Following on from this in December:

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/musicnews/s2432867.htm

where the head of Modular records promised a new Avalanches album this year, the same radio station has just announced the new record has a July release date.

Anyone have any more information? I don't think I've ever been so excited about a record. El Producto, Since I Left You and the remixes are still great but something new would be amazing.

Especially following the band's previous comment that:

"It's so fuckin' party you will die, much more hip-hop than you might expect, and while there is still no accurate estimated time of arrival, we're sure you're gonna love it when it arrives ... It's ended up sounding like the next logical step to "Since", we just had to go around in a big circle to get back to where we belong. And one day when you least expect it you'll wake up and the sample fairy will have left it under your pillow."

Shall we all take stabs at guessing what it will sound like? I wonder how many alternate takes or discarded bits there are from it. Nine years is a long time to work on anything.

It could of course be hugely disappointing, and has a lot to live up to, but I think they could pull it off. Portishead managed to release a great album after a long wait so I'm sure The Avalanches can too.

So yes... any thoughts/information?