“Sufjan Stevens’ five-volume instrumental album Convocations is out today on Asthmatic Kitty—listen here. Watch the accompanying, full-length generative video work by Mexican artist Melissa Fuentes here.
Convocations is a two-and-a-half-hour, 49 track reflection on present times. Its five volumes—Meditations, Lamentations, Revelations, Celebrations and Incantations—have been released weekly over the past month.
Stevens wrote and recorded Convocations in the fall of 2020 in homage to the life of his father and in response to his death in September, two days after the release of The Ascension. Each volume replicates and reflects a stage of mourning—five sonic cycles exploring loss, isolation and anxiety.
Musically, the album invokes lessons from pioneers including Morton Subotnick, Maryanne Amacher, Christian Fennesz, Brian Eno and Wolfgang Voigt, and furthers the ideas Stevens has explored throughout his career in works including Enjoy Your Rabbit, The BQE, Planetarium, Aporia and his scores for the choreographer Justin Peck, the New York City Ballet and others.
Convocations is out on 5-LP vinyl boxset August 20. Pre-order here, and order the very special, handmade Convocations tie-dye T-shirt here.
Sufjan Stevens is an artist, songwriter and composer living in New York. He has released eight widely lauded studio albums and a number of collaborations with fellow musicians, choreographers and visual artists. His most recent release, 2020’s The Ascension, received widespread acclaim and was named The New York Times’ #1 album of 2020 by critic Jon Pareles.