HENGE Release New Single “Brains” From Fifth Album Humans

Cosmic rave-prog outfit HENGE have released “Brains”, a brand new single and video that gives fans the first taste of their fifth studio album Humans, out on 29 January 2027. The track channels rave and electro, and it arrives ahead of a world tour of more than 80 dates across 25 countries, including 18 UK shows that start in Frome on 12 December.

• Band: HENGE
• New single: “Brains”, with an official video
• Album: Humans, the band’s fifth studio album
• Release date: Friday 29 January 2027
• Formats: 12″ vinyl and CD, available to pre-order now from the band’s own store
• UK tour: Frome on 12 December 2026, then 17 dates from 10 March to 1 April 2027

What is the new HENGE single “Brains” like?

“Brains” is HENGE at their most dancefloor-friendly. It leans hard into rave and electro, driven by what the band describe as trouser-flapping bass from Venusian bass maestro Brother Goo. The groove is front and centre and the delivery is casual and playful, before a guitar solo arrives that sounds like it is tearing through the fabric of the universe.

As you might guess from the title, the song is a tribute to the most complicated organ in the human body. “The human brain is truly a thing of wonder, and I naturally felt compelled to write an ode to it,” explains front creature Zpor. It is a fitting first single, because the brain is also the image on the cover of the new album.

When is the HENGE album Humans released?

Humans is out on Friday 29 January 2027. It is the band’s fifth studio album and the follow-up to 2025’s Journey to Voltus B. It is available to pre-order now on 12″ vinyl and CD from the official HENGE store, and both formats come with a download.

There are eight tracks on the album:

1. Establish Contact Earth
2. Humans
3. Brains
4. The Pursuit of Knowledge
5. Entanglement – A Love Song (feat. Paddy Steer)
6. Sapiens in Space
7. You Are… Capable of Greatness
8. The Second Monolith (feat. Shunya)

What is Humans about?

Where Journey to Voltus B took listeners on a voyage to a distant planet, Humans plants HENGE firmly back on Earth, with its apex inhabitants as the subject. In other words, the record is about us.

“Human beings are intriguing to us,” says Zpor. “Your capacity for abstract thought, your creativity, is nothing short of astonishing. Despite your worrisome appetite for unabashed consumption, you still hold so much promise. You are, as the song goes, capable of greatness.”

The album moves from rave-fuelled grooves to tender love songs and prog-tinged psychedelic rock riffing. It is part affectionate study, part gentle warning and part celebration of the human story, told with the curiosity, humour and awe that have become the band’s trademark. Two guests appear: Paddy Steer on “Entanglement – A Love Song” and Shunya on the closing track “The Second Monolith”.

Who are HENGE?

HENGE are, by their own account, extra-terrestrials who landed on Planet Earth more than a decade ago to bring humankind music from distant planets. Fronted by Zpor, the band perform in full costume, and their mission is to spread a message of unity and joy so that our species may eventually put an end to war and set up new homes in space.

Musically, they sit somewhere between rave and prog rock, in a space nobody knew existed. The result is energetic, subversive and invigoratingly playful, and audiences leave amused and uplifted in equal measure. Along the way they have won the Association of Independent Festivals ‘Live Act of the Year’ award, released four acclaimed albums and launched their own comic book series.

Journey to Voltus B sold out headline shows across the UK and Europe and picked up support from BBC 6 Music’s Stuart Maconie, Deb Grant and Craig Charles. The past year has been a big one too, with clips of “DNA” and “Mushroom One” racking up more than 20 million views across platforms.

Is HENGE touring the UK?

Yes. Humans will be backed by a world tour of more than 80 dates across 25 countries, including the band’s first ever shows in North America and Asia. In the UK, they play Frome before Christmas and then a full run in March and April 2027:

• 12 December 2026 – Frome, Cheese & Grain
• 10 March 2027 – Southampton, The 1865
• 11 March 2027 – Exeter, Phoenix
• 12 March 2027 – Cardiff, The Globe
• 13 March 2027 – Bristol, Trinity
• 14 March 2027 – Birmingham, The Castle & Falcon
• 17 March 2027 – Sheffield, Crookes Social Club
• 18 March 2027 – Cambridge, Cambridge Junction
• 19 March 2027 – Brighton, Chalk
• 20 March 2027 – London, Village Underground
• 21 March 2027 – Norwich, The Waterfront
• 23 March 2027 – Carlisle, Old Fire Station
• 24 March 2027 – Glasgow, Saint Luke’s
• 25 March 2027 – Newcastle, The Grove
• 26 March 2027 – Manchester, New Century
• 27 March 2027 – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
• 31 March 2027 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
• 1 April 2027 – Liverpool, The Invisible Wind Factory

Tickets are available through hengemusic.com. If you have never seen HENGE live, the costumes, the visuals and the sheer daftness make it one of the most fun nights out on the circuit.

Where can I listen to HENGE?

“Brains” is out now on streaming services, and the band’s back catalogue is on Spotify. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

Looking for more new music? Razorlight have announced a stripped-back show at the Barfly in Camden, Iron Savior have shared “Climbing Higher” from Deathbringer, and Lita Ford is back with her new track “Dracula”.

HENGE Brains and Humans FAQ

What is the new HENGE single?

The new single is “Brains”, a rave and electro-flavoured track with an official video. It is the first single from the album Humans.

When is the HENGE album Humans released?

Humans is released on Friday 29 January 2027 on 12″ vinyl and CD.

How many tracks are on Humans?

There are eight tracks, including guest appearances from Paddy Steer and Shunya.

Is HENGE touring the UK?

Yes. HENGE play Frome on 12 December 2026, then 17 UK dates from 10 March to 1 April 2027, finishing in Liverpool.

What kind of music do HENGE play?

HENGE describe their sound as somewhere between rave and prog rock, delivered by costumed extra-terrestrials led by front creature Zpor.

How many albums have HENGE released?

Humans will be HENGE’s fifth studio album, following 2025’s Journey to Voltus B.

Rock News final word

Nobody else sounds like HENGE, and “Brains” is a joyful reminder of why. It is daft, danceable and secretly very clever, a lot like the organ it celebrates. With Humans turning the band’s cosmic gaze back on the rest of us and a huge UK tour lined up for the spring, 2027 looks set to be the year the creatures finally take over. Prepare for contact.