"We're doing a King Crimson studio album": Singer/guitarist Jakko Jakszyk reveals a new album featuring Robert Fripp and other band members

Rumours of the demise of King Crimson have – it appears – been greatly exaggerated.

With multiple side projects, offshoots and spin-offs, the illness of founder member Robert Fripp and the deaths of co-founder Ian McDonald, songwriter Peter Sinfield and former percussionist Jamie Muir, it’s safe to say that King Crimson fans haven’t exactly been optimistic regarding the release of new material any time soon.

Indeed, in 2021, bassist Tony Levin told Metrograph that: “The sense I got from Robert [Fripp] was that it’s over. Maybe King Crimson will speak to him in the future in some way, and will revive its head with who-knows-what line-up?”

King Crimson last toured in 2021 with their most recent studio album being 2003’s The Power To Believe.

Guitarist and chief driving force Fripp has been resting of late, recovering from two surgeries following a heart attack in Italy. Meanwhile new singer and guitarist Jakszyk has only relatively recently gained fully-fledged membership of the band, having previously been part of the 21st Century Schizoid Band, a group comprised entirely of ex-Crimson members, before collaborating with Robert Fripp himself on 2011’s The Scarcity of Miracles album.

That project also featured ex-Crimson members Mel Collins on saxophone, Tony Levin on bass and Porcupine Tree member Gavin Harrison on drums and their album will be re-released shortly featuring a selection of unreleased tracks and alternative versions lifted from the entirely improv-based recording sessions.

Now in a new interview with Goldmine Magazine – primarily designed to promote that Scarcity of Miracles rerelease – Jakszyk let slip info that Crimson fans will certainly find perhaps more interesting: King Crimson have been recording and there’s an entire new album in progress.

“When Robert eventually phoned me in September of 2013, to inform me that he decided to re-form [King Crimson] and to ask if I would be the lead singer and second guitarist, one of the first people I phoned excitedly to tell them that this had just happened was bass player, Nick Beggs. Nick's response was, “Well, that's the longest audition in rock history!” Jakszyk tells the magazine.

“It was an amazing thing to have done, and in a way, part of it's still happening. As we speak, we're doing a King Crimson studio album.

“When that will come out and what format or how – that's beyond my brief,” Jakszyk teases. “But yeah, we've been doing it piecemeal, and then a couple of months ago, the management said, “Can we?” So, yeah. I've been recording that with a view to it coming out in some format at some point. But who knows when?”

Will the new album feature the most recent Crimson lineup? "Yeah."

And there’s even the glimmer of live dates too… Though fans ought not to get their hopes up.

“There also are future plans for some live film of us playing in various places. There's an ongoing thread. Whether that ever means we'll ever play live again, I don't know, especially after Robert's recent illness.”

As to who’s playing and what they’ll be playing, Jakszyk certainly seems confident with his assertions.

Will the new album feature the most recent Crimson lineup, the outlet asks.

“Yeah,” replies Jakszyk

“Some of the live releases from this lineup included new songs. Will they be revisited for the new album?” they ask.

“Yeah. The studio versions of those pieces and some other bits and pieces will emerge from putting it together. I think so,” confirms Jakszyk.

It all adds up to something of a renaissance that will doubtless have fans on tenterhooks for more.

Hopefully we’ll have more news as to the who, what, when, where and why of King Crimson circa 2025 soon.