Early last year, Alejandro Ghersi (aka Arca) made a promise to his fans. Through an Instagram video, he announced he was “almost done” working on his third full-length and follow up to his outstanding album Mutant, and shared its title: Reverie. Months went by, and there wasn’t any update at all; what we did get was an excellent mixtape called Entrañas, built in the same fashion as his 2013 tape &&&&&. One of the mixtape’s biggest surprises was the appearance of his vocals on “Sin Rumbo.” If you know Ghersi deep cuts, you’re aware this wasn’t his first time on the mic. But little did we know, the intensely haunting song was a taste of his forthcoming LP.
A year after his Instagram promise, Arca has finally delivered – with some minor changes. On April 7, his long-awaited third project will see the light, now simply titled Arca. Ghersi’s visual partner-in-crime and infallible collaborator Jesse Kanda returns with the album’s breathtaking artwork.
Along with the announcement, Arca shared a song called “Piel,” and it follows a similar thread as “Sin Rumbo.” The minimal, four-minute track is anchored by Arca’s spectral voice, which will leave you in a pool of your own tears. Riding his falsetto up and down, he coos a stunning melody akin to Simón Díaz or Caetano Veloso, singing about rejuvenation. “Quítame la boca de miel/Quítame la piel de ayer,” he mourns, as the sparse instrumentation intensifies to a peak.
A short YouTube clip hints a music video for “Piel,” so stay tuned. Arca is out April 7 on XL.