Khadija Al Hanafi & Mike Patton)
‘Unicorn Quest™’ (feat. Ryoji Ikeda)
‘Far Away’ (feat. John Glacier & Khadija Al Hanafi)
‘He Lives In The Old World’
‘Can’t Get Over Losing You’ (feat. Portraits of Tracy)
‘Watch Out! It’s Cloudy’ (feat. Khadija Al Hanafi)
‘Highfield’ (feat. Panda Bear)
‘El Dorado TV Spot’ (feat. Haley Joel Osment)
‘Under Yr Power’
‘SUV Heaven’ (feat. Khadija Al Hanafi)
‘One More Fantasy’ (feat. Carly Simon)
‘Break Out Corporate Tag’ (feat. Ryoji Ikeda & Portraits Of Tracy)
‘Magic Wand’ (feat. Barry Can’t Swim)
‘Superfun!™ TV Spot’ (feat. Mike Patton & Haley Joel Osment)
‘No Bad Memories’
‘Our Love Is Alive’ (feat. Suzanne Ciani & Barry Can’t Swim)
‘Total Recall’ (feat. Mike Patton)
‘Final Credits’ (feat. Loaded Honey)
‘The Pavements Light’ (feat. Haruomi Hosono)
The final track on the list, "The Pavements Light," features Haruomi Hosono, a founding member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra and a titan of Japanese electronic music. His presence at the conclusion of the record suggests a full-circle moment for Chater and Di Blasi, paying homage to the innovators who paved the way for the very sampling culture they helped revolutionize.
With No Bad Memories, The Avalanches are not just releasing a collection of songs; they are inviting listeners into a curated museum of the subconscious. By blending the high-tech with the low-fi, and the corporate with the personal, they continue to prove that even in an age of data and algorithms, there is still room for the ghost in the machine. As the world waits for the mid-October launch, the "Takumi Digital Archives" remain open, a haunting reminder that while we may try to store our past, the music of The Avalanches is what truly makes those memories sing.
