Unreleased tracks on new Jackson album

LOS ANGELES — A new album will once again offer fans a glimpse as to what music lies inside the Michael Jackson vaults. On May 13, Sony’s Epic Records will release

Xscape, a collection of eight, previously unreleased Jackson songs.

The album was executive produced by Epic Records chairman/CEO L.A. Reid, who, according to a Sony statement, curated the album and decided on its final tracklist. A host of recognizable producers worked on the Jackson songs, including the project’s lead producer, Timbaland.

The final eight songs were chosen after apparently combing through four decades of material. All the songs on Xscape feature completed Jackson vocals, but they were retooled. Reid, in the statement, prefers the word “contemporizing,” noting that producers did not treat the material as sacrosanct.

“Michael left behind some musical performances that we take great pride in presenting through the vision of music producers that he either worked directly with or expressed strong desire to work with,” Reid said in the statement.

Those who prefer to hear the material as Jackson, who died in 2009, left it on the cutting room floor can pay extra for the deluxe edition of Xscape, which will also include the eight songs in the original form. The albums will be available for preorder starting today. A full tracklist has not yet been revealed.

Epic in 2010 released the posthumous Jackson collection Michael.