Legendary Canadian electronic duo Delerium have teamed up with LA-based dreamwavers Magic Wands on their aptly-named single “Dream Palace”. Two of the artists most associated with dark-edged bliss-pop in today’s music landscape, both of these duos are also label-mates via Metropolis Records.
Founded in 1987 by Bill Leeb (Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy) and Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Conjure One) has spent four decades shaping the global soundscape, evolving effortlessly from haunting ambient trance to lush, dark pop. This latest collaboration marks another monumental chapter in their legendary discography, wrapping listener senses in pure cinematic beauty.
Following the lead track “Into The Light”, a beautifully dark opus featuring iconic American avant-garde singer Diamanda Galás, this is the latest offering from Delerium’s highly anticipated 16th studio album, “Exaudire”, arriving in January 2027. Produced by Leeb and Fulber, their long-standing collaborator Greg Reely once again handles mixing and mastering.
On ‘Dream Palace’, Delerium’s signature cinematic electronica receives a brilliant layer of guitar-infused sheen. With Magic Wands’ Chris Valentine on guitar and Dexy Valentine contributing vocals and lyrics, the resulting hypnotic lullaby finds a welcome home amidst this vast, cinematic sonic landscape
Like a surreal dream of its own, the captivating video, starring Soraya Rose Southwick, was directed, produced and filmed by Shahrnaz Nancy Southwick and Magic Wands with lighting design by Chris Valentine, production design by Bradley Preston Southwick, and editing and color grading by Dexy Valentine.
“When we first heard the music Delerium sent to us it put us in a trance for about 24 hours. We listened on loop again and again to see what we could do that would complement it. Chris came up with some guitar and I came up with a vocal melody. Lyrically I went with the dreamy feeling the song was giving me. The lyrics were inspired by the music and also the end scene of Contact a 90’s movie based on a Carl Sagan novel,” says Dexy Valentine.
“Delerium liked our “Hide” video and wanted something like that so we got together with our friend & producer Shahrnaz Nancy Southwick and her daughter Soraya Rose and shot it in a backyard garden. The imagery captures another dimension of the song that feels a bit more mystical. The video is about a girl opening a wooden box and, as she looks into it, she finds herself in a parallel universe”.
Originally intended as a side project for Leeb and Fulber to explore dark ambient instrumental compositions, Delerium ultimately took on a long and beautiful life of its own. With Front Line Assembly already part of the Metropolis Records roster, Delerium signed to the label for the release of the albums “Mythologie” (2016) and “Signs” (2023). Bill Leeb also released his widely acclaimed debut solo album “Model Kollapse” via Metropolis in 2024.
“We were first introduced to Magic Wands through Metropolis Records, who asked us if we wanted to do a remix for them, which we did for their song “Moonshadow”. That went really well. When recording our new Delirium album, we thought it might be fun to do something with them,” says Bill Leeb.
“Since they are also with Metropolis, this made everything very easy. We are all extremely happy with the result. This is kind of a new sound for Delirium, which made us really happy, and they also created a video for it, which goes extremely well with the song. A wonderful collaboration, visually and sonically.”
Since their 1994 album “Semantic Spaces”, Delerium has received two Juno awards and grown to massive fame through collaborations, involving vocals by Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer), Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Kirsty Hawkshaw (Opus III), Emily Haines (Metric), Jacqui Hunt (Single Gun Theory), Matthew Sweet and Kristy Thirsk (Rose Chronicles).
Worldwide chart success came in 2000 with the anthem “Silence (featuring Sarah McLachlan)”, reaching #1 in numerous countries, its remixes also hailed among the greatest trance songs (the Tiësto remix was voted the 12th-greatest dance track of all time by Mixmag readers). Delerium has also had sync licensing success with songs in films such as “Brokedown Palace” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”. “Silence” was also recently heard in the hit BBC drama “Industry”.
Magic Wands was formed in 2011, with Chris and Dexy Valentine first connecting through Myspace while living on opposite sides of the country (in Los Angeles and Nashville). They have since released a solid catalogue of music, performed at Lollapalooza and SXSW, and played with a list that reads like a Hall of Fame, including Radiohead, Slowdive, The Horrors, The Black Keys, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Raconteurs, The Breeders,The Wombats, Dinosaur Jr., The Kills, Deerhunter, Mac DeMarco, Sebadoh, Ty Segall and The Raconteurs.
As of October 30, “Dream Palace“ is available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. Already available for pre-order, ‘Exaudire’ will be released as a double album on Oxblood vinyl, as well as on CD and digitally, on January 22nd, 2027.
CREDITS
Music written by Bill Leeb, Rhys Fulber, Jared Silgerland & Chris Valentine
Lyrics written by Dexy Valentine
Performed by Delerium (Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber)
Dexy Valentine – vocals
Chris Valentine – guitar
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Greg Reely
Produced by Bill Leeb & Rhys Fuller
Guitar and vocals recorded & produced by Dexy Valentine & Chris Valentine
Cover design & layout by Dexy Valentine
Cover photo by Shahrnaz Nancy Southwick
Released by Metropolis Records
Video directed, produced & filmed by Shahrnaz Nancy Southwick & Magic Wands
Lighting design by Chris Valentine
Production design by Bradley Preston Southwick
Edited & color grading by Dexy Valentine
Starring Soraya Rose Southwick
Special thanks to Kingston Rumi Southwick & Gatsby Southwick
Publicity by Shauna McLarnon for Shameless Promotion PR
‘EXAUDIRE’ ALBUM TRACKLIST
1 Higher Power (with Mimi Page)
2 Into The Light (with Diamanda Galás)
3 Dream Palace (with Magic Wands)
4 Buried Light (with Mimi Page)
5 Apocalypse (with Inna Walters)
6 Stolen (with Phildel)
7 Into The Unknown (with Jaël)
8 Multiplying Zero (with Inna Walters)
9 Chasing The Wind (with Mimi Page)
10 Exaudire
11 Had To Go (with Jaël)
12 Litany (with Mimi Page)