"Tessellate" is a song by English indie rock band Alt-J from their debut studio album, An Awesome Wave (2012). The song was written by Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Gwilym Sainsbury and Thom Green and produced by Charlie Andrew. It was originally released on 13 October 2011 as a double A-side single with “Bloodflood”, before being released separately on 13 July 2012 as the album's third single.

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Tessellate" was first released on YouTube on 9 July 2012.[1] The video was directed by Alex Southam and is a reworking of the painting The School of Athens by Raphael, using 21st century characters in a room similar to the painting's background (Panthéon, in Paris). One of the characters at the very beginning of the clip is wearing a printed T-shirt of the painting.

Covers

In 2013, "Tessellate" was covered by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding on the deluxe edition of Halcyon Days, the reissue of her second studio album, Halcyon.[2] English indie folk band Mumford & Sons also covered the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on 25 September 2012;[3] their version was included on the compilation album BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge 2013.

Media usage

The song is used as the opening theme song to the anime series Ingress.[4]

The song has been featured in the soundtrack of the first episode of the 2024 television series Day of the Jackal.

Track listing

Digital download[5]
No.TitleLength
1."Tessellate"3:02
2."Tessellate" (Live at the Africa Centre)4:26
3."Tessellate" (Dam Mantle Remix)6:17
4."Tessellate" (Anstam Remix)3:58
5."Tessellate" (Marlais Remix)3:53

Charts

Chart (2012–13) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[6] 74
Canada Rock (Billboard)[7] 46
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[8] 120
UK Indie (OCC)[9] 6
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[10] 43
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[11] 19
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[12] 33

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[13] Gold 35,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[14] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[15] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom 13 July 2012[5] Digital download

References

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