Lapalux | Lustmore

I've been listening to Lapalux since his 2011 ep release Many Face Out of Focus and he blew my mind with his otherworldy, glitched-out electronic soundscapes. I have been following him avidly since. Now with the release of his second album on the Brainfeeder label – Lustmore - he has proven himself to be an evolving force. If his tracks feel like he is drawing a pristine order out of a swamp of chaos, so it seems like his overall musical maturation is a similar progression.

For me the most striking thing about his music has always been two elements... the harmonics, which slide between the dark and twisted to the sweet and heavenly - this gentleman is not afraid of dis-chords. And the rhythm, which moves elegantly between the tight and the 'Hey wait a minute... is there even a rhythm or is this just beat madness? Oh wait, yeah, there it is.”

Listening to his music is a journey of surrender.

This album is possibly the easiest, more accessible of all his releases so far. When I heard the first single from the album, Closer, for a few moments I felt a twinge of concern, that he had left his true nature behind in favor of a slightly more mainstream approach. But it's just not true. He has managed deftly to smooth out any of the rougher edges, added a little more honey, but his truly inter-dimensional style is still fully present.

What I love most about this particular set that was slightly lacking in his previous releases is the synth work. It's gorgeous, plaintive, and lends the album a more consistent flow.

If you look at the credits and see that he has drawn on talents such as Szjerdene and Andreya Triana to support, it would be easy to think he's trying to follow in the footsteps of Bonobo. But nothing could be further from the truth. This guy is purely original. The only thing he has in common with Bonobo is that they both have exceptional taste in female vocalists.

It's well worth taking the time to digest Lustmore properly because a lot of the tracks are not immediate in their appeal, but if you will take my word for it, this album is full of hidden treasures. It is to be sifted through carefully.

Look, I could go on but, when all is said and done, all I really want to say is that this album is a triumph. Why not treat yourself and lay back in the lap of luxury?

Check it out: