Max Richter releases While The Flood Rages, a ballet-born album with a crossword book

Oscar-nominated composer Max Richter released his new album, While The Flood Rages, on Oct. 16 through Decca Records, Universal Music Canada said in an announcement that also detailed a companion crossword book and a run of listening events in seven cities.¹

The album is drawn from Richter's latest collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGregor, MaddAddam, a co-commission between the National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Opera House inspired by Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam trilogy. Universal Music Canada described the record as "a sweeping body of work" and said the project was years in the making.¹

It marks the third major collaboration between Richter and McGregor, following Infra and Woolf Works. The label said the work was originally developed before the COVID-19 pandemic and delayed by its onset, and now engages with themes of ecological crisis, technological acceleration and human connection.¹

Listening events and a crossword book

Richter will host listening events in cities around the world, starting Oct. 16 in New York at Public Records and continuing Oct. 17 in London at Friendly Pressure, Oct. 21 in Paris at Book Bar, Oct. 22 in Seoul at KOMFY and in Tokyo at TOH, and Oct. 23 in Berlin at Pastiche Years.¹

To accompany the album, Richter created a crossword book featuring newly commissioned essays by literary critic and professor of English Anahid Nersessian and philosopher and author Victoria Trumbull, exploring themes within the work. A limited number of physical copies will be available through independent bookshops around the world, and a digital edition will be available to members of Richter's community alongside a space to share thoughts and conversations.¹

Album Champion and a CBE

Richter is also an Album Champion for National Album Day UK on Oct. 17, 2026, an event celebrating "the art of the album," according to the announcement. Universal Music Canada said Richter was recognized with a CBE and the Berlinale Camera for his contributions to music and film earlier this year.¹

The label said Richter's catalogue has amassed more than four billion streams and described him as one of the most influential and acclaimed musicians of his generation, known for blending traditional orchestrations with modern electronic elements. It also cited his Oscar-nominated score for Chloé Zhao's Hamnet and his work on Maison Margiela campaigns and Dior shows.¹

Richter is co-founder of Studio Richter Mahr alongside his partner, visual artist Yulia Mahr. The label said the studio is located within 31 acres of woodland in Oxfordshire, where the pair farm and provide a sustainable working environment for emerging and established creatives.¹