ISSUE #8
Amnioverse - Lapalux
Lapalux returns with his latest LP, Amnioverse— a paragon of the IDM genre. It’s the perfect follow-up to 2017’s Ruinism that is equal parts, cavernous, relentless, and beautiful.
If I were to describe Amnioverse in a word (or two), it would be “ambient pile-driver”. It’s a beautiful, menacing beast. It lures you to an oasis of inviting tones and ethereal landscapes and as soon as you arrive, it clutches you by the hips and makes you shake your ass.
The first track, Oblivion is an ambient memory of elongated synth notes, melancholic vocal (oftentimes choral) samples. Bass tones sneakily poke their heads out as if begging to be released. While beautiful, this track sounds like some sort of pretty catastrophe can strike at any second. It perfectly sets the stage for the rest of the album which follows a similar theme delicately threaded between each track.
Stuart Howard, Lapalux, by Dan Medhurst
The contemplation and foreboding spills over from Oblivion and into Voltaic Acid— which perfectly defines Lapalux as a pioneer of the IDM genre. Melodic synth tones and hints of a snare drum slowly form when all of a sudden, the bass lines and drum beat actualize into a hard-hitting tune that punches you in the face. Then after it’s done strangling you and throwing you around for a while, it kisses you on the forehead and sends you back into the Amnioverse.
From Momentine to the final track, Esc, vocal samples, airy synths, and hard beats intertwine, slowly and swiftly dancing around one another like strands of DNA in a twisting double helix. It moves you. It devours you.
Take a trip into the Amnioverse and see why we love Lapalux so much. The second he drops his tour dates, you can bet we’ll be there. Have a great weekend!
♥ Mando
SYZYGY 02 - Opiuo
New Zealand-born and Melbourne-based electro-funk producer Oscar Davey-Wraight continues his fearless trailblazing of the bass music scene with the much-anticipated second installment of the SYZYGY series.
Damn - that’s a lot of hyphens in one sentence.
Landing somewhere between the hard-bitten darkness of dubstep, the flourishing colors and breakneck pace of psytrance and the warmth and bounce of funk, Opiuo has resolutely carved a niche of his own over the last decade - and it’s instantly identifiable. Release after release, this young pioneer has demonstrated that he is unafraid to reach across the aisle for new rhythms, textures and styles to festoon his futuristic brand of party music.
SYZYGY 01 took this fanatical exploration to a new level when Oscar enlisted a full orchestra to perform alongside him at Red Rocks in Colorado, where they recorded a truly unique and hair-raising live album that demands all the attention you can give. SYZYGY 02 may not feature this level of live instrumental accompaniment, but this album is still no exception to the greatness we’ve come to expect from Opiuo.
As with the first SYZYGY collection, we are greeted by fluorescent album artwork and an opening track to match. Kaleidoscope is beautiful and ominous, small blips of light slowly swirling into a fusion of color and sound before erupting with glorious, fragmented bass. This is classic Opiuo at his best, wielding texture and nuance with deft precision as a monolithic low-end saws through space and time.
Aztec Rhino ramps up the cinematic energy, calling back to 01’s orchestral grandeur with a billowing string section (you can practically see Oscar conducting this track) before dumping the listener into a sonic meatgrinder of psytrance bass and cold, hard drums. In a delightful surprise, arcane vocal hazes layer over a mournful violin outro for one of the most striking moments on the album.
Trademark horn swells herald a lumbering bassline and urgent vocals from singer Texture Like Sun (who joined for 2016’s Jelly) on System Empire, a mammoth track that could easily transpose itself into a rock song if you swapped the fluctuating bass for overdriven guitars. Buff Marvin feels more like a deep house club anthem, most likely due to the influence of Brighton-based DJ/Producer Krafty Kuts, a pioneer in his own right who founded the record labels Against the Grain and Supercharged in 2001. AWOL strips things down even further, zeroing-in on an ever-shifting bass texture while elastic, reverberating pads swirl in a dense galaxy of vibrant sound overhead.
Sun Daddy is an iridescent lizard on rollerblades, serpentine and hypnotic with prototypical Opiuo levity wound into its shimmering scales. Serrulate bass shares the spotlight with prismatic melodies playing in the periphery, a nearly 7-minute ride that feels much shorter by the time it winds down.
Send It features first-time collaborator Lafa Taylor and an arsenal of brass, standing out with Aztec Rhino as one of our favorites off the release. Hip-hop and electro-funk go together like jalapeño and pineapple (fight me) and this party hymn is a magnificent crescendo, throwing every tool in the toolbox into play. Swooping pads trade blows with horn stabs and Taylor’s frequent and varied vocal chops and verses, and the bassline takes a backseat for the first time to let variegated melodic elements shine their brightest.
SYZYGY 02 wraps up with an instrumental variation of System Empire, a refreshingly different arrangement showcasing tasty, bit-crushed synths and a massive tidal wave of horns that ensures your speakers leave sweaty.
Oscar Davey-Wraight. Image courtesy of Dancing Astronaut.
After a breakneck vacation orbiting the rings of some alien sun, we check our clock to see that a mere 40 minutes have elapsed.
What happened back on Earth? Is everyone we know dead? Damn you Oscar, you magnificent bastard - you’ve done it again.
Opiuo is currently on tour with Gramatik - do not miss this one. Get tickets here.
♥ Zach
