German electronic duo Digitalism have unveiled their latest album, Optimism, as well as revealed details of a European tour this coming October and November.
Optimism, which was released at the end of May via Magnetism, Zebralution and Word & Sound, marks the latest chapter for Digitalism, aka Jens ‘Jence’ Moelle and Ismail ‘Isi’ Tuefekci, more than two decades on from their first release.
Along the way, the Hamburg duo have remixed the likes of The White Stripes, Daft Punk, Depeche Mode and The Cure, while in 2024, Zartmann, one of Germany’s biggest rap stars, sampled their track Pogo, opening them up to a whole new audience.
“In search of a better place, on an expedition, guided by our studio, we found it in a firework of colours, chords and melodies,” the duo said of the new album. “Most of the album work was done over the winter. The greyer the environment, the more colourful music we started to create. Optimism is meant to be a landscape you can get lost in.”
As Isi notes, the creative process for the new album didn’t begin with music – rather the title was chosen first, and the music built around that. Optimism is not positioned as a political album, but rather seeks to open up a space beyond politics, “where everyone can feel included and everyone can be heard”, he added.
The forthcoming tour begins in October in Manchester, and will take the duo to venues in London, Turin, Rome, Prague, Vienna, Warsaw, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Hamburg. Additional dates are expected to be announced in the coming months.
Digitalism – Optimism is out now, check it out here.