A Map of the Floating City

A Map of the Floating City is the fifth studio album by English musician Thomas Dolby, released on 24 October 2011.[1] It is his first full-length studio album since 1992's Astronauts & Heretics and his last to date.[2]

A Map of The Floating City
Studio album by
Thomas Dolby
Released24 October 2011
Recorded2009 - 2011, The Nutmeg of Consolation, Suffolk, England
GenreNew wave
LabelLost Toy People
ProducerThomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby chronology
Astronauts & Heretics
(1992)		 A Map of The Floating City
(2011)

The album's concept, set in an alternate history, is accompanied by a web-based social networking game[3] designed with the help of Andrea Phillips and J. J. Abrams.[1] The game ran from June to September 2011, and the group that won the game received a private Dolby concert.[4]

The album was recorded "aboard a solar and wind-powered 1930s lifeboat" on the coast of East Anglia,[5] and includes contributions by Mark Knopfler, Regina Spektor, Natalie MacMaster, Bruce Woolley, Ethel and Imogen Heap.[6]

Many tracks from the album were released/premiered prior to the release of the complete album:

"Love Is a Loaded Pistol" was premiered at the TED conference in Long Beach, CA in February 2010, and was later released as a free MP3 download.[7]

"Road To Reno", "The Toad Lickers", and "17 Hills" were released as a digital EP, Amerikana, that was sold on Dolby's website in June 2010.[8]

"Oceanea", "Simone", and "To The Lifeboats" were released as another digital EP, Oceanea, in November 2010, and as a physical disc in March 2011[9]

Three tracks were performed live for WNYC Soundcheck in February 2011 with the help of New York string quartet Ethel and accordion player Rachelle Garniez.[2]

"Nothing New Under The Sun", "Spice Train", "Evil Twin Brother", and "A Jealous Thing Called Love" were revealed within the online game "A Map of The Floating City" in July and August 2011. Prior to the inception of the game, Dolby had planned to release these songs as a third EP, Urbanoia.[10]

Track listing
  1. "Nothing New Under The Sun" (4:35)
  2. "Spice Train" (5:08)
  3. "Evil Twin Brother" (5:25)
  4. "A Jealous Thing Called Love" (4:27)
  5. "Road to Reno" (4:00)
  6. "The Toad Lickers" (4:24)
  7. "17 Hills" (7:42)
  8. "Love is a Loaded Pistol" (2:57)
  9. "Oceanea" (4:28)
  10. "Simone" (5:56)
  11. "To The Lifeboats" (3:36)

The deluxe edition of the album features a second disc with the following tracks:

  1. "Nothing New Under The Sun" (Instrumental) (4:30)
  2. "Spice Train" (Instrumental) (5:09)
  3. "Evil Twin Brother" (Instrumental) (5:04)
  4. "A Jealous Thing Called Love" (Instrumental) (4:27)
  5. "Road to Reno" (Instrumental) (4:02)
  6. "The Toad Lickers" (Instrumental) (4:24)
  7. "17 Hills" (Instrumental) (7:42)
  8. "Love is a Loaded Pistol" (Instrumental) (2:57)
  9. "Oceanea" (Instrumental) (3:59)
  10. "Simone" (Instrumental) (5:56)
  11. "To The Lifeboats" (Instrumental) (3:38)
  12. "Spice Train" (Radio Edit) (3:42)
  13. "17 Hills" (Demo) (5:46)
  14. "I'm Not Your Dog" (5:48)

References
  1. Ferreiro, Laura (24 August 2011). "Online game amps up Dolby's new music effort". Variety. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  2. "Dolby offers sneak peek of first new full-length album in 20 years". Goldmine. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  3. Hertz, Jack. "Interview: Thomas Dolby on "A Map Of The Floating City" and More". Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  4. Smith, Clyde. "Thomas Dolby's Floating City Goes Beyond Marketing". Hypebot.com. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  5. Steele, Amy. "Interview: singer/songwriter Thomas Dolby". Entrainmentrealm.com. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  6. "Thomas Dolby - Press Release". Thomas Dolby. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  7. "Thomas Dolby: Love Is a Loaded Pistol Video on TED>com".
  8. "Amerikana EP Download". Archived from the original on 2011-09-14.
  9. "Oceanea Press Release". Archived from the original on 2011-09-14.
  10. https://huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/emted-solar-power-windpow_b_769720.html | Mike Ragogna, "TED, Solar Power, Windpower, and All Things Amerikana: A Conversation with Thomas Dolby," Oct 2010
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