Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson died weeks before his This Is It Tour was due to start. Reuters

Almost five years after his death, a new Michael Jackson album is set for release by Sony Music Entertainment.

The posthumous record entitled Xscape, is made up of eight unheard tracks and features collaborations with industry heavyweights such as Timberland, Rodney Jenkin and Stargate.

The project was brought to life by Epic Records boss LA Reid, who was granted full access to four decades of the Thriller hitmaker's material. It will be the first Jackson album featuring fresh music since 2010's Michael.

Reid said: ''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.

''We are extremely proud and honoured to present this music to the world.''

Jackson's fans will be able to enjoy the star's signature voice from beyond the grave in the new album which brings a "fresh, contemporary sound that retains Jackson's essence and integrity".

The deluxe version includes a selection of original recordings.

Xscape is scheduled for worldwide release on 13 May. Both the standard and deluxe editions are available to pre-order from 1 April.