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​Kavinsky set to reunite with The Weeknd on first album since 2013

The French producer confirmed his first full-length release in nine years

French-born electro-pop legend Kavinsky is returning with his first full-length record in nine years.

The hitmaker and producer behind 2011-released ‘Nightcall’ first teased his return in June 2021 when he posted an ambiguous photo to Instagram reading: “Kavinsky reborn: The story goes on”.

Since then, Kavinsky has gone on to release his first single since 2013, ’Renegade’, followed by 'Zenith' just last week featuring fellow French singer Prudence and US-born producer Morgan Phalen, and confirmed his next album, ‘Reborn’.

Read this next: Kavinsky releases first single in eight years, 'Renegade'

Kavinsky also teased a new collaboration with The Weeknd which is due to drop “soon”, according to the producer. The pair previously worked together in 2013 on ‘Odd Look’.

“Something might happen, something might happen very probably,” he told NME. “It’s happening soon, and he is still such a nice guy,” he added, revealing that the pair had been in talks on a new release for “a long time”.

“The first album was really an album from its era. Listening to it now, it sounds like it was from back-in-the-day. With this new album, I tried to record something more timeless,” Kavinsky said.

Kavinsky’s first record ‘Outrun’ debuted in 2013 featuring a handful of smash hits, a record purposefully reminiscent of the 80s paying homage to the era’s synth-pop legends.

“It’s a much warmer sound, a more laid-back, less excited sound. If you compare the last album to driving a fast car, this is more about driving the car slowly,” he told NME on the forthcoming record.

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“With the previous album, you couldn’t open the window! It wasn’t a part of any master plan, it was just me recording music and being the artist that I am and this came out. There are some songs that are similar to ones I did in the past though too.”

Kavinsky also opened up about feeling pressured after the release of his 2011 smash hit 'Nightcall', admitting that he "sensed some pressure" off the back of its release.

"I was scared. I was scared to imagine what my music was going to be after this success. I took two steps back and started to imagine what I was going to record after that, at my own pace," he said.

‘Reborn’ is due for release on March 25. Pre-order it here.

[Via NME]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter