The Mars Volta have returned with “Blacklight Shine,” their first new single in over a decade. The duo composed of guitarist/composer Omar Rodríguez-López and singer/lyricist Cedric Bixler-Zavala announced their comeback Tuesday along with a short film and a run of tour dates, which will kick off in September.
Instead of simply releasing their single, The Mars Volta wanted to create an immersive experience for listeners. On June 19, an inexplicable cube appeared in Grand Park in Los Angeles. The band would later reveal that it was “L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION,” an audio-visual art installation they created to celebrate the end of their hiatus. Inside the cube, visitors embarked on a multi-sensory journey to outer space, where they heard “Blacklight Shine” for the first time. The band intended to provoke self-reflection as fans drifted through the cosmos, finally returning to Earth and their innermost selves.
“Blacklight Shine” encapsulates the idea of “a wave of rolling blackouts washing memories onto shore, a heartbeat that still remembers everything,” Bixler-Zavala says of the lyrics.
The meditative single seems to sway, and resembles the ebb and flow of the tides. The Caribbean rhythms and off-kilter percussion add an island flair reiterated in the short film that features people dancing at a seaside drum circle.
For fans who were unable to experience “L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION,” in person, the band plan to release a digital version on July 1.
Tickets for The Mars Volta’s fall tour dates will go on sale Friday, June 24, at 10 a.m. local time. You can purchase tickets through the band’s website.
Watch the short film for “Blacklight Shine” and check out The Mars Volta’s full list of dates below.
The Mars Volta Tour Dates:
September
23 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
25 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
27 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Metropolitan Opera House
29 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
October
01 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
03 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem
05 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
06 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
08 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
11 – Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom
14 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
