Brooklyn-based Synth-Pop trio NATION OF LANGUAGE are back and set to release their highly anticipated fourth studio album, ‘Dance Called Memory’, on 19 September 2025 via iconic indie label Sub Pop - their debut on the label.The 10-track album introduces a fresh chapter for the band, and the brand-new single ‘I'm Not Ready for the Change’, complete with a striking video, is out now.
Blending elements of Synth-Pop, Minimal Wave, Post-Punk, Goth, and New Romantic, ‘Dance Called Memory’ is already defying easy categorisation - just as NATION OF LANGUAGE intend. Frontman Ian Richard Devaney continues to expand the emotional and sonic possibilities of synth-based music, crafting songs that feel both otherworldly and deeply human. This latest work, their most ambitious yet, is described as a vast sonic landscape.
Following their first three albums – ‘Introduction, Presence’ (2020), ‘A Way Forward’ (2021), and ‘Strange Disciple’ (2023) - which resonated as deeply human soundtracks during the pandemic years, Dance Called Memory pushes the boundaries even further.
Watch the video for ‘I’m Not Ready for the Change’
For the new album, NATION OF LANGUAGE once again teamed up with longtime collaborator and producer Nick Millhiser (LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, HOLY GHOST!). Synth player Aidan Noell, who forms the core trio with bassist Alex MacKay, says of the process: “What’s so great about Nick is his ability to make us feel like we don’t need to do what might be expected of us.”
This ethos is heard throughout the record - from chopped-up drum breaks in ‘I’m Not Ready for the Change’ that channel a My Bloody Valentine-esque haze, to the early-2000s electro shimmer running through ‘In Another Life’, created by routing all percussion through a synth. The goal? To weave raw vulnerability and humanity into a sound world traditionally seen as mechanical:
“There’s a dichotomy between the KRAFTWERK school of thought and the BRIAN ENO school of thought,” explains Devaney. “KRAFTWERK wanted to remove the human element from music, while Eno aimed to make synthesisers sound distinctly human. With this record, I leaned far more towards Eno. In an era being rapidly defined by AI replacing human creators, I’m more focused than ever on the human condition. Instead of hopelessness, I want to leave the listener with a sense that we truly see one another - that our individual struggles can actually connect us through empathy.”
Album Tracklist
01. Can’t Face Another One
02. In Another Life
03. Silhouette
04. Now That You’re Gone
05. I'm Not Ready for the Change
06. Can You Reach Me
07. Inept Apollo
08. Under the Water
09. In Your Head
10. Nights of Weight
Pre-order the album HERE.
November 2025 Tour Dates (Germany)
18 Nov – Cologne, Gloria
19 Nov – Hamburg, Uebel & Gefährlich
21 Nov – Berlin, Columbiahalle
22 Nov – Munich, Technikum
Don’t miss the chance to experience one of the most captivating live acts in modern synth-pop. Expect emotion, elegance, and energy - this tour promises to be unforgettable.
Source: Press Release
