New Zealand reggae-soul heavyweights The Black Seeds will release their highly anticipated new studio album Dust And Dirt on April 13 through Remote Control Records.

The long awaited follow up to 2008’s Solid Ground, Dust and Dirt marks an exciting new chapter for the multi platinum selling New Zealand band whose fan base has spread around the world in recent years.

Self recorded and produced in their Wellington studio, the new 13-track album introduces new sounds and styles not heard on previous releases whilst still remaining true to the band’s roots.

‘’Working in our own studio gave us the freedom to get the best out of ourselves over a longer period of time, and to trial new techniques and tones with Mike Fabulous at the controls’’ says singer/guitarist Barnaby Weir.

The result is an album that truly reflects the sum of its parts with all six band members injecting their influences and creative energies into the album’s 13 tracks.

From the get-go, album opener ‘Out of Light’ with it’s shimmering keyboards and trippy vocals showcases a re-invigorated band with a more expansive sound. ‘Loose Cartilage’, inspired in part by an AC/DC concert comes flying out of the traps with a beast of a riff before slipping into a funk-laden Black Seeds groove. The chilled-out disco dub of ‘Don’t Turn Around’, born out of a spontaneous jam before rehearsal, and the blaring horn line and varied use of instrumentation on ‘Love Me Now’, are testament to a band at the top of their game, revelling in their new found creative freedom.

First single ‘Pippy Pip’, will be released on 28th February and will be available for a limited time as a free download from the band’s website.

Renowned globally for their epic live shows, and on the back of their performance at the 2011 Splendour In the Grass Festival, The Black Seeds will return in June for club shows throughout Australia.

Dust And Dirt will be available from all good retailers on digital, CD, plus limited edition heavy weight 12’’ double gatefold vinyl. A limited number of collector’s edition pre-sale packages will be available from the band’s website from March 12. Fans will also get the opportunity to hear the album before the release date.

Dust And Dirt is out 13 April 2012 through Remote Control.

Australian tour dates to be announced shortly.