Lapalux's latest endeavor into musical manipulation showcases the essence of the creative global beat that is currently captivating producers and audiences alike.
Modern electronic artists like Skrillex have been garnering praise for their intricately designed, bass−heavy dance floor thumpers, but on the other side of that spectrum lies a plethora of electronic artists that take a more unique and artistic approach to sound design. Hailing from London and signed to Los Angeles' Brainfeeder label, Lapalux typifies the trippy atmosphere and elegant sound that a slew of global artists have embraced as the new intelligent dance music.
Combining jazz, hip−hop, soul, psychedelia and the occasional R&B sample, artists such as Flying Lotus have created a musical form frequently categorized as the "Beat Scene" movement. Even as the press and music audiences were taking a while to catch up with the sound, producers were discovering the adventurous musical soundscapes via Myspace and SoundCloud. They took elements of this new genre and crafted it into their own computer−based compositions.
Lapalux is one of the many artists captivated by this sound emerging from the West Coast. Now signed to the very record label that undoubtedly inspired his early music, he is pushing the sound of this ever−evolving genre. Lapalux's sound is ethereal and boundless, like an interstellar journey on the Millennium Falcon. You never know what you might encounter.
The music demands frequent listens, preferably through headphones, for the listener to truly process the meticulous sound design.
Throughout every track on this nearly 30−minute long EP, instruments with varying timbral textures greet you from all angles and directions. Indeed, texture plays an important role in this genre of music. "Found" sounds — recordings of specific environments and real time occurrences — are utilized and manipulated throughout the EP, as opposed to the prepackaged sounds found in your average Billboard Top 40 song.
Each track features a variety of unique timbres and instruments that melt together flawlessly into a broken beat groove. The groundwork of each track is the removal and addition of rhythmic layers. Synths are dispersed throughout, but for the most part, their colors are relegated to the background. Instead, emphasis is placed on immersion into a dizzying textural world.
This tonal highlighting creates a warm, beckoning musical space and in the process creates a musical soundscape that for all intents and purposes has never been encountered. Think of the tinkering of metal against metal, scratches from an old worn vinyl, rain on trees and wooden mallets. Combined with punchy kick drums, guttural bass lines and sparse use of synthesizers, the cacophony of noise comes together like a funneled wisp of cotton candy.
"102 Hours of Introductions," the first track on the album, slowly builds a swirling textural world around your ears. Listeners continue to ride along with the delicious textures that are thrown at their eardrums, while glitchy chords and tinkering water drums fill in the musical color.
Unlike the numerous instrumental beat−makers that operate on the Brainfeeder label, Lapalux utilizes a variety of sampled female and male voices in the majority of his tracks. The use of voices and lyrics fleshes out the tracks and gives otherwise redundant beats a narrative and story. Lapalux makes the voices captivating by bending pitches and shifting the singers' voices to very odd low registers and siren−like higher sounds.
"Gutter Glitter" is the most obvious banger on the album. The track begins with vinyl scratches and an ominously beckoning androgynous vocal. As the track progresses, you are met by an erratic, booming kick drum and seductive synths. The highlights of the track are the bass lines that have the physicality of an underfoot electric current and the numerous glitchy, fluctuating chords. Combined with the noise layering found throughout, it makes for a very trippy musical experience.
The greatest triumph of the album is the inimitable beauty of its unique timbres and textures. The music is adventurous and risk−taking; it does not cater to listeners' needs. It blows right through you and forces you to tag along for the ride. It places you in a unique musical space that is gently pushing and pulling you, grabbing onto you and punching you away at the same moment. It's deep space musical exploration at its finest.
