Russian Circles Take a Trip to “Afrika”

Did you enjoy “Mota” and “Vorel,” the two songs from Russian Circles’ forthcoming album Guidance?

Then you’re surely going to like “Afrika,” which made its premiere this morning. Like all Russian Circles songs, which (duh) are entirely instrumental, “Afrika” is expansive, cinematic and dramatic; it tells a story even without lyrics. The first four-plus minutes of this one are all in a major key, after which the music takes a turn for the minor and dark. We can only imagine what the band had in mind when they wrote it, but if we can glean anything from the title, its accompanying image and the above-mentioned tonal shift, it’s not anything especially pretty (although, worth noting: there’s a happy ending!).

Stream the track below. Guidance comes out August 5 on Sargent House. Pre-order here and get all the band’s upcoming tour dates here.