When Lightning Strikes Twice, Build Something New
There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when two artists from seemingly different worlds decide they’re not quite finished exploring what they can create together. That’s exactly where we find Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers and Norwegian wonderkind Aurora in April 2026, unveiling Tomora – a supergroup that feels less like a side project and more like an entirely new organism demanding its own space in the musical ecosystem.
The collaboration didn’t emerge from nowhere. Rowlands has been entranced by Aurora since witnessing her Glastonbury 2019 performance – a moment he’s described as genuinely transfixing. What followed were measured steps toward deeper creative partnership: Aurora appeared on Chemical Brothers records (‘No Geography’ in 2019, then ‘For That Beautiful Feeling’), before Rowlands returned the favour with his production wizardry on her 2024 album ‘What Happened To The Heart?’. But somewhere along that journey, both realised they had something bigger to say together.
Building a World of Their Own
The pair have spoken about stripping back to fundamentals – to “the roots of why it’s beautiful to make music” in the first place. As Aurora put it, they were simply having “shit tonnes of fun,” which, let’s be honest, is precisely the energy you want radiating from any creative endeavour. That sense of unbridled joy permeates ‘Come Closer’, their debut album released this month.
What makes this collaboration genuinely distinct is that it doesn’t merely represent a meeting point between Chemical Brothers’ electronic prowess and Aurora’s ethereal alt-pop sensibility. Instead, Rowlands and Aurora have consciously carved out entirely new territory – a landscape that’s recognisably theirs whilst remaining utterly fresh.
The Sonic Journey Unfolds
The album opens with ‘Please’, a ghostly invitation that gives way to the hymnal grandeur of the title track. Here, Aurora’s voice – that inimitable instrument capable of both sensuality and mystery – pleads “Come closer to me” before unleashing one of her trademark heaven-shaking howls. It’s the kind of moment that clears the air, metaphorically speaking, and prepares us for what’s coming.
From there, ‘Come Closer’ operates with remarkable momentum. ‘A Boy Like You’ captures that peculiar rush of desire filtered through a slinky, streetwise production. Then ‘Ring The Alarm’ arrives with an almost violent urgency – a proper rave weapon that suggests Rowlands hasn’t lost a single ounce of his dancefloor instinct. The energy propels us through proggy sci-fi textures on ‘My Baby’ and into ‘Somewhere Else’, a track destined to become a summer festival staple across 2026’s festival season.
Where They’re Breaking New Ground
On cuts like ‘Have you Seen Me Dance Alone’, Aurora’s sensual, mystical approach to romance melds seamlessly with Rowlands’ globetrotting soundscapes. There’s a sophistication here that elevates the material beyond straightforward dancefloor fare. The track ‘Wavelengths’ proves particularly intriguing – Aurora’s voice sailing over bubbling electronics as she offers “Once I was a river with the wisdom of a child”, while Rowlands’ production suggests a sunset score for sailing away. Then there’s ‘Side By Side’, a waltzing electro-folk piece that simultaneously pleases devotees of both artists whilst exploring genuinely uncharted territory.
The album crescendos with ‘In A Minute’, a final rager that collapses with total abandon, soundtracking those shameful god-knows-what-hour moments in a dance tent that all the best festivals deliver.
A Portal to Live Possibilities
What strikes you most forcefully whilst spinning ‘Come Closer’ is a palpable sense of incompleteness – but in the best possible way. There’s an energy here that feels fundamentally designed for spaces larger than speakers and headphones. Just as The Chemical Brothers became international festival institutions and Aurora blossomed across the world stage to millions, Tomora feels like a project whose true potential will crystallise when they become a live act. You can almost feel the production reaching beyond the stereo mix, yearning for the visceral reality of a festival field or club dancefloor.
This debut album stands as a genuinely exceptional record – beautiful, inventive, and brimming with that rare quality both artists identified at the outset: a commitment to the exceptional. It’s entirely shit-tonnes of fun, and it’s only the beginning.