Listen: Living - "Cherub"

After releasing their debut self-titled EP in late November of 2016, Living, the moniker of Bergen based producer Lucas de Almeida turned full band, has been hard at work on their debut full length album. Though we got occasionally peaks and hints of its existence through a series of singles sporadically released last year ("Glory", "Path", and "Calyx"), "Cherub", the fourth single released since the EP, sees the forthcoming full length continue to further take shape.

Though Living have, with the aid of new member James Kalinoski, sought to expand their tropical-infused psych pop into a quicker paced sound much less reliant on loops and such, "Cherub" slows things down a bit while also engaging in a bit of Living's previous grounding in world music through the use of sitar. Given his own roots outside of his native Norway, the incorporation of atypical samples to fuel and color de Almeida's production is hardly a new endeavor but it is one that the band have relied on less heavily in their most recent output. "Cherub", with its sparse vocal and guitar introduction, sees de Almeida return to this well to expand his timbre palette and also reenlists bassist Nora Tårnesvik on backing vocals to form a delightful complement. "Cherub" also continues the band's efforts to ramp up the pop side of their electronic pop stylings through dynamic song composition. The track is still as richly layered as "Path" or "Calyx" but its shifting tempos and sections, separate it from Living's more consistently plotted tracks.



Absolutely, the debut full length album from Living, will be out later this year.

Listen: Living - "Calyx"

While Living, the project of Norwegian producer Lucas de Almeida, has largely defined their sound as dream grooves, their latest offering "Calyx" is probably the grooviest of their songs thus far. That's not to say that they've haven't been living up to their self-descriptor in their past releases. Much of their self-titled EP leaned far more heavily into the dreamier aspect of their sound while the singles releases since then "Glory" and "Path" have certainly galvanized their sound in an astounding way. But "Calyx", the newest of their previously standalone singles that the foursome will compiled into their debut full length album, hits peak groove. Not quite electro-funk, the song is begins with noodling synths but when the guitar riff enters at around 2 minutes in, there's a shift unlike any other Living track. Lucas de Almeida also immerses the track in darker textures than fans of the band have come to expect. "Calyx" uses samples from a previously unfinished song of de Almeida's but given new context - a full band and new ideas for sounds and textures, de Almeida was able to breath new life into it and transform it into not only a strong outing for Living but one of de Almeida's favorites so far.

Living's debut EP was good but if the band continue to exceed their potential with better and better songs like "Path" and now "Calyx", their debut full length album Absolutely will be an absolutely amazing ride. I can't wait to hear what other tricks the band have up their sleeve. Until then listen to new single "Calyx":



Living's debut full length album Absolutely is set for a 2018 releases. Stay tuned for more details.

Listen: Living - "Path"

photo by Øystein Grutle Haara

Since releasing their first singles several years ago Living has gone from the moniker of Bergen based producer Lucas de Almeida into a full on full band endeavor. More so than on their debut self-titled EP new single "Path" is an explosion of their immersive tropical dream pop. Where de Almeida saw fit to sort of luxuriate in kaleidoscopic sound baths previous, "Path" kicks the energy levels up a notch as the track blasts off from it's very first note. The slow steady sprawl of songs like "Florahedron" and "Cerulean" are instead imbued with a forward momentum that's nothing short of breathtaking.

Living's songs are no less complex but it's beautiful music moments come at you faster and the band consisting of Sturla Kvernerg, Nora Tårnesvik, and new edition James Kalinoski of Flesh Prince makes the most of their live energy. The foursome harnessed this in previous single "Glory" and it's certainly good news that see that wasn't a fluke. The project has evolved considerably in the past two years or so and "Path" is a good indicator of what the band can sound like when it's firing on all cylinders. Hopefully the intricate nature of their song composition doesn't mean we have too long to wait before more Living tunes surface but in the meantime "Path" is more than worthy of a heavy amount of repeat listens.



If you haven't, listen to Living's previous single "Glory" released earlier this year and you can check out their brilliant self-titled EP via their bandcamp here.

Listen: Living - "Risen"

photo by Simen Peder Aksnes Aarli

After being introduced to Living, the Norwegian pop trio helmed by producer Lucas de Almeida, earlier this year I've been eagerly awaiting their promised new single. "Cerulean" was a bath of warm dream pop that recalled both fellow Norwegians Young Dreams and balmy chamber pop of Los Angeles' Princeton in equal measure. I was hooked. And now after much waiting, the trio are offering up another new track as well as news of an EP planned for October. So the wait begins anew.

The first thing you notice about Living's new single "Risen", aside from its tabla samples, is it takes the sense of patient ease of Living's previous output and really doubles down on it. Aside from occasionally pairing things down to just the tabla, "Risen" luxuriates in its own vibrant, layered melodies. For the majority of its nearly six minute run time there's a sprawling sense of ad infinitum; waves crashing along the shore without need for conclusion. Its build toward its climax is subtle as Lucas de Almeida does a few laps around the pool before kicking things up a notch: his swelling vocals ultimately ushering in tabla-less coda. "Risen" is Living at their most subdued; almost balladic as they trade its infectious pop hooks for experimentalism and emotion. While "Florahedron" and "Cerulean" featured a sort of call-and-response with the self as well as significant instrumental breaks, "Risen" relies largely on its vocals to set its course.



Living's fourth single "Risen" is out now on Brilliance Records.

Listen/Watch: Living x Habitat For Etheric Felines - "World's Room"

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of being introduced to the tropical-infused psych pop sounds of Bergen based producer Lucas de Almeida's project Living. They have relatively little amount of music to their name, but it explores a sort of delightful music escapism constructed with  deft hand. de Almeida filling out the ranks to transform the band into a trio and their most recent journey to SXSW bodes well for their future, they've most recently released a collaboration with Habitat for Etheric Felines, a Philadelphia based artist collective, that they've been working on for quite some time and answers a question I was sure to have somewhere down the road - what would Living sound like outside of their elected pop template? The result, World's Room, is a self-described audiovisual adventure featuring 25 minutes of music composed by Living. So until Living gear up to release more new music (they are currently on their debut US tour in the Pacific Northwest), this is a worthwhile pitstop.

Listen: Living - "Cerulean"

photo by Simen Peder Aksnes Aarli

There's something about the Bergen's climate - it's snowy winters, it's rainy every time else, that seems to inspire in more than one band, an overwhelming need to recall anywhere else. This sort of musical escapism is nothing new just look at artists like Chris Holm, Sondre Lerche, or Young Dreams whose music outright rejects that wintry chill for warmer textures. Bergen trio Living may just seem like another Scandinavian band dreaming of balmier climates but the lushness of their musical world-building make it clear this band dreams bigger than most.

"Cerulean" may only be the third single from the project helmed by producer Lucas de Almeida but arrives as fully realized and full of bliss-inspiring layering as the most seasoned dream pop purveyor. Similarly to Young Dreams' Matias Tellez, de Almeida draws from South American roots to authentically inform the tropicalia feel of "Cerulean" without relying wholly on it. de Almeida is no doubt a talented producer as he effortless blends samples with more organic sounds in a way where you're not really sure which is which while his vocals seem wonderfully suited to Living's vibrant color palette.



"Cerulean" is out now on Brilliance Records. Listen to their previous single "Florahedron" out late last year via Diamond Club.