''Risk To Exist'' is the sixth studio album by British
indie rock
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...
band
Maxïmo Park
Maxïmo Park are an English alternative rock band, formed in 2000 in Newcastle upon Tyne. The band consists of Paul Smith (vocals), Duncan Lloyd (guitar), and Tom English (drums). The band have released seven studio albums: '' A Certain Trigge ...
. It was released on 21 April 2017 through their own Daylighting imprint as well as
Cooking Vinyl. The album's lead single was first aired on the
Steve Lamacq
Stephen Paul Lamacq (born 16 October 1964), sometimes known by his nickname Lammo (given to him by John Peel), is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio station BBC Radio 6 Music.
Early life
He attended The Ramsey Academ ...
show on
BBC 6 Music on 19 January 2017.
Background and recording
On 14 October 2016, guitarist Duncan Lloyd announced that recording was almost complete on the band's sixth album, then untitled. Writing for the album took place primarily in the UK while recording took place at
Wilco's The Loft studio in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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through Autumn 2016. The album was produced by Tom Schick, whose previous work includes
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently d ...
,
Beck and
White Denim and was recorded entirely live. Mimi Parker from the USA band
Low features on backing vocals on several tracks on the album.
Release
The album was released in several formats, including deluxe CD and digital editions, transparent vinyl and on tape cassette. Two music videos were produced for the title track and lead single 'Risk To Exist'- One a performance video directed by Steve Gullick, the other a montage of footage from Sky News and
MOAS of the
European migrant crisis
The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis, was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the continent to reques ...
, the political reaction to which underpins the song's lyrics. The latter video was edited by media compan
Caviar profits from digital sales of the single were donated to charity.
Political content
The press release for the album's announcement described its lyrical content as being "informed by the dire state of world affairs in 2016 and crumbling political systems", a shift in lyrical focus vocalist
Paul Smith was eager to justify. Accompanying some release bundles was a
zine
A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very s ...
entitled ''Inspiration Information'', which made explicit the political nature of the album's lyrics, which heavily reference and comment upon the
United Kingdom government austerity programme
The United Kingdom government austerity programme is a fiscal policy that was adopted for a period in the early 21st century following the Great Recession. The term was used by the Coalition and Conservative governments in office from 2010 to 2 ...
, its relation to the
British class system
The social structure of the United Kingdom has historically been highly influenced by the concept of social class, which continues to affect British society today. British society, like its European neighbours and most societies in world history, w ...
, and the backlash against the ongoing European migrant crisis which was seen by critics including Smith as dehumanising.
Contents of the zine include essays by Smith on the politics of the album's lyrics, and the impact of changes to the
DWP's policies under austerity on the severely disabled; an extract from
The Establishment: And How They Get Away with It by British far left political commentator
Owen Jones
Owen Jones (born 8 August 1984) is a British newspaper columnist, political commentator, journalist, author, and left-wing activist. He writes a column for ''The Guardian'' and contributes to the ''New Statesman'' and '' Tribune.'' He has two ...
; and less political content, such as photographs by guitarist Duncan Lloyd, and drummer Tom English's notes on the band's change in sound to a more disco-influenced rhythm section.
Track listing
Personnel
;Maxïmo Park
* Paul Smith –
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
* Duncan Lloyd –
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
s
* Lukas Wooller –
keyboards
* Tom English –
drums
;Additional musicians
*
Mimi Parker
Low is an American indie rock band from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993 by Alan Sparhawk (guitar and vocals) and Mimi Parker (drums and vocals). The band was a trio from 1993 to 2020, having featured four different bassists. Parker was a membe ...
– backing vocals on tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, and 8
* Paul Rafferty - bass guitar
Charts
References
{{Authority control
2017 albums
Maxïmo Park albums
Cooking Vinyl albums