CFCF is one of my favorite musicians alive. His albums evoke an understated brilliance and his mixtapes are literally perfect. The Montreal-based artist, real name Mike Silver, is a direct inspiration for my own mixtapes, and has weirdly and specifically similar tastes to mine. Every time he releases something new, I devour it and savor the sounds on repeat.

This weekend, a new single was released.

I discovered yesterday via his Facebook page that a new album is coming July 31 and would run a limited set of 200 clear vinyl LPs and 300 standard black discs. Being one of the few artists I implicitly trust, I pre-ordered immediately. Today, that trust is vindicated with The Ruined Map.

As his music evolved, it seemed to get closer and closer to some unknown ideal sound in my head, cresting with the modern minimalist-inspired Music For Objects EP and romantic Outside LP in 2013. The latter release conjured ghosts of Peter Gabriel, David Sylvian, and even Talk Talk, all standout artists who created some of the most innovative and subversive music of the 1980s. The formerly dance-oriented compositions became stately, fragile high wire acts of lush synthesizer melodies and hushed vocals.

He seems to have made another dramatic shift, if this track is a sign of things to come. Gently alien guitar tones and upfront but subdued vocals sail through an ocean of ambient pads, revealing a new sound that’s both more conventional and abstract than what’s come before. I’m reminded of The Durutti Column, another one-man band (and personal favorite) who gradually revealed his own unconventional vocals. It’s fresh and I’m along for the ride.

So this is the album artwork, replete with transparent vinyl, direct from the preorder page. It reminds me of the haunting Atmosphere video by Joy Division. If you’re a fiend like me, you might want to jump on this before those 500 copies run out. Or the 200 clear copies, if you’re as much of a dark as I am.

I’m hungover and this song feels like a brain massage. I’ll be lying down with my CFCF albums on repeat today.