UPDATE (June 21, 2022): The Mars Volta have made good on their art-in-the-park preview and issued their first song in 10 years, "Blacklight Shine." Listen here. Read the initial report about the art installation below. New The Mars Volta tour dates have been added here.

The Mars Volta are publicly airing new material, according to NME. The once-disbanded progressive rockers have set up a surprise audio-visual art installation in Los Angeles' Grand Park.

Nicknamed "Voltacube," it plays previously unheard audio. The band calls it L'YTOME HODORXI TELESTERIO. Fans in L.A. can visit through Tuesday (June 21) at Olive Court in the park at the city's civic center.

The Mars Volta, led by former At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, last released music in 2012 but split soon after. Three years ago, singer Bixler-Zavala all but confirmed a comeback on social media, saying, "It's happening."

In since-deleted tweets, the vocalist added of a Mars Volta reunion, "What it's NOT going to be is your 'fav member lineup' playing their 'classic records' in full etc. Maybe we'll play old shit, who knows how we feel. … It's new shit, new people, left turns, tangent inconsistencies, mazapan dreams and churro wishes."

Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez formed The Mars Volta after At the Drive-In split in 2001. At the Drive-In's Jim Ward formed Sparta. At the Drive-In briefly reunited in 2011 and 2016. The Mars Volta duo moonlighted as garage rockers Antemasque in 2014.

Below, see the tweets with the location and dates for the installation. Spotify users will notice Mars Volta background art on the app also shows the coordinates.

From a press release:

On June 19, a mysterious cube appeared in Grand Park in Los Angeles, CA. ‘L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION’, an audio-visual art installation, was erected to tell the story of the return of The Mars Volta. Inside of the cube, visitors were taken on a full, immersive journey to outer space, and where “Blacklight Shine” was heard for the first time by the public. The experience inside of the cube was intended to provoke self-reflection, with the single guiding fans on a journey through endless galaxies and back down to earth, to oneself. Those who were unable to witness ‘L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION’ in person, can look forward to a digital experience on July 1.

The Mars Volta Tweets - June 2022

Musicians That Believe in Aliens

Tom DeLonge has got A LOT of company.

More From Loudwire