"A Study Of Losses has become quite an unexpected piece of music for me. With 18 songs and a running time of almost an hour, it is by far the most extensive album I have ever made." – Zach Condon, singer of Beirut.
"A Study Of Losses" is a concept album – the musical accompaniment to the show of Swedish circus Kompani Graff. "In spring 2023, Viktoria Dalborg, director of the circus, reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in composing the music for her next project. The show is based on a novel that deals with the concept of loss and transience: from extinct animal species and lost architectural and literary treasures to more abstract concepts of loss through the process of ageing."
Condon wrote a few songs he was quite happy with, drawing musical inspiration from the wide variety of sounds on one of his favourite albums: "69 Love Songs" by The Magnetic Fields. During a break in the writing process, Dalborg invited him to a special circus performance in Malmö, which made a lasting impression on the singer. "The show was unlike anything I had seen before. Not only were the acrobats incredibly creative and expressive, but the entire atmosphere created through the lighting, set design and music was something else entirely. Having seen the full potential of such a show, I returned to Berlin doubly inspired to create something equally meaningful and moving for our joint project."
Cellist Clarice Jensen, who has accompanied Beirut at various live performances and previously collaborated on the song "No No No", helped Condon arrange and record several instrumental pieces on the album with a string quartet. The result is 18 songs in total, matching the full running time of the planned circus performance.