Mickey Hart has announced his first album in five years, entitled Mysterium Tremendum, to be released April 10 on the drummer’s own 360’’ Records. The new album, which features lyrical contributions from Robert Hunter and is co-produced by Ben Yonas (Zion I, Spencer Day, Jazz Mafia), comes as the followup to 2007’s Grammy award winning Global Drum Project.

“I have always thought of life, the world at large, as music,” says Hart. “This work is a physical representation of that notion. I have combined sonic images of the formation of our universe with sounds drawn from musical instruments. It’s all about the vibrations that make up the infinite universe. In this case, they began as light waves and these light waves are still washing over us. Scientists at Penn State, Lawrence Berkeley Labs, and Meyer Sound have transformed these light waves into sound waves. This band is exploring a new musical topography. These musical excursions transport me to wonderful and strange new places filled with rhythms for a new day. The combination of music of the whole earth and the sounds of the planets, the stars, the events that formed our universe is intoxicating and points toward an awareness of what music is, could be, and where it comes from. “

In addition, Hart will also hit the road in March for the “Above The Clouds” tour. The 21 date tour kicks off at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz, CA on March 1 and will see the band perform along the West Coast before heading inland to play shows in Louisville, KY, Washington, DC, Wanee Festival in Clearwater, FL and more. The tour closes out on April 26 at – La Zona Rosa in Austin, TX. More dates are expected to be announced soon. See below for the full list of dates.

Mickey Hart Band Tour Dates

3/1/12 Santa Cruz, CA—Rio Theatre
3/2/12 Los Angeles, CA—El Rey Theatre
3/3/12 Las Vegas, NV—Hard Rock Cafe
3/4/12 Flagstaff, AZ—Orpheum Theatre
3/6/12 San Luis Obispo, CA—SLO Brewing Company
3/7/12 Healdsburg, CA—Raven Theater
3/8/12 Sacramento, CA—Colonial Theater
3/9/12 Chico, CA—El Rey Theatre
4/10/12 Louisville, KY—Headliners
4/11/12 Cleveland, OH—Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
4/12/12 Jim Thorpe, PA—Penn’s Peak
4/13/12 Ridgefield, CT—Ridgefield Playhouse
4/14/12 Londonderry, NH—Tupelo Music Hall
4/16/12 Washington, DC—9:30 Club
4/17/12 Carbarro, NC—Cat’s Cradle
4/18/12 Asheville, NC—Orange Peel
4/20/12 Live Oak, FL—Wanee Festival
4/21/12 Atlanta, GA—Sweetwater 4:20 Festival
4/22/12 Birmingham, AL—Workplay Theatre
4/23/12 Fayetteville, AR—George’s Majestic Lounge
4/25/12 Dallas, TX—Granada Theatre
4/26/12 Austin, TX—La Zona Rosa