In celebration of the release of his critically lauded, Mercury Prize nominated album hugo, revered wordsmith Loyle Carner reinterpreted the record for a very special live performance at the esteemed Royal Albert Hall in October 2023.
Now, Carner releases hugo: reimagined (Live From The Royal Albert Hall) which is available to stream and purchase on CD/vinyl, and shares a soul-stirring 45 minute film taken from the evening, directed by Milo Blake and shot by Greg Hackett, produced by Spindle & Soul Purpose.
A very limited run of hugo: reimagined box sets are available to purchase now. The box set is designed like a toolbox, and will include the live album in multiple formats, a chess board with bespoke chess pieces, incense, keychain, notebook and more; a truly collectable item for dedicated listeners of the record.
An incomparable live-performer and creative virtuoso, Carner’s Royal Albert Hall show – which coincided with his 29th birthday – saw an array of very special guests including Jordan Rakei, Athian Akec and JNR Williams, and an electrifying live-band, join for a truly immersive show in storied surrounds.
Loyle Carner says “Whilst touring ‘hugo’ for the last couple years I noticed that the music began to change as the shows went on. I wanted to catch a snapshot of their evolution and document how alive and fluid the things we make are. A special way to spend my birthday.”
At the core of hugo lies a deeply personal narrative, one that intertwines the complexities of family relationships and identity. Central to both the original hugo album and its reimagined counterpart is the symbol of a car—specifically, Carner’s father’s car, For Carner, it was more than just a mode of transportation; it was a vessel for emotional exploration and connection.
Learning to drive in the company of his father, Carner found solace in the confined space of the car, where difficult conversations about their relationship could unfold with honesty and vulnerability. Through these intimate exchanges, father and son forged a deeper understanding and, ultimately, a stronger bond.
The hugo story now concludes through the act of crushing the car (which was itself used in much of Carner’s touring stage design). The crushed car, featured prominently on the artwork of ‘hugo’ reimagined,’ like a sculpture, serves as a visual metaphor for Carner’s emotional journey and a testament to the power of music in transmuting emotional turmoil into beauty and art.
Carner has undoubtedly had a meteoric rise to the top, culminating in the triumphant release of hugo, which The Observer described as a “masterpiece” and gave a full 5 stars, charting at number 3 in the UK Album Chart. A 10-track compendium of urgent delivery and gloriously widescreen production, Loyle Carner confronts both the deeply personal and the highly political. Cinematic in scale and scope, hugo is both a rallying war cry for a generation forged in fire and a study of the personal internal conflict that drives the rest of the album – as a mixed-race Black man, as an artist, as a father and as a son.
Buy the hugo: reimagined box set.