By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – Baltimore, MD, and Berlin, Germany, are the two geographic poles of Horse Lords’ latest creative endeavor, a project that signals a profound shift in the architecture of their sound. The celebrated experimental quartet has officially announced the upcoming release of their new full-length album, Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!, scheduled to arrive on June 12 via the esteemed RVNG Intl. label. While the band has spent over a decade perfecting a highly disciplined, instrumental brand of "rock" music rooted in just intonation and complex polyrhythms, this new record marks a historic milestone for the group: for the first time in their discography, Horse Lords are incorporating vocals into their meticulously crafted compositions.
The announcement comes alongside the immediate release of two lead singles, “Eureka 378-B” and “Brain of the Firm.” These tracks offer a first glimpse into the expanded palette of the album, showcasing the band’s ability to weave human voices into their signature web of interlocking rhythms and microtonal harmonies. To complement the auditory experience, both singles are accompanied by music videos directed by artist Scott Kiernan, whose visual language often mirrors the band’s own fascination with structural patterns, feedback loops, and the tension between the organic and the mechanical.
Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! serves as the successor to 2022’s critically acclaimed Comradely Objects, an album that solidified Horse Lords as one of the most innovative ensembles in modern music. Where their previous work felt like a masterclass in instrumental density and communal precision, the new album suggests a more expansive, perhaps even more theatrical, direction. The core lineup remains the same—Owen Gardner on guitar, Max Eilbacher on bass and electronics, Sam Haberman on drums, and Andrew Bernstein on saxophone and percussion—but the ensemble has grown significantly for this recording. Joining the quartet are bass clarinetist Madison Greenstone and trombonist Weston Olencki, both of whom are luminaries in the contemporary avant-garde scene. Most notably, the addition of vocalists Nina Guo and Evelyn Saylor transforms the band’s sonic identity, moving them away from the purely abstract and toward a new kind of communicative power.
The decision to record across both Berlin and Baltimore reflects the band’s current transatlantic existence and the dual influences of the American DIY underground and the European experimental tradition. In Baltimore, Horse Lords emerged from a fertile scene defined by genre-blurring experimentation and a fierce independence. In Berlin, they have found a home within a global hub for contemporary composition and electronic innovation. This synthesis of environments is palpable in the new material, which manages to feel both grounded in the physical act of performance and untethered from traditional song structures.
To understand the weight of this new release, one must look at the band’s evolution. Horse Lords have long been obsessed with the concept of "just intonation"—a system of tuning based on the whole-number ratios of the harmonic series, rather than the standardized 12-tone equal temperament used in most Western music. This technical choice gives their music a distinct, resonant shimmer that can feel both ancient and futuristic. When combined with their use of polyrhythms, the result is a sound that breathes and pulses in ways that standard rock music cannot. By adding voices to this equation, the band is effectively "tuning" the human instrument to their rigorous mathematical systems, a feat that promises to be as challenging as it is beautiful.
The tracklist for Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! hints at a narrative or conceptual arc. Divided by a series of "Rotations" and featuring titles like "First Galactic Utopia" and "Second Galactic Utopia," the album appears to grapple with themes of social organization, utopian longing, and the rigid structures of law and reality. The title track, which closes the album, suggests a final, defiant plea or a humorous subversion of spiritual ascension.
The full tracklist is as follows:
- Eureka 378-B
- Brain of the Firm
- Rotation I
- Playing and Reality
- Rotation II
- First Galactic Utopia
- Rotation III
- Before the Law
- After the Last Sky
- A City Yet to Come
- Second Galactic Utopia
- Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!
In tandem with the album announcement, Horse Lords have revealed a comprehensive touring schedule for 2026, ensuring that their new material will be road-tested across North America and Europe. The summer leg of the tour will see the band performing in a variety of settings, from dedicated music venues to contemporary art spaces. Notable stops include The Cedar in Minneapolis, the Art Lit Lab in Madison, and a high-profile performance at The Getty Center in Los Angeles. The tour also includes several festival appearances, such as the Winnipeg Folk Festival and the Hillside Festival in Ontario, highlighting the band’s ability to bridge the gap between experimental circles and broader independent music audiences.
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Following the North American run, the band will return to Europe for a series of dates in November. This leg of the tour is particularly extensive, covering major cultural hubs including London, Paris, Berlin, and Warsaw. These performances will likely feature the expanded ensemble, or at least a sophisticated electronic approximation of the album’s vocal and brass layers, providing fans with a live experience that matches the ambition of the studio recordings.
The anticipation for Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! is bolstered by the band’s recent accolades. Their song “May Brigade” was famously ranked at number 95 on Pitchfork’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2022, a rare feat for a band whose music is often described as "difficult" or "challenging." This recognition served as a testament to the band’s ability to create music that is intellectually rigorous while remaining visceral and danceable.
As the June 12 release date approaches, the music world will be watching to see how Horse Lords navigate this new chapter. The introduction of vocals is a gamble for any instrumental act, but for a band as calculated and thoughtful as Horse Lords, it is likely a move made with surgical precision. Whether the voices serve as another rhythmic layer or as a vessel for poetic expression, Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! is poised to be one of the most significant experimental releases of the year.
Horse Lords 2026 Tour Dates:
European Spring Dates:
05-22 Gent, Belgium – Viernulvier
05-23 Brussels, Belgium – Nuits Botaniques
05-30 Bologna, Italy – Angelica Festival
05-31 Turin, Italy – Jazz Is Dead
Summer Festivals and North American Tour:
06-19/20 Kongsberg, Norway – Motvind Festival
07-09/10 Winnipeg, CA – Winnipeg Folk Festival
07-11 Minneapolis, MN – The Cedar
07-12 Madison, WI – Art Lit Lab
07-13 Rock Island, IL – Rozz Tox
07-14 Yellow Springs, OH – Foundry Theatre
07-15 State College, PA – Manny’s
07-16 Buffalo, NY – Torn Space Theatre
07-17/18 Guelph, ON – Hillside Festival
07-19 Chatham, NY – PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance
07-25 Los Angeles, CA – The Getty Center
08-01 Tasov, Czech Republic – Beseda Festival
08-06/08 Haldern, Germany – Haldern Pop Festival
European Fall Tour:
11-03 Aarhus, Denmark – VoxHall
11-04 Copenhagen, Denmark – Loppen
11-05 Stockholm, Sweden – Hus 7
11-07 Hamburg, Germany – MS Stubnitz
11-09 Paris, France – Instants Chavirés
11-11 London, United Kingdom – ICA
11-15 Lille, France – L’Aéronef
11-18 Berlin, Germany – Silent Green
11-19 Warsaw, Poland – Pardon To Tu
Fans and collectors can look forward to the physical release, which continues the band’s relationship with RVNG Intl., a label known for its high-quality packaging and commitment to avant-garde artists. With Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!, Horse Lords are not just asking for a place in the musical firmament; they are building their own heaven, one ratio at a time.