Few experimental musicians in recent years have been as influential as Arca, and even fewer would dare attempt the kind of ambitious world-building she’s become known for with her boundary-pushing solo releases. This is especially true of her most recent series of albums, beginning with KiCk i in June 2020 and culminating in the release of KICK ii, KicK iii, kick iiii and kiCK iiiii, all of which arrived in December 2021. Now, Arca has announced details for the physical release of all five albums from the KICK series on vinyl and CD for the first time. They will be available for purchase both in a limited-edition boxset (which features an alternate cover for KiCk i) and as individual albums, all of which come out on May 20 via XL. The announcement arrives with a video for a KICK-era outtake, “Cayó,” directed by Albert Moya.
“Cayó” originally appeared on Arca’s DIVA_EXPERIMENTAL FM Twitch stream in early 2020, but didn’t make the cut for any of the KICK albums. The track features additional production by Tim Hecker and serves as a spellbinding end point for the KICK series, feeling perfectly realized and self-contained while also remaining typically cryptic. Fans will know that the magic of Arca lies in her ability to create work that exists outside of any parameters by which we’d usually judge music, rewriting the rulebook with her unorthodox production tricks and striking visuals, and her outtakes are no exception. Arca elaborated on the intention behind “Cayó” in a statement, describing it as being about “exploring self states, non-binary modes of relating of that which is ‘other,’ creating new intersectional ways of mediating identity through exploring sensuality and heightened communion with the sensual embodiment of self.”
Along with the physical releases, Arca has also announced the launch of MUTANT, a digital webstore. Its initial launch will feature “legacy graphics, Arca artworks and album-related imagery,” according to a press release, with future product releases featuring “full-look apparel and accessories, such as footwear, underwear and jewelry,” as well as “unique collectables” for fans.
Check out the video for “Cayó” below. You can preorder the KICK boxset, or separate physical copies of each KICK album, here.