M:FANS, a radical new reworking of one of John Cale’s most unique and lauded solo records, the 1982 album Music For A New Society, will be released on January 22, 2016 on Double Six / Domino. Additionally, a fully re-mastered Music For A New Society will also be available, with three previously unreleased bonus tracks from the original multi-track recordings.

M:FANS explores the relationship between old and new, in terms of the sound and vision, and Cale’s memories of the experience, in terms of his life and the recording. Back and forth M:FANS goes, sampling the original, while creating brand new soundscapes, giving Cale the opportunity for closure on one of the most testing eras of his life, and a way to keep moving forward. Cale shares his thoughts on the reworking:

“Making any form of art is always personal to my mind. During the making of M:FANS, I found myself loathing each and every character written about in those original recording sessions of Music For… Unearthing those tapes reopened those wounds. It was time to decimate the despair from 1981 and breathe new energy, re-write the story. Then, the unthinkable happened. What had informed so much over lost and twisted relationships in 1981 had now come full circle. Losing Lou [too painful to understand] forced me to upend the entire recording process and begin again…a different perspective – a new sense of urgency to tell a story from a completely opposite point of view – what was once sorrow, was now a form of rage. A fertile ground for exorcism of things gone wrong and the realization they are unchangeable. From sadness came the strength of fire!!!”

With Cale’s current band (which had featured on his last studio album Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood) again involved, the new versions that constitute M:FANS are more fleshed-out, heavier concoctions, in line with his current electronic/chopped-up configurations.

M:FANS and Music For A New Society will be released as a 2xCD package with both albums also packaged together on digital stores. Both albums will also be available on 12″ vinyl, with M:FANS arriving on 2xLP. Music For A New Society comes with a download card of the three unreleased bonus tracks as listed below.

Tracklisting:

M:FANS
01. Prelude
02. If You Were Still Around
03. Taking Your Life In Your Hands
04. Thoughtless Kind
05. Sanctus (Sanities Mix)
06. Broken Bird
07. Chinese Envoy
08. Changes Made
09. Library Of Force (feat. Man In The Book excerpt)
10. Close Watch
11. If You Were Still Around (Choir Reprise)
12. Back To The End

Music For A New Society – re-mastered:
01. Taking Your Life In Your Hands
02. Thoughtless Kind
03. Sanctus (Sanities)
04. If You Were Still Around
05. Close Watch
06. Broken Bird
07. Chinese Envoy
08. Changes Made
09. Damn Life
10. Risé, Sam And Rimsky Korsakov
11. Library Of Force (Unreleased)
12. Chinese Envoy (Outtakes)
13. Thoughtless Kind (Outtakes)