Len Sander — The Future Of Lovers

‘The Future of Lovers’ is the title of the long-awaited, sophomore album from the band Len Sander. Three years ago, the Zurich-based quintet caused quite a stir with its debut ‘Phantom Garden’, first in Switzerland, and then worldwide. The singles ‘Places’ (summer 2015) and ‘Another Man’ (spring 2016) caused high hopes that the band could be the next big export success from Switzerland. ‘Places’ has been streamed on Spotify more than 300,000 times, due in part to the song appearing on Spotify’s viral charts as well as regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 1 after being championed by Huw Stephens. ‘Another Man’ experienced heavy rotation on Switzerland’s SRF 3, the station with the nation’s largest coverage, as well as on its counterpart in French-speaking Switzerland, Couleur 3. In addition, a slew of live shows, notably in Switzerland where they have taken the stage at big festivals like Gurten, Paléo and Moons & Stars, but also in Austria, Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic has built a great anticipation for Len Sander's second album.

Len Sander would not be Len Sander, without the diligence, commitment and work ethic they are known for; but after eight months of studio time between Berlin-Neukölln and Zurich, the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into ‘The Future Of Lovers’ are practically, and appropriately, tangible. While it was feelings of confusion and bewilderment that shaped the debut album, 'The Future of Lovers’ is imbued with a new kind of clarity. The elaborate arrangements and sample-generated sounds that push the boundaries of curiosity are typical for Len Sander and are what give the album its complexity. And while Len Sander wear their references to the golden age of the 90s on their sleeve, the experimental and modern production of 'The Future of Lovers' brings the album back to now.

The album’s eleven tracks are precious items that form an artistic synthesis encompassing art, pop, and storytelling. In both powerful choral arrangements and intimate spoken-word parts, the singer Blanka Inauen narrates the arrival of love and all the hopes and fears for the future relating to this fragile state of mind. "I always wonder whether we can build something entirely new, something that is only based on dreams and visions - or whether we are so intertwined with our origins and our heritage that the future is already written in the patterns of our past," says the singer.

'The Future of Lovers' also explores the social dimensions of love and physicality. “What is happening with our bodies, with our sensual and material experience in these times of artificial intelligence and hyper-mobility? With this album we wanted to openly celebrate physicality and sensuality. 'The Future of Lovers' is a statement about the re-conquest, even the revenge of the senses, on the digital world.
The fact that the band has created an artistic synthesis becomes even clearer when browsing through the limited edition publication that acts as a visual counterpart to the record. Intertwined texts turn lines into threads, which are again woven into a whole, supplemented by photographs and graphics.

‘The Future of Lovers’ is available on CD, all digital plattforms and as a limited vinyl which includes the aforementioned booklet. The publication is also available independently via bandcamp.