In February of 2019, A Journey of Giraffes (John Lane) joined the Somewherecold Records family. From the very first note of Hour Club, I knew I had to put out his music. Every time John Lane sends new music to the label, there is a buzz in the studio because new music from AJOG is always a special occasion.

Empress Nouveau marks A Journey of Giraffes’ sixth album with Somewherecold Records. If there is something conceptual about this album, it’s embedded within the whispered invitation to witness the continual death and rebirth of Empress Nouveau over and over again.

The ghosts (living or dead) of Susumu Yokota, Harold Budd, Haruomi Hosono, and Toshifumi Hinata might or might not be floating about.

Lane‘s attention to sonic detail, tone, and story telling is clearly part of a brilliant composer’s mind. On March 31, 2023, A Journey of Giraffes: Empress Nouveau will be released in bespoke digipak in very limited quantity as well as on all digital formats.