News · 21 October 2026

Hot Chip Announce New Album 'A Long Way From Kansas'

The UK electronic outfit have also shared the album's first single, 'Random Violence'.

Hot Chip - photo by Fiona Garden

UK electronic outfit Hot Chip have announced their ninth studio album, A Long Way From Kansas, is set for release on Friday 8 January 2027.

Paraphrasing The Wizard of Oz, the title is a nod towards Dorothy, her dog and the distance they needed to travel to get back home and find some sense of normality.

"A Long Way From Kansas reflects the general sense that the world we live in — the world we were making our record in — is particularly harsh, discordant, violent and depressing," says Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor. "Maybe none of that’s new, and that doesn’t mean that every song is talking about the world and politics and genocide, but it was an unavoidable backdrop while making the music. Distortion came to be a bit of a watchword for the whole record."

The record features collaborations with Beth Ditto and Eddie Chacon along with more voices from within the band, with Alexis elaborating, "In addition to myself and Joe, Owen and Felix are singing (Felix for the first time on a Hot Chip record), there’s also a choir and lots of group singing. I think we like opening out our interior world and bringing all these voices together."

Accompanying the album reveal is the first single 'Random Violence', a tribute to Optimo's Keith McIvor aka JD Twitch, who recently passed away.

"Last year in September our old friend and brilliant DJ Keith McIvor of Optimo in Glasgow passed away after a diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumour a few months earlier," says Joe Goddard. "He largely inspired the words of the song. He was a passionate music lover and a staunch believer in socialism. Many of the words relate directly to his death and to memories of being in Sub Club in Glasgow where we met 20 years ago."

The song comes with a music video directed by Jack Cole featuring the all-female progressive Morris dancing side Boss Morris and is a beautiful celebration of togetherness, music, resistance, love and a life well lived. They shall not pass.

"We invited some woodland spirits, cursed animals and crazed dancers to join us in a celebration of humanity, remembrance and resistance. The genesis of the idea came from the Optimo Espookio Halloween parties we experienced at Sub Club, and we wanted to capture that feeling in the video. It was exactly as much fun as it looks, which is to say we had an absolute blast," says Al Doyle.

'Random Violence' is out now. Listen here. A Long Way From Kansas is out Friday 8 January 2027 on deluxe double gatefold LP with additional 7", standard double gatefold LP, CD and digitally. Pre-order here and pre-save here.