Arcade Fire fans have been salivating for any kernel of knowledge about the band's upcoming new album, and while you can get a release date by tweeting nice things at them, you sometimes need the professionals to impart some wisdom, too.

In a wide-ranging interview with Billboard, LCD Soundsystem honcho and Arcade Fire producer James Murphy gave an update on the album, saying, "It’s been the food I eat and the air I breathe for a long time now. That happens with my own records. I am officially done with it, we’ve just been passing things back and forth making choices on mixes."

Asked about the large group's dynamic and managing different expectations, Murphy went the diplomatic route. "Everyone was amazingly respectful of one another," said Murphy. "I’m not sure if it’s a concept record like the last one. I dealt with the holistic record in a non-verbal way. We don’t talk about where the songs come from unless somebody says, 'What I’m going for is more this…' That’s all I got into. I’m not trying to conduct an opera, or a rock opera — a 'ropera' in this case."

Last week, Murphy proclaimed the new album, out October 29, "really f-cking epic!," adding, "They're all so phenomenally talented and full of ideas, so songs keep on coming. The last time I dared think it was finished I came back to the studio three days later to mix and they'd written two new songs for the album!"

So there you have it. We now know this will be a ropera-free, "f-cking epic" album. Now we just need to hear the damn thing and we'll be happy.