Diplo is making the most of 2020 with his live streams, gaming debuts, and new imprints. He played the Democratic National Convention (DNC) afterparty and concluded his summer Fortnite residency with Higher Ground. He’s also played some stuff as Thomas Wesley, his country alias. Now, he’s stepping into ambient music. Is there anything he can’t do?
He announced on IG today about his first ambient album titled MMXX. That aptly translates into ‘2020’ in Roman numerals. Below, he describes his inspiration for the compilation.
Firstly, as the only music he’s made this year, we are excited to see what it’s going to be like. Secondly, it releases next week, with five songs immediately available for listening. Find it here on Calm. Lastly, featured artists of the album include some of his friends Mikky Ekko, Good Times Ahead, Lunice, and Rhye.
“…It’s about being here this year. For me it’s all I had inside me. I didn’t want to have zoom sessions, I didn’t want to write pop songs…just stuck in my house with keyboards and a guitar I barely ever used. I would walk outside Los Angeles and see empty streets and see nervous people and this is what I heard .. but to me this year isn’t dark it’s not about the negative .. it’s about hope. We are all going to remember we did it together and remember what we take from it .. we can look back in a few years and say it was tough but I’m tougher…” – Diplo
If you catch the preview, you’ll see that each song is meant to bring mental clarity, calmness, reflection, and focus. We’re interested to get your take on the EDM artist’s new genre. During these difficult times, we just might need this kind of peaceful noise.