00110011 01110111 01110111 or 3WW as the binary code apparently translates to, is the first cut of Alt-J’s forthcoming album Relaxer.

Having held a low profile since their sophomore album, 2014’s This Is All Yours, the Leeds outfit is finally back with a lush ariose tune in the form of cryptically named 3WW.

In typical Alt-J style, the tingling mystique manifests even before hearing the tune through the coded title and visual art piece accompanying the tease – giving a view of travel beyond time and space. The dreamy tune possesses the qualities of a crisp sunny morning, tangled in with a sense of ever-present blues tinted with a sense of other-worldly absurdity that Alt-J so often present within their melodies. Joe Newman idiosyncratic melancholic vocals are aligned with a female voice rumoured to belong to Wolf Alice own Ellie Rowsell.

The band published the following statement on their Facebook this morning:

We’d like to thank you for your patience over the last year or so. After finishing touring ‘This Is All Yours’ in December 2015 we took a long break. Thom released a solo album; Gus opened a restaurant; Joe has been watching a lot of films. We hadn’t set a time limit on our time off but by August 2016 we were ready to get back into the studio. The result is our third album, RELAXER, and we are really excited for you to hear it.

Relaxer is set to be released June 9th via Infectious Music.

Tracklisting:

3WW
In Cold Blood
House of the Rising Sun
Hit Me Like That Snare
Deadcrush
Adeline
Last Year
Pleader