It was Empire's fourth full-length solo album, his fourth release for the Mille Plateaux label, and the first of three albums he released in the same year.

The Destroyer was released on DHR the following June and Les Étoiles des Filles Mortes, also for Mille Plateaux, in November.

As its title suggests, the record exhibits an experimental approach to jazz, utilising electronics and synthesizers.

The artwork consists of Bruce Pennington's front cover for the Brian Aldiss novel Space, Time and Nathaniel (1957).

The same image was used by the American death metal band Blood Incantation for their 2019 album Hidden History of the Human Race.