By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – Melbourne, the legendary Australian electronic ensemble known as The Avalanches has officially pulled back the curtain on their next major creative chapter. After months of tantalizing fans with a string of high-profile collaborations and enigmatic teasers, the group has confirmed that their fourth studio album, titled No Bad Memories, is scheduled for release on October 16 via the long-standing tastemaker label Modular. The announcement arrives alongside a vibrant new single, "Can’t Get Over Losing You," which features the multifaceted artist Portraits of Tracy and is accompanied by a characteristically surreal visual piece from the band’s frequent collaborator, the visual artist Jonathan Zawada.
The journey leading to No Bad Memories has been one of calculated mystery. Since the release of their third album, We Will Always Love You, in 2020, the duo of Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi has been steadily evolving their sound from the dense, "plunderphonic" sample-weaving of their early days toward a more collaborative, song-oriented approach that bridges the gap between classic pop sensibilities and avant-garde electronic textures. This new project, however, promises to be their most ambitious undertaking to date, boasting a staggering 31-track odyssey that explores the intersection of art, consumerism, and the ephemeral nature of memory.
In a detailed press statement, the band revealed that the conceptual core of No Bad Memories is a deep, investigative dive into the world of marketing and advertising history. While their previous work often sought out the "ghosts" within obscure vinyl crates, this new record turns its gaze toward the utilitarian sounds of the 20th century: television jingles, radio commercials, and the sonic branding that defined the age of mass marketing. By repurposing the sounds originally intended to sell products, The Avalanches are attempting to recontextualize the commercial "noise" of the past into something emotionally resonant and enduring. It is a meta-commentary on the medium of sampling itself—taking the disposable and making it permanent.
The latest single, "Can’t Get Over Losing You," serves as a perfect entry point into this new sonic landscape. Featuring Portraits of Tracy, the track is a masterclass in modern electronic soul, blending intricate production with a raw, heart-wrenching vocal performance. The band has been vocal about their admiration for the collaborator, describing them as a "hilarious, brave, and tender human being" with whom they have developed a deep bond over several years of shared musical exploration. In their official statement, Chater and Di Blasi praised the artist’s "insane" production and mixing skills, but emphasized that it is their songwriting and "generational talent" that truly anchors the track.
The accompanying music video by Jonathan Zawada further cements the aesthetic identity of this era. Zawada, whose digital surrealism previously defined the visual world of Wildflower and We Will Always Love You, has crafted an animated sequence that feels both nostalgic and futuristic. His ability to translate The Avalanches’ dense audio collages into a cohesive visual language has become a hallmark of the band’s identity, and "Can’t Get Over Losing You" continues this tradition with a wild, colorful descent into a digital dreamscape.
No Bad Memories arrives at a fascinating point in the band’s timeline. For nearly two decades, The Avalanches were defined by their absence. Their 2000 debut, Since I Left You, is widely regarded as one of the most influential electronic albums of all time, a miracle of sample clearance and rhythmic ingenuity that took thousands of disparate sounds and fused them into a seamless, hour-long tropical fantasy. The sixteen-year silence that followed only served to grow their legend, turning the band into a mythic entity in the indie world. When they finally returned in 2016 with Wildflower, it was clear that their methodology had shifted toward incorporating live instrumentation and guest vocalists, a trend that reached its zenith on 2020’s We Will Always Love You.
The four-year gap between the 2020 LP and the upcoming No Bad Memories suggests a newfound prolificacy for the group. No longer content to disappear for decades, Chater and Di Blasi seem to be operating with a renewed sense of urgency. This is reflected in the album’s expansive tracklist. While most of the 31 tracks remain under wraps—listed currently as "Track 1" through "Track 31" on early promotional materials—the singles already released provide a glimpse into the record’s staggering stylistic breadth.
Among these previews is the Karen O collaboration "Blue Shadows," which captures a moody, cinematic atmosphere that leans into the darker corners of the band’s psyche. Then there is "Every Single Weekend," a reunion with the British electronic icon Jamie xx, which serves as a high-energy anthem for the dancefloor, blending the distinct sensibilities of two of the world’s premier sample-based artists. Additionally, the track "Together" sees the group teaming up with a diverse array of talent, including Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza, and Prentiss, showcasing the band’s ability to act as a bridge between underground club culture and polished pop production.
The decision to focus on 31 tracks is a bold one, even for a group known for their "more-is-more" philosophy. It suggests a return to the "mixtape" feel of their debut, where short interludes and transition pieces served to create a continuous, immersive environment. By focusing on the theme of marketing and jingles, the band is likely using these shorter tracks to simulate the experience of flipping through radio stations or scrolling through a digital archive of mid-century Americana. It is an exploration of the "liminal spaces" of audio history—the sounds that exist between the songs we choose to listen to.
Critically, the band’s exploration of consumerist sounds is not merely an exercise in irony. Throughout their career, The Avalanches have demonstrated a profound empathy for the forgotten artifacts of pop culture. Whether it is a dusty disco loop or a forgotten 1950s instructional record, they treat their source material with a level of reverence that elevates the mundane to the spiritual. In tackling the world of commercials for No Bad Memories, they are likely searching for the human emotion buried beneath the corporate sheen, finding the "bad memories" and transforming them into something beautiful.
The album will be released through Modular, the label that has been home to the band since their inception. Modular’s history is inextricably linked with the rise of Australian electronic music on the global stage, and the release of a new Avalanches record remains a flagship event for the imprint. For collectors and audiophiles, the release is also being treated with the weight it deserves, with high-end physical editions—including a $49.99 vinyl package via Rough Trade—already generating significant buzz.
As October 16 approaches, the music world is waiting to see how the remaining 27 tracks will fill in the gaps of this ambitious puzzle. The Avalanches have always been masters of the "reveal," slowly building a world through sound before allowing the listener to inhabit it fully. With No Bad Memories, they are challenging the listener to reconsider the sounds of the everyday, to find the melody in the marketing, and to acknowledge that even the most commercialized corners of our history are capable of breaking our hearts.
In the lineage of Since I Left You, Wildflower, and We Will Always Love You, this new record appears poised to be another landmark. It represents a band that has survived the weight of its own legacy and emerged with a clear, singular vision. By looking backward at the age of marketing, The Avalanches are once again moving forward, proving that their ability to find soul in the machine remains unmatched in the landscape of modern music. For those who have followed the group from the beginning, No Bad Memories is not just an album; it is the next chapter in a lifelong project of sonic preservation and emotional alchemy.
