Multi-disciplinary artist Jasper Marsalis, known by his stage name Slauson Malone 1, announces his new album, EXCELSIOR, out October 6th as his debut for iconic label Warp Records. Among the gems within this album, the spotlight shines on his newly-released second single out today “New Joy,” a mesmerizing exploration of finding pleasure from submission, complemented by visuals crafted by the talented hand of Parker Corey of By Storm/Injury Reserve fame, and Marsalis himself. The forthcoming album also includes previously-released single “Voyager,” which was accompanied by a music video directed by Ryosuke Tanzawa that spoke to the period of aimlessness following the release of his critically acclaimed 2019 full-length A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018 (Crater Speak), before he moved to Los Angeles.

The word “excelsior” embodies perpetual ascent. Slauson Malone 1 envisions it as a metaphorical sword, one that in someone’s possession incessantly grows until it cleaves the Earth in a grand finale. That metaphor becomes his lens to explore all facets of masculinity with a newfound clarity, as he interrogates his own lived experiences through songs and movements across the album inspired by everything from Grammy award-winning composer Wendy Carlos, to the similarities between falling out of love and a nuclear half-life. EXCELSIOR takes the form of a collection of personal essays, with vignettes that intertwine and stand-alone, but ultimately serve the purpose of forming Slauson Malone 1’s most personal and enthralling musical work to date.