Maps of Music

Imploding the Mirage (2020)

Where the lyrics of Imploding the Mirage take you, and where it was really made.

The Killers' sixth album is the first and only one of their records made without guitarist Dave Keuning, and parts of it were recorded in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Utah.

Key places

Electro-Vox Studios, Los Angeles (2020)

Recording site Electro-Vox Studios — Listed as one of the album's recording locations in Los Angeles. Shown at the studio's listed coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Battle Born Studios, Las Vegas (2020)

Recording site Battle Born Studios — Listed as one of the album's recording locations in Las Vegas. Shown at the studio's listed coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Sixth studio album by American rock band the Killers
• Released 21 August 2020 by Island Records in the US, and internationally by EMI
• To date, the only album by the band without lead guitarist Dave Keuning
• Keuning took an indefinite hiatus from the band in 2017, which ended in 2021
• Guitar parts covered by bassist Mark Stoermer, producer Jonathan Rado and guest musicians
• Guests include Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac and Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs
• Singles: 'Caution' (12 March 2020), 'Fire in Bone' (promotional, 24 April 2020), 'My Own Soul's Warning' (17 June 2020), 'Dying Breed' (14 August 2020)

Background

• Band formally announced the album on social media on 15 November 2019
• Brandon Flowers said the band went to Utah to record part of the album, where he first fell in love with music
• Original release date was 29 May 2020; delayed to August because of the COVID-19 pandemic
• The pandemic also postponed the world tour; the tour began in Las Vegas in April 2022 and ran until December 2023

Recording

• Recorded in various locations, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Park City, Utah
• Produced by Canadian producer Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado of the band Foxygen
• The producers pushed the band to think beyond what people might expect of them
• Drummer Ronnie Vannucci said the sessions felt uncomfortable in a special way
• Keuning stepped back from touring and recording after the previous album, Wonderful Wonderful (2017)
• Bassist Mark Stoermer, on touring hiatus since 2016, contributed both bass and guitar
• Alex Cameron returned to co-write three tracks

Cover

• Cover is Dance of the Wind and Storm by American artist Thomas Blackshear
• The artwork was decided during the recording process and became a source of visual inspiration in the studio

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals).
• Mark Stoermer (bass, rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums, percussion) joined in 2002, completing the lineup.
• The name comes from a fictional band in the music video for the New Order song "Crystal".

Members

• Brandon Flowers: lead vocals, keyboards, synthesizer.
• Dave Keuning: guitar, backing vocals; on hiatus since 2017, returned in 2020.
• Ronnie Vannucci Jr.: drums, percussion.
• Mark Stoermer: bass, backing vocals; on hiatus 2020–2022.

Career

• Seven studio albums, each topping the UK Albums Chart, from Hot Fuss (2004) to Pressure Machine (2021).
• Sold more than 35 million records worldwide and performed in over 50 countries.
• Annual Christmas singles for Product Red from 2006 to 2016 raised over $1 million for AIDS-related charity.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: 76 out of 100 based on 22 reviews, which indicates generally favorable reviews
• AllMusic (Neil Z. Yeung): said the Killers strike gold on the album, calling it more than just one of their best albums
• DIY (Sarah Jamieson): called the album rich and invigorating, and said it proves the band is still one of the most treasured bands
• NME (Mark Beaumont): gave a five-star review, calling it a raised fist to the future

Records

• US Billboard 200 debut at number eight, with 37,000 album-equivalent units in its first week (30,000 pure album sales)
• Number one on the US Billboard Rock Albums chart
• UK Albums Chart debut at number one, with first-week sales of 50,391 copies
• Third fastest-selling album of the year so far in the UK, behind Lady Gaga's Chromatica and Kylie Minogue's Disco
• Sixth consecutive UK chart-topper for the Killers, and Flowers' eighth
• Topped the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Dying Breed contains excerpts from Neu!'s 'Hallogallo' and Can's 'Moonshake'
• Blowback contains samples from 'Your Love', performed by Frankie Knuckles and Jamie Principle
• Flowers said the cover painting looked like gods, and the band pinned low-resolution prints of it in the studio
• Keuning said he needed a break from everything and that the record took about a year and a half
• Alex Cameron had contributed to five songs on Wonderful Wonderful before co-writing three tracks here
• The band performed album tracks on CBS This Morning, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Good Morning America

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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