Firstly, whoever the fuck sent this to me, thank you!
As many of you may know Angels & Airwaves have started teasing the next era of the band on their socials. The delectable Tom DeLonge has mentioned the album is finished and has been sent off for mastering, he's also teased new music will be coming in the next couple of weeks (well he said that a couple of weeks back) and so far we've seen snippets here and there of the new phase - including logo, potential album title Project Dreamland, The Empire Club initiative, Rise Records tweets and more!
But this parcel I received is what's really sending me into a spin. Firstly, how did I get it? Secondly, why me? Thirdly, what does it mean? Sent in a silver packaging which included a cassette tape player with 'Confidential' stuck to it, a yellow envelope with AvA and their new logo on the front and a confidential document with coordinates, dates and retracted sentences throughout... Take a look:
[gallery type="square" ids="https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AVA-2.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AVA-1.jpg|,https://wallofsoundau.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/AVA-3.jpg|"]
The Document (from inside the yellow envelope) is dated 5 / 19 / 2021 (US Format) and mentions Project Dreamland again followed by redacted sentences with only the letters EU PH O R IA being able to be read. AvA fans would know that the band's next single is going to be called 'Euphoria', but does this mean we're going to be getting it on May 19th (this Wednesday)?
At the bottom of the page are two further dates and coordinates which turned out to be live music venues in the US.
10 / 23 / 2021 - 40.7529° N. 73.9941° W = Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center
11 / 05 / 2021 - 34.0985° N, 118.3243° W = Hollywood Palladium
Let's assume these will be shows for fans in New York (October 23rd) and Los Angeles (November 5th)!?
The Cassette Tape Player - This is next level brilliance. It's essentially the information from above, but in audio form. The tape plays out like a conversation over old radios with two voices (one if definitely Tommy D) and the following dialogue:
- I can hear you, over
- I gotcha, I can hear you, over.
- Coordinates received, Project Dreamland is follows 05-19-2021 1200 Hours, over
- Copy that
- Additional coordinates received, surveillance only, do not engage, over
- copy
- 10-23-2021 40.7529° N. 73.9941° W [Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center] then 11-05-2021 34.0985° N, 118.3243° W [Hollywood Palladium], over
- Do you copy? over
- We're getting some interference here, do not copy
- [instrumentals, guitar and synth cuts in]
- tape ends
That is all. Nothing on the other side of the tape either before you ask!
Use that information as you wish, but from what has been passed onto me, I think we'll be getting a new song this week and there are two locations for surveillance only (shows) in the US later this year.
Deciphered by Paul 'Browny' Brown @brownypaul
