Listen: Son Lux - "TEAR"

It's been awhile since a proper release from ballet composer and electronic songsmith Ryan Lott aka Son Lux. Since the release of 2011's sophomore effort We Are Rising, Lott has had his hands in all sorts of different pots - appearing in the collaborative trio s/s/s with Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti on Beak & Claw as well as putting out a remix album of the aforementioned We Are Rising, it's hard to imagine the man had time to compile a whole other album worth of material.

And yet, Lott has done that and more. Releasing his third full length Lanterns this October on Joyful Noise, Lott has offered up "TEAR", a two part piece and non album track.

Continuing in his characteristic chopped and screwed style, the real impact of Son Lux's dazzling new track is the beauty contained within - reaching out among the plethora of inorganic sounds. Its lyrics, accompanied by a svelte laid back jazz drum line, properly sums up Lott's songwriting style.

"I'll tear you apart, make beautiful things from pieces of you" morphs in the  rather sinister "I'll tear you apart until you see what I see" of "TEAR Part 2". It's a rather excellent shift that manages to maintain the stunning beauty the lyrics only hint at but the tracks truly revel in.



Son Lux's "TEAR" is available now as a digital single (the physical 7 is unfortunately sold out) on Joyful Noise and Son Lux's upcoming third album Lanterns is out in October on also on Joyful Noise.

s/s/s - "Beyond a Doubt"

Every time I post hip-hop on my blog, I usually go on a rant about how I don't normally post that on here - I'll spare you that this time. When I originally heard about s/s/s (the Sufjan Stevens, Serengeti, Son Lux collaboration), I had mixed feelings. The only major draw for me was Son Lux's participation due to his work as a ballet composer and his masterful album We Are Rising. Sufjan Stevens has more or less lost his way and as hip hop is not my normal forte, I wasn't particular familiar with Serengeti besides hearing his name thrown around.

When I heard the first cut from the Beak & Claw EP, "Museum Day", I wanted to despise the project. Sufjan Stevens using autotune is one of the most unnecessary things considering he's a pretty spectacular singer and Son Lux's participation was reduced to behind the scenes stuff (he cut and stitched together the track) and backing vocals but there was some potential in "Museum Day" which is what made me return to Beak & Claw when the stream went up today.

"Beyond a Doubt" is by far the absolute strongest track on Beak & Claw, it's essentially what makes the whole project worth it. There's two composers/arrangers at play here which helps make an absolutely hooking intro so that when Serengeti enters with his more-or-less rapid-fire lyrics, you actually want to catch every word he's spitting out. You're not waiting for the next thing to happen, you're hanging on his every word to see where he goes with it. And then Stevens and Son Lux enter for the chorus quietly harmonizing alongside a melodic synth. The track pretty much stays consistently the same from there but wow. It's as catchy as it needs to be, as long as it can be without seemingly overly repetitive, and features each members respective talents pretty well. Son Lux is more or less a background player once again but considering the outcome, you don't mind it that much. It's an absolutely dynamite track.

Sufjan Stevens releases dazzling "Too Much" video

When I first heard Sufjan Stevens' "Too Much" off his recent release The Age of Adz, I thought it sounded dancier than his standard compositions. In his video for the track, Stevens and some friends team up for some wacky dancing in the pseudo stop motion animated video. The video features some shapeshifting, eccentric fashion choices, and demon and Ronald Regan masks all thrown into a club like atmosphere with psychedelic colors and geometric shapes. Did I mention the eccentric fashion choices? Because there are a lot of them. But also wacky choreographed dancing. And everyone loves wacky choreographed dancing.

Watch Sufjan Stevens music video for "Too Much":

Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP (2010)

Sufjan Stevens' 8 track digital All Delighted People EP is built around two different versions of title track "All Delighted People". Though only thought of as an EP that Stevens randomly released at the end of August, it's clear from the beginning melancholic strains of "All Delighted People (Original Version)" that there's so much more. Described by Stevens himself as "a dramatic homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon's 'Sounds of Silence'" the "long form epic ballad" draws a level of grandeur I didn't know could be achieved. At nearly 12 minutes long, the original version of the title track contains so many different musical ideas. The beginning sounds a little like the Jimi Hendrix Experience with the progressive rock stylings of Yes' "I've Seen All Good People" with elements of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and yet distinctly original. The track has these tremendous ebbs and flows where the build ups includes choirs, sweeping string sections, raucous percussion; and the breaks features emotional stirring simplicity and quiet. The track is something that could've been released solely by itself, and yet is bundled with folksy ballads. By the time "All Delighted People (Classical Rock Version)" hits, Stevens has significantly distracted you from the EP's grandiose start to be able to regard the track with new ears. The new versions lacks the ominous foreboding present in the original version, the more upbeat nature of the version masking up some of the rather dark lyrics. "Arnika" follows off from the more psychedelic and electronic-tinged end of the classical rock version with a softer, more introspective, lilting return to the folk aspect of the album. "Djohariah", in all of its 17 minute glory, combines several successful parts of the album: brass, psychedelic rock inspired guitar solos, and hymn-like choral vocalises. Captivatingly pseudo-minimalistic, the track's first definitive lyrics aren't uttered until nearly 12 minutes in, but manages to maintain all of your attention up to and follow that moment.

Sufjan Stevens' EP has its own remarkable stature. I had listened to some of his music before and while taken with it, this was the first release that all throughout rendered me absolutely speechless and awestruck. Each track is masterfully crafted and produced and manages to fit together with the other one incredibly well. So while some Sufjan's fans wait with nail-bitting anticipation for the release of The Age of Adz in October, I'll be content to just listen to this glorious EP, with its awe-inspiring expansive size on pretty much non-stop repeat. You can listen to the EP on Stevens' band camp here.

Sufjan Stevens' "Too Much" available for download

Sufjan Stevens continues to give listeners peeks of his upcoming October album The Age of Adz. First with "I Walked" now with a free download of "Too Much" on his bandcamp. He originally played the song (which he originally called "Too Much Love") as part of his set at Castaways in Ithaca which had punchy brass, captivating electronic glitchy stop-starts, and memorable singability.

The track has a trademark epic-ness I've come to expect from the man. Just listen to what he does with the strings and right before the end when things get really really awesome.
Listen to/download "Too Much" here:


You can also watch the live video to see how Stevens polished it up: