Spencer Brown‘s third artist album, ‘Equanimity,’ is due for release this fall on diviine and is the next stage in Spencer’s stratospheric rise.
Following his previous albums, 2018’s ‘Illusion of Perfection’ and 2020’s ‘Stream of Consciousness,’ ‘Equanimity’ is mixed into one continuous piece and features collaborations with the musical elite including Ezequiel Arias, ilan Bluestone, Late Night Shri, Luttrell, POS (aka Above & Beyond’s Paavo Siljamäki), QRION, Wilt Claybourne and five-time Grammy Award-winning South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Spencer Brown new album ‘Equanimity’ on diviine
Spencer Brown is a pioneer of the next wave of progressive house and techno. Spencer Brown is an artist who goes above and beyond to deliver an uncompromised sound and experience to his fans, whether it’s through his releases on world-class imprints like Anjunadeep, Bedrock, Last Night on Earth, Factory93, and his own burgeoning diviine imprint, or through his legendary DJ sets.
When I wasn’t thinking about these things, life looked even worse through my phone. Every day, I saw a rapid-fire stream of contradictions: sugar-coated highlight reels balanced by extremism and negativity from the news, designed to game our emotions for attention. After enough nights driven by pain and uncertainty, I realized that all I can control is how I let external stimuli affect my being. At first, I tried to eliminate the things causing my day to worsen; then, I realized I had to be OK with them. I had to accept difficulties and let them pass through me. During this period, a friend introduced me to the concept of equanimity, describing it as “calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation.” This was the exact skill I had unknowingly been trying to find. But like a muscle, it takes time to engrain deep strength in the core. In reality, peace exists around us if we can stay unaffected by the noise. Written between 2019 and 2023, ‘Equanimity’ describes how I learned to be OK when external stimuli are out of my control. All we can do is work on how we react to the world around us. – Spencer Brown
Spencer wrote ‘Equanimity‘ during a difficult period in his life, which included the global pandemic (which canceled the majority of his second album tour and income), his first breakup, the death of his grandmother, publicly coming out as gay, and dealing with his out-of-control OCD (which is a mental disease fueled by uncertainty).
‘Equanimity’ represents the biggest period of internal growth for my psyche and maturity. Like my last albums, I mixed this album into one continuous piece. The holistic form challenged me to add an extra layer of depth and creativity to my process, ensuring that everything flows into a cohesive body. In a world driven by short-form viral content, I’ve focused my last 4 years slightly shying away from the spotlight, making sure this body of work represents my authenticity. This album takes a slow-shutter snapshot of ongoing time: from pre-pandemic, to pandemic, to post-pandemic, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. – Spencer Brown
The album’s first song, “Awu Wemadoda,” features Wilt Claybourne and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The song, which took five years to complete, reflects the universality of music, which transcends our views, thoughts, and identities. Spencer and Ladysmith Black Mambazo hail from quite different backgrounds. Nonetheless, the collaboration has brought happiness to individuals all over the world, from So Paulo to Sydney, and from San Francisco to Mumbai. “Awu Wemadoda” is a record that transcends culture and emphasizes the performers’ common purpose – peace.
Spencer Brown tour in celebration of Equanimity album
Spencer Brown will go on his most ambitious tour in celebration of the release of “Equanimity.” Spencer will go on an Asian tour in August before returning to the United States for a lengthy run of North American performances into early 2024. It’s worth noting that a Spencer Brown DJ set is a completely spontaneous and true music experience; no two sets will ever be the same. Spencer has lived and breathed music to the point that he knows every aspect of every track in his arsenal inside and out and knows how to program his shows in line with his audience. Spencer’s ability to create tension, ebb, and flow to the point of dance floor eruption is a true art form.
On select tour dates, Spencer Brown will perform a one-of-a-kind “Divine Inspirations” live show, presenting the ultimate Spencer Brown experience.
It’s always been a dream to build a live production show from the ground up. I’ve worked with an army of brilliant artists to design the stage, the lights, the visuals, and the atmosphere to create a flow aligned with my music,” Brown says. “The show will truly be “live,” in that I do not have a setlist (as usual), and the visual artists won’t either. We’ll feed off each other to create audiovisual moments unique to each night. After debuting the prototype of this show in San Francisco last year, we can’t wait to tour the revamped version in Austin, Los Angeles, and Denver to celebrate my new album, ‘Equanimity.’ – Spencer Brown
Spencer will conclude with one final thought regarding the project…
In extremely difficult periods, we may not find the silver linings until time has passed. Only then can we zoom out and reflect on what the universe was trying to convey. For me, this album represents the beautiful state of tranquility I discovered after weathering the storm when the music was written. Tying it together as one piece closed this chapter of finding strength from inside, my path to Equanimity. – Spencer Brown
‘Equanimity‘ will be released this fall, with the first song, “Awu Wemadoda,” by Spencer Brown, Wilt Claybourne, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, available on diviine on August 2.
