Single mixed by Adrian Sherwood from final sessions

Mute has released a new track by Mark Stewart, titled Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime (Bébe Durmiendo Cumbia Bootleg), drawn from sessions for The Fateful Symmetry, the final solo album completed shortly before his death. The piece reworks the 1980 single by The Korgis, filtering it through Stewart’s long-standing interest in dub, collage, and political détournement. Production is by Elijah Minnelli, with mixing handled by Adrian Sherwood, a frequent collaborator and figurehead of On-U Sound.

Title: The Fateful Symmetry
Artist: Mark Stewart
Release Date: 2025-07-11
Genres: Dub, Electronica, Experimental Music, Post-punk
Label: Mute Records
Description: Final solo album by Mark Stewart, The Fateful Symmetry, drops July 11 on Mute; new Cumbia-bootleg single now available.

The Fateful Symmetry will be released on 11 July via Mute.

The track introduces a slowed, percussive rhythm indebted to Cumbia, led by melodica and ambient distortion. Stewart’s interventions remain textural and disruptive. His method, rooted in appropriation and audio montage, was never far from his earlier work with The Pop Group or later recordings with The Maffia.

An animated video accompanies the track, featuring images by Peter Harris, with animation by Katie King. Harris and Stewart’s joint output, referred to as BombArt, will be on display during two upcoming events aligned with the album release.

In London, Farsight Gallery (4 Flitcroft Street, WC2H 8DJ) will exhibit artwork and archival material from 16 to 18 July. A private view is scheduled for the evening of 16 July. In Bristol, from 25 to 27 July, Rockaway Park will host a broader event including music, film, and art. Participants include DJ Milo, Smith & Mighty, Pinch, Tessa Pollitt (The Slits), and Janine Rainforth (Maximum Joy). Proceeds will go to Help Bristol’s Homeless.

Earlier singles from The Fateful Symmetry include Neon Girl and Memory of You, both co-produced with Youth (Killing Joke). Neon Girl features Gina Birch (The Raincoats), while Memory of You includes vocals by Hollie Cook. These tracks mark the last phase of Stewart’s work, maintaining his focus on fragmentation, density, and lyrical abstraction.

Mark Stewart (1960–2023), born in Bristol, began his career as vocalist for The Pop Group, active from 1977 to 1981. The band’s confrontational fusion of funk, dub, and noise, alongside a radical political agenda, positioned them within post-punk’s more confrontational wing. Stewart then collaborated with musicians such as Keith LeBlanc, Doug Wimbish, and Skip McDonald under the name Mark Stewart & The Maffia, releasing records through On-U Sound and Mute. Across his career, Stewart worked with artists including Tricky, K-Lone, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Adrian Sherwood, and The Bug, maintaining consistent engagement with both experimental audio practice and activist discourse.

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