The Avalanches Team Up With Karen O Again for New Single 'Blue Shadows', Sampling 1980s Italo Disco

Melbourne electronic group The Avalanches released their new single 'Blue Shadows' on Friday, July 24, 2026, once again bringing in Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O as vocalist. The track samples 'Shadows From Nowhere' by early-1980s Italian Italo disco group Blue Gas, giving it a ghostly yet soulful quality. It marks the duo's second collaboration since 'Dial D For Devotion', which appeared on The Avalanches' 2020 third album We Will Always Love You.

Behind the track: a nearly lost demo and sample clearance

According to NME, band member Robbie Chater revealed that 'Blue Shadows' began as an idea from fellow member Andy Szekeres, and was nearly forgotten in an old folder before being rediscovered and championed by Tony Di Blasi. Sample clearance was secured with the approval of Claudio Casalini and the estate of the late Blue Gas core member Celso Valli.

Chater said he included the 'Blue Shadows' demo in a batch of songs sent to Karen O, though he initially doubted she could pull off its "peculiar and unique mood." He described the final version Karen O recorded as something that "still amazes me after months of listening, achingly forlorn, like a song that already existed in the world," adding, "Some people can just channel higher planes."

Karen O said that as soon as she received the track from Robbie, she decided to collaborate, and called We Will Always Love You one of her personal top-ten albums.

Recent activity

'Blue Shadows' is part of a recent flurry of new releases from The Avalanches. Last month they teamed up with Jamie xx on 'Every Single Weekend'; in May they released 'Together' featuring Nikki Nair, Jessy Lanza, and Prentiss. The band also recently performed at Primavera Sound Barcelona and announced they will headline the Pitchfork Music Festival in London this November.