Jethro Tull share video for brand new single “Ginnungagap”

Ginnungagap takes inspiration from the god Ymir, the proto-being, a primeval being, who was born from venom that dripped from the icy rivers called the Élivágar and lived in the grassless void ​of Ginnungagap.

The single is taken from the band’s upcoming 23rd studio album, RökFlöte, which they will release on April 21.

The title of this offering went through a little change or two along the way. I started with the idea of a predominantly instrumental album for rock flute – as in rock music. When the subject material of the album presented itself, I was drawn to the term Ragnarök from Norse mythology – their version of apocalyptic end times or Biblical Armageddon. The “final showdown” scenario is ubiquitous and inherent in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, for example. Ragnarök translates as “destiny of the Gods”, the rök part meaning destiny, course, direction. With umlaut firmly in place, courtesy of the Germanic origins of Old Norse, Flute became Flöte in keeping with the spelling. With me so far? I just can’t miss the glorious opportunity for a good and legitimate umlaut.

Ian Anderson

The new album is a 12-track record based on the characters and roles of some of the principle gods of the old Norse form of paganism, while at the same time exploring the RökFlöte, or rock flute, which of course Tull has made iconic.