Tony Levin and Stick Men Revisit King Crimson’s THRAK Era on New Album

Tony Levin is currently in Europe touring with BEAT, which pays homage to King Crimson’s ’80s era. Now, he’s revisiting another chapter from his time in the band with a new Stick Men album.

Let’s THRAK Again is a “Robert Fripp-sanctioned homage to King Crimson’s THRAK,” a press release explains. It also marks the first album in a decade from the band, which features Levin on Chapman Stick, Pat Mastelotto on drums, and Markus Reuter on Touch Guitar.

The trio’s upcoming effort is presented in two distinct versions. “Reel One” is mixed by Stefano Castagna, while “Reel Two” is mixed by Fabio Trentini. The two versions have different mixes, alternate track sequencing, and separate sonic perspectives for unique listening experiences.

“Let’s THRAK Again is 60 minutes of pure, kinetic energy. We didn’t just write 12 new compositions; we designed an entirely new sonic vocabulary for them,” the band writes. “Our audience listens deeply. They don’t just want to hear the notes; they want to understand the architecture of the sound. By having Stefano and Fabio approach the exact same music with completely different visions, we are handing the listener the ultimate audiophile puzzle. It’s a roll of the dice, a sonic triptych, and a tribute to the heavy, mechanical impact of the original THRAK era.”

Fans can get a preview of Let’s THRAK Again with its lead single, “Swimming in Tea,” from Reel Two. It features Reuter stepping up to the mic for the album’s only vocal performance, plus a monstrous solo by Levin.

Let’s THRAK Again will be out on September 4th. Pre-orders are open now on Bandcamp.

Let’s THRAK Again (Reel One) tracklist:

1. Let’s THRAK Again
2. Like We Did Last Summer
3. Haggin Triptych
4. Komodo
5. Swimming in Tea
6. Bash Machine
7. Reading the Future
8. Thief of the Dice
9. Brutal
10. Dark Birthday
11. Fandango
12. The Well

Let’s THRAK Again (Reel Two) tracklist:

1. Dark Birthday
2. Komodo
3. Let’s THRAK Again
4. Like We Did Last Summer
5. Renoir
6. Swimming in Tea
7. Bash Machine
8. Brutal (Pat)
9. Carriage Parade
10. Fandango
11. Reading the Future
12. The Well
13. Thief of the Dice
14. Yosemite Sunset