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No Line on the Horizon and U2 360° Tour (2007–present)
The band began work on their twelfth album No Line on the Horizon in 2006, originally writing and recording with producer Rick Rubin, but the material was shelved. The band subsequently chose to begin writing and recording for the album with producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno in June 2007. A two-week trip to Fez, Morocco where the six recorded led to the band experimenting with North African sounds and indicating the album would be more experimental than their previous efforts. During the album sessions, on 31 March 2008, it was confirmed that U2 signed a 12 year deal with Live Nation worth an estimated $100 million (£50 million), which includes Live Nation controlling the band's merchandise, sponsoring, and their official website.
After 16 months in the studio, the band completed No Line on the Horizon in December 2008, and it was released on 27 February 2009 The album received generally positive reviews, but critics noted the end result was not as experimental as expected. The band have confirmed plans to release another album by the end of the year, provisionally titled Songs of Ascent, consisting of material recorded during the sessions for No Line on the Horizon. Bono says it will be "a more meditative album on the theme of pilgrimage".
U2 have begun a worldwide stadium tour entitled the U2 360° Tour to support No Line on the Horizon. The tour began on 30 June 2009 at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain and will feature European and North American legs in 2009, each approximately 6 weeks long, with additional shows to follow in 2010.The tour features a 360-degree staging/audience configuration, in which the fans will surround the stage from all sides.