Beirut has shared a new song, “Caspian Tiger,” originally written for Swedish circus artists Kompani Giraff. Watch them bring it to life below. Released by Zach Condon's Pompeii Records, the song is set to appear on an upcoming Beirut album, following last year's Hansel. Read a statement from Condon below, and scroll down to find a string of European tour dates—Beirut's first proper tour since canceling shows with a throat condition in 2019. (Condon played a few shows at Berlin's Tempodrom this year , but not tour .)
Jacques Condon:
When I was first approached to write a soundtrack for a circus, a certain amount Elephant Gun The trauma of the time initially appeared in a rush. I had been pigeonholed for years as a whimsical circus, full of sepia-toned images of pranks and maybe lions with mustaches at the wheel. It couldn't have been further from how I envisioned the music I was making. I've been quietly avoiding the subject for years.
Ironic, then, that I found Kobani's work Giraff so enticing and was writing something so pleasing to the acrobats. “Caspian Tiger” was one of the first songs I wrote for the new album, with images of the poor animals being caged or fighting in Roman colosseums. They were taken from the Asian steppes around the Caspian Sea and east to Tashkent, an area that had fascinated me for years. The sonic influence came a lot from the choir music I was obsessed with at the time.
Perhaps subconsciously I aimed to embrace and even enhance the images I was initially written off for.
All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you purchase something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Beirut:
05-01 Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg – Grote Zaal
05-02 Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg – Grote Zaal
05-05 Brussels, Belgium – Cirque Royal
05-06 Brussels, Belgium – Cirque Royal
05-08 London, England – O2 Academy Brixton
