NEWS
Benedict Cumberbatch and FKA Twigs have been announced for the Letters Live fundraiser at KOKO in London.
Cumberbatch was announced today (October 1) as the new global ambassador for environmental advocacy as part of the KOKO Foundation, the registered charity of London’s iconic venue KOKO.
The BAFTA, Olivier and EMMY award-winning actor will be supporting the charity’s efforts to help ensure that London is able to become a greener and more sustainable city. Speaking about the role in a press release, Cumberbatch said: “I am honoured to be a KOKO Foundation Ambassador with a special focus on the environment. It’s been so inspiring to witness first-hand, the amazing impact that the Foundation has quietly had over the past few years, making real and lasting change in Camden.
He continued: “I’m excited, inspired and committed to help bring awareness to the special work being done and continue to help improve the local area and scale the foundations work around the country, and the world.”
To celebrate the partnership, the KOKO Foundation has teamed up with Letters Live to host a special fundraising edition titled: ‘A Night In The Theatre’. The event will take place on November 7 and will see musicians and artists read out historical or personal letters in the form of unique readings and musical performances. Cumberbatch will be joined by FKA Twigs who is set to read a letter at the charity edition of the show as well as various other high profile guests.
Tickets for the special event will go on sale this Thursday (October 3) at 9am local time. A select amount of tickets will be available for local residents who are working with and benefiting from the work of the Foundation. Visit here to purchase tickets and check out the KOKO Foundation website to donate or support its initiatives.
Speaking about the foundation in a press release, Sophia Pasetti, CEO of The KOKO Foundation said: “The Foundation was born out of a desire to create something really special, to contribute to the community that KOKO is a part of; its environment, young people, and the next generation of essential artists.
“I have been deeply moved by the impact our initiatives are already making, and it is a privilege to lead our Foundation on this exciting journey. I am beyond grateful for Benedict’s integrity and authenticity, he is incredibly inspiring and having him on board to help amplify our work is a true honour.”
In other news, FKA Twigs recently shared two new songs, ‘Room Of Fools’ and ‘Girl Feels Good’ from her upcoming third album ‘EUSEXUA’.
FKA Twigs shared the first taste of ‘EUSEXUA’ earlier this month with the title track and an accompanying music video directed by Jordan Hemingway. She also confirmed that the record will be released on January 24 via Young. You can pre-order it here.
On AHHCade, PNAU are leaning fully into emotion for their upcoming seventh studio album.
“There’s something deeply connected about music and the path we’ve been on,” PNAU’s Nick Littlemore shares while introducing the new project, which is scheduled to arrive July 31 through Sydney independent label etcetc, under the TMRW Music umbrella.
“We’re creating songs from the heart,” he says. “Even though these tracks are built with electronics and technology, at their core they are emotional expressions. Peter, myself and everyone we worked with wanted to create a feeling of home, whether that’s on the dancefloor or inside the listener’s mind.”
The upcoming record includes the recently unveiled “Tu Corazon (Your Heart)” featuring Mexican rock band The Warning, as well as the energetic new track “Nirvana” with EARTHGANG and sadMONTH, which officially dropped today, May 8.
“Nirvana” pairs PNAU with Atlanta duo EARTHGANG and also marks the first collaboration with sadMONTH, the new creative venture from Littlemore alongside Toronto artist Dom Dias.
Littlemore describes the song as “the beginning of an entirely new chapter. It’s intense, chaotic and taps into a future version of punk electronic music. Expect something restless, rhythmic and completely untamed.”
EARTHGANG added: “With ‘Nirvana,’ we locked into this euphoric and elevated energy together with PNAU and rode that electro wave. Huge love to everyone involved in bringing this track to life and making it hit the way it does.”
Representatives for the group have also hinted that additional unexpected collaborations will be revealed in the near future.
PNAU, made up of longtime friends Littlemore and Peter Mayes, are following up their 2024 release Sambanova. Over the years, the duo have built a career filled with major records and industry recognition. Their global breakthrough came after teaming up with Elton John for the 2012 remix album Good Morning to the Night, which reached No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. They later reunited with Elton for the 2021 remix Cold Heart featuring Dua Lipa, creating one of the biggest worldwide hits of the decade.
To celebrate the release of the new album, PNAU will launch the Australian run of their Nirvana Tour 2026 next month. The East Coast regional dates begin June 19 at Gilligan's in Cairns before finishing July 4 at Woodport Hotel in Erina.
Stream “Nirvana” below.
