Electronic duo Disclosure previews new album at virtual concert

With its new album “ENERGY” coming to streaming services Aug. 28, English electronic group Disclosure satisfied fans with a livestream show Monday from the epic views of Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes National Park. 

One of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia, the two brothers of Disclosure, Howard and Guy Lawrence, played for nobody but the environment. Yet, thousands of fans watched the performance from a livestream on Facebook in partnership with Cercle Music and Amazon Music U.K. To compensate for the lack of in-person connection with their audience, Disclosure instead delivers a cinematic experience that can be watched and rewatched from the comfort of anyone’s screen at home. 

Disclosure put on the show in an effort to not only build hype surrounding the drop of its new LP but to also show how fun it is to play in epic locations, especially in a world where people desperately need to escape and listen to transcending music. 

One of the more successful electronic acts of the 2010s, Disclosure hopes to return to soundwave prominence by dropping a new album after a moderate hiatus. A simple search of Disclosure on Apple Music or Spotify will reveal that the English duo hasn’t released a full-length album on either platform since 2015. 

Fortunately, diehard fans and casual listeners alike have rejoiced in united praise for the group’s latest singles leading up to the release. The duo’s new album even boasts new collaborative features with Common, Mick Jenkins, SlowThai, Aminé and Kehlani. 

In anticipation of the new LP, Disclosure released a mini EP of five tracks for fans to enjoy, which it primarily displayed above the Croatian national park. 

The opening track, “Ecstasy” has racked up a quick multi-million in streams while receiving compliments from classic and contemporary music critics. It follows a familiar house rhythm yet alludes to the fact that greater, gargantuan sounds are yet to come in the duo’s mini release.  

Furthermore, Disclosure knows that people need new music, whether for inspiration or merely the pursuit of eclectic vibrations. Though in-person festivals have mostly been put on pause, Disclosure looks to distinguish itself from the rave crowd entirely, delivering crafty dance hits that also move hearts.

Just before its Plitvice Lakes show, the group released a series of singles, such as the track “ENERGY.” One lyric in the song describes how the artists want people to remain excited to create and fulfill their own inner passions. 

Repeated as a chorus, Disclosure declares, “Where your focus goes, your energy flows.”

In other words, Disclosure’s return to form asks people to find where their paths are taking them and how we can all use our energy to make life better for ourselves and the people around us. Ultimately, this ties into the nature of the performance itself; Disclosure wants to influence the world through its music, just like how listening to new music helps inspire Disclosure. 

The group played another track from the EP, “Tondo” which served as a fitting choice for the livestream’s location. Considering the unlikelihood that Disclosure fans in the United States and the U.K. have gone to this mountainous region of central Croatia, the expansive views appear otherworldly, even on a small laptop screen. Thus, it’s of no surprise that the funky, international beats of “Tondo” worked harmoniously with the surroundings, evoking a cosmic feeling of bliss. 

Disclosure plays all alone atop the Plitvice Lakes just as other electronic acts like Rufus Du Sol also record in nature, pumping out a live album from the desert of Joshua Tree. 

The quiet atmosphere did not bother Disclosure — two brothers who are used to playing for large arenas. Instead, they both shared familiar smiles and a refreshing sense of optimism for months to come in the world of art and entertainment. 

In their video remarks following the performance, both Howard and Guy Lawrence expressed their gratitude to music for allowing them to come and perform at the top of a waterfall, overlooking a luscious green crevasse. Without a doubt, the views worked harmoniously with their hard-hitting epic sound. Cooling off with water and interviewing above the same highest peak where the performance went down, the Disclosure brothers described how “special it was” to play there. 

Ultimately, in a time where distance is a must, Disclosure shows the globe online how OK it is to find solitude. Not only does this create an epic sense of scope for viewers across various time zones, but the artists themselves can also embrace the power of their sound within the natural rhythm of their surrounding biome. 

By the end of its show, Disclosure busted out one of their classic staples from 2015, “Help Me Lose My Mind,” with vocals by London Grammar. A track-title reflecting its own chorus, Disclosure reminds people why music is worth listening to, for the same reason it’s worth making: It can be a fun escape from reality.