Hot Chip Announce A Long Way From Kansas and Share Moving JD Twitch Tribute

Hot Chip have announced their ninth studio album, A Long Way From Kansas, arriving on 8 January 2027 through Domino, and shared a deeply personal new single, ‘Random Violence’.

The song pays tribute to Keith McIvor, the influential Glasgow DJ and Optimo co-founder known as JD Twitch, who died in September 2025. For a band so closely connected to dance music’s communal spirit, it is a fittingly human starting point for a new record.

Remembering JD Twitch

Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard has explained that memories of McIvor — including meeting him at Glasgow’s Sub Club around two decades ago — helped inspire the song’s lyrics. Rather than presenting club culture as simple escapism, ‘Random Violence’ points to the friendships, convictions and shared experiences that can make a dancefloor matter.

The accompanying video, directed by Jack Cole, features the progressive morris dancing group Boss Morris, bringing together remembrance, movement and community. The result suggests an album interested in the tension between a troubled outside world and the relief of finding other people who understand you.

What to expect from the album

A Long Way From Kansas follows 2022’s Freakout/Release. The title nods to The Wizard of Oz, while the band’s announcement describes a record shaped by the disorder and uncertainty of the present day.

The 11-track album features guest appearances from Beth Ditto on ‘Me in Your Head’ and Eddie Chacon on ‘The Garden’. It will also mark the first time Felix Martin has sung on a Hot Chip album.

For a group that has long balanced electronic experimentation with melodic warmth, that combination of unease and togetherness sounds promising. Fans of adventurous electronics might also enjoy our review of Fontaines D.C.’s Dopamine Chamber, which explores a very different approach to electronic textures. We will reserve judgement on the full record until we’ve heard it, but ‘Random Violence’ gives the announcement an emotional centre rather than just another release date.

UK tour dates

The band have also confirmed a UK and European tour for 2027. UK stops include Leeds on 6 March, Glasgow on 8 March, Manchester on 9 March, Bristol on 10 March and London on 12 March. General ticket sales are scheduled for Friday 23 October.

Release date: 8 January 2027. Label: Domino. Lead single: ‘Random Violence’.

Source: Domino Records official announcement.