Alan Vega – “Filthy”

Ric Ocasek

Alan Vega – “Filthy”

Ric Ocasek

Mutator, a previously unreleased album Alan Vega recorded in the ’90s, is finally coming out on Sacred Bones later this month thanks to the late Suicide mastermind’s wife and collaborator Liz Lamere and their friend Jared Artaud. So far two songs have been revealed, “Nike Soldier” and “Fist.” A third one called “Filthy” is out today.

According to Artaud, this song marked the beginning of the Mutator excavation project:

“Filthy” was the first song Liz and I started to mix on Mutator. It set into motion how to work on and produce the rest of the album. Sonically speaking, Alan never lost his edge with age. He kept his intensity and incessant drive for endless experimentation. Alan’s process was more like a visual artist working in sound rather than a traditional musician going into the studio to make records. At the heart of it all, Alan was a poet. His lyrics always hit hard and he was always pushing forward, trailblazing onto the next idea of his vision.

Lamere adds that the song’s “anthemic zombie atmosphere challenges the listener to find the underlying message of hope that is always within Vega’s words and sound.” Listen to “Filthy” below.

Mutator is out 4/23 on Sacred Bones.

more from New Music