Mike Skinner releases new album called ‘The Streets’

Mike Skinner has released a new album called ‘The Streets’ under his side project The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light.

The Streets creator dropped the surprise album in the early hours of last Friday (June 25) before announcing it on Instagram.

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It’s thought the new album could be the soundtrack for a forthcoming film made by Skinner which he previously discussed in an interview with the BBC in 2020.

He said at the time he was working on a Quadrophenia-style musical drama but for ravers. Quadrophenia is a 1979 film based on The Who’s rock opera of the same name.

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“The album is like two years old now,” Skinner told the BBC. “I spent a few months with a script editor which was great and then at the end of the year I decided to kind of do it myself really, and we’ve since got different funding through the music industry, rather than the film industry.

“The film has definitely got things in common with Quadrophenia.

“Also, in a weird way, kind of Tommy [the same band's rock opera] as well, because in my film it's a musical but the songs are the voiceover.”

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However, Skinner has not yet confirmed if the album will in fact soundtrack the film, nor when the film is set for release.

The Streets’ most recent single 'Who's Got The Bag (21st June)’ was intended to coincide with England’s removal of COVID-19 restrictions on June 21.

However, the new ‘freedom day’ has been postponed until July 19.

**Paddy Edrich is a freelance writer, follow him on* Twitter*