Kero Kero Bonito have released a new EP, Civilisation II, which is the two-years-in-the-making follow-up to 2019’s Civilization I. (And you thought they forgot!) After a couple records that had the group playing more traditional rock band instruments, we’re fully back into synth-n-laptops land and these three shiny, bright and danceable tracks are all pretty great. Here’s the band with more:

Each of Civilisation II‘s three tracks are set in the past, present and future respectively. “The Princess and the Clock” (past) is a legend of our own invention, designed to feel like a familiar folk tale. It tells the story of a young explorer who was kidnapped and revered as a princess by an isolated society; her worshippers later found her gone, but it’s up to the listener to guess her fate. “21/04/20” (present) recounts a typical day in the early Covid lockdown in Bromley (South London), complete with a late leftover pasta breakfast, enthusiastic joggers and friendship conducted over video call. Its direct, documentary style was inspired by narrative art like the Bayeux Tapestry and Trajan’s Column. “Well Rested” (future), our longest track yet at over seven minutes, addresses The Resurrection and humanity’s distant future. It’s a humanist manifesto for the Anthropocene in several parts incorporating chants, an insistent four-to-the-floor and field recordings of natural sites.

You can stream the whole thing below. In addition to the EP, KKB have shared a video for the chill, leisurely “21/04/20” that, like the song, was inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and Trajan’s Column. It’s directed by Dan W Jacobs and you can watch that below.