US electro-industrial/synth-pop artist Tom Shear has been releasing records as Assemblage 23 since the turn of the millennium.
His debut album ‘Contempt’ sent shockwaves through a scene that was primarily dominated by European acts. Subsequent albums helped establish Shear as one of the leaders of the ‘Future Pop’ movement that took hold of underground dancefloors in the early 2000s.
‘Tolerate’ has been issued as the first single from a brand new Assemblage 23 album entitled ‘Null’. “The song is about the increasingly common situation of having to cut people out of your life because they hold harmful beliefs,” explains Shear. “Even tolerant people have a line that, once crossed, causes them to have to react this way. It is a topical portrait of our current political climate and the fallout it can have in our personal lives.”
‘Tolerate’ is typical of Shear’s oeuvre in that what has separated Assemblage 23 from most other musically comparable acts from the outset has been the deeply personal and relatable manner of his song lyrics. Often broaching difficult subjects such as suicide and depression, he has gained a significant worldwide following and continues to perform around the globe.
Out on 7th November, ‘Null’ is the tenth album by Assemblage 23, but the first since ‘Mourn’ in 2020. It will be pre-promoted with a UK tour in October immediately followed a one-off show in Germany.
NULL
TRACKLISTING
1 Believe
2 Lunatics
3 Gone
4 Fuel
5 Tolerate
6 Normal
7 Last
8 The Line
9 Overthrow
10 Waited
UK TOUR | OCTOBER 2025
15th October BRISTOL Exchange
16th October MANCHESTER Rebellion
17th October GLASGOW Ivory Blacks
18th October SHEFFIELD Corporation
19th October LONDON The Dome
TICKETS
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20th October OBERHAUSEN Kulttempel