Blur To Announce New Release Tonight?

Blur seem set to announce a new release at midnight tonight.

Earlier this evening, the band began posting ‘#blur21’ via their social network profiles. This led to speculation from fans that something around the 21st anniversary of debut album ‘Leisure’ may be afoot.

This has been confirmed via Facebook, where the group posted: ‘You might be wondering what this #blur21 is about. Well.. It has been 21 years since the release of Leisure, so we have been cooking up a nice box of treats for you. Stay tuned for more info at the stroke of midnight (UK time)’

Earlier this month Damon Albarn claimed that this summer’s shows would ‘in all likelihood’ spell the end for Blur. ‘It’s fine when we play live,’ he revealed. ‘It’s really magical still – but actually recording new stuff, and swapping musical influences… it’s quite difficult.’

Stay tuned to DIY for news of exactly what the band have planned.

Update: as Sweeping The Nation points out to us via Twitter, all Blur’s albums bar ‘Think Tank’ and remix effort ‘Bustin’ + Dronin” have been pulled from Spotify. Perhaps remasters or some kind of box set could be on the cards?

Update: Stephen Street revealed earlier this year he was working on remasters of the band’s back catalogue. This seems like the most likely outcome.

‘I’m currently remastering their entire back catalogue,’ he told Louder Than War. ‘It’s just great to listen to the tapes and think that now they sound so much better. They sound fuller, and wider, and I’m really pleased to be focusing on it. I’m really chuffed as a producer how it’s sounding.’

To keep you going through to midnight, listen to the band’s final Hyde Park show from their comeback tour of 2009, via Spotify, below: