New album announced in honor of David Bowie: Helado Negro, Khruangbin, We Are KING and more

British label BBE Music has announced a new David Bowie tribute album. Modern love arrives on May 28 and features covers of the entire Bowie catalog by Helado Negro, Khruangbin, Jeff Parker, We Are KING, Meshell Ndegeocello and more. Today, on what would be Bowie’s 74th birthday (and the fifth birthday of Black Star), BBE shared the first single from Modern love. Listen to the We Are KING “Space Oddity” cover below and scroll down to see the tracklist and LP art, illustrated by Cori Maass.

“There were so many incredible Bowie compositions to choose from, but ‘Space Oddity’ has always been our favorite,” said Amber and Paris Strother from We Are KING in a press release. “It is so visual; it always felt like time travel in a song. It tells such a vivid and imaginative story of Major Tom’s trip through space and it was such a cool experience to reimagine how it would be on the trip. “

Compiled BBE Modern love to highlight Bowie’s connection to the soul, R&B, jazz, funk and gospel sounds that influenced his own work. The project was curated by music executive and DJ Drew McFadden, alongside BBE Music founder Peter Adarkwah. “I felt that the connection between Bowie and R&B, jazz, funk, gospel and all things with a soul had never been explored before,” said McFadden in press materials. “At least not so much in the covers, which tend to lean more towards rock and pop. Certainly, there have been many covers of Bowie over the years, but none that have really enjoyed what appears to have been a big part of his musical style and direction.

Modern love:

01 Miguel Atwood-Ferguson: “Life on Mars”
02 Helado Negro: “Sound and Vision”
03 Kit Sebastian: “Lady Grinning Soul”
04 Jeff Parker / The New Breed: “Soul Love” [ft. Ruby Parker]
05 Sessa: “Panic in Detroit”
06 The Hics: “The man who sold the world”
07 Khruangbin: “Right”
08 Nia Andrews: “Silly Boy Blue”
09 Foxtrott: “Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family”
10 L’Rain: “Keep going”
11 Eddie Chacon / John Carroll Kirby: “Tonight”
12 Jonsh Mutono: “Modern Love”
13 Bullion: “Where are we now”
14 Meshell Ndegeocello: “Fantastic Voyage”
15 Matthew Tavares: “Heroes”
16 We Are KING: “Space Oddity”