Ivor Novello Rising-nominated, Athens-based Dublin artist lullahush - aka Daniel McIntyre - is back with his new album Ithaca, set for release on April 11th via Future Classic (SOPHIE, Chet Faker, and Flume).

Building on the success of his 2024 EP An Todchaí, Ithaca delves into the intersection of tradition and innovation, blending traditional Irish music with contemporary electronica to offer a fresh perspective on modern Irish identity.

The three tracks from the recent EP - 'An Caoineadh' (The Crying), 'An Grá' (The Love), and 'An Todchaí' (The Future) - explore the sonic “what-if?” of blending traditional Irish music with electronic sounds. At times unapologetically bold, the music features eerily traditional instrumentation, with samples drawn from friends drunkenly mimicking RTÉ newscasters at a festival on Inis Oírr.

The EP humorously critiques the country's well-known love of alcohol, layering chopped-up “Irish-isms” over intricate, intense bass grooves. It bridges genres, comparing Chicago Footwork to Clare set dancing, and recontextualizes samples of musicologist and master accordionist Tony McMahon lamenting “the future of Irish Traditional Music.”

The result is a dynamic conversation between tradition and innovation, celebrating the past while pushing towards the future: respectful yet playful, serious yet irreverent.

The upcoming LP Ithaca builds on this experimental approach while weaving a narrative that delves into themes of pride, home, and belonging.

The longing for home in exile has been a defining experience for many in the Irish diaspora throughout history—from 19th-century famine refugees and 20th-century exiles fleeing the oppression of the Catholic Church, to those who left during the economic struggles of the 1980s, and more recently, those impacted by Ireland's housing crisis and Dublin's growing presence of Big Tech. Daniel reflects on these shared histories as well as his personal journey, living in Europe after his homeland became “economically uninhabitable.”

“I miss it, but I have a difficult relationship with it” says McIntyre. “‘Ithaca’ is where Odyssus is trying to get back to in the Odyssey - my search for a sense of home since leaving has made me think about what Ithaca means. Maybe it's not a place, maybe it's a series of circumstances, maybe it's something internal, maybe it’s something you carry around with you.”

The first glimpse of this journey unfolds with 'Maggie na bhFlaitheas' (Maggie of the Heavens), a track that transforms the reel 'Over The Moore To Maggie' into the album's bold statement piece. It merges Celtic folk dance with organic electronic music, blending both styles into a sound that isn’t just a fusion but a seamless integration of the two.

Accompanying the track is a fast-paced visual piece that flashes through images and short films of rural Ireland, religious symbols, towns, parties, and the coastline, capturing the contrast between the old and new, the natural and the manmade.

This statement of intent sets down a series of aesthetic declarations that form a modern interpretation of Irish romanticism.

“I am very excited by the power that sampling offers a bedroom producer like me to build multi-layer narratives and self-referential worlds,” says McIntyre.

To celebrate the release of the LP, lullahush will perform a sold-out show at The Workman's Club in Dublin on 1st May, with special guest Róis.

Pre-save Ithaca here.

See below for a full tracklist:

ITHACA

01) An Droighneán Donn
02) Maggie na bhFlaitheas
03) Jimmy an Chladaigh
04) Maija an Uisce
05) Maddy na Farraige
06) Kitty na Gaoithe
07) Dónal na Gealaí
08) Máire na Réiltíní
09) Raglan Road

lullahush ITHACA cover