Admiration is a state, if we can call it that, full of conflicting emotions. There’s a shard of envy in there, a dash of desire to complicate things, an extra helping of high esteem and unconditional regard. It is the recognition of an ideal. An ideal that music tries to reach. Pursuing said ideal and capturing the accompanying emotions, the Indie rock band Black Light White Light has shared an emotionally-turbulent single from their latest album, a project titled The Admirer.
“I think the album presents the band’s most personal, versatile and certainly most adventurous release to date,’ said Black Light White Light. ‘It delivers psychedelic rock, cosmic pop, and piano-driven ballads with wandering melodies, layers of keyboards, sizzling delay guitars, and manipulated effects to an intoxicating mix that jumps and has plenty of edge in 10 songs with personal lyrics about pain, doubt, love and confusion. My most personal songs to date.”
The single, ‘Epilepsy’, sees songwriter and band member Martin Ejlertsen pen a tale that disturbs but entices in its free-flow lyricism. Available now under the Forward Backwards Recordings label.
LLUCID, the talented 26-year-old German musician, singer, and producer, released his highly anticipated debut album, ‘Deep Blue Dreams’, today. This captivating album, filled with twelve mesmerizing tracks, transports listeners to a realm of wistful piano melodies, futuristic sounds, and poignant lyrics, creating an otherworldly experience that defies boundaries.
The journey begins with the opening track, “Silence” as LLUCID’s voice emerges from the depths, evoking a sense of cool, alienation, and warmth. The seamless fusion of spacey elements and soulful undertones sets the stage for an album that pushes creative boundaries and leaves a lasting impression. LLUCID effortlessly combines various genres and influences, showcasing his versatility and musical prowess.
“Manifest” showcases LLUCID’s brash, self-assured rap-trap style, while “Cast Away” envelops listeners in mellow sound waves and melancholic autotuned vocals. Throughout the album, he draws inspiration from artists like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Frank Ocean, and Bon Iver, effortlessly blurring the boundaries between rap and R&B.
Collaborations further enhance the album’s allure, with LLUCID teaming up with acclaimed New Zealand artist Kimbra on the extraordinary duet “Wasting Time”. The combination of their voices creates a spacey and heart-wrenching sound that resonates with listeners on a profound level. LLUCID’s masterful use of autotune enhances the instrumental quality of his voice, sparking a conversation around the artistic value of this technology.
Despite being a debut album, LLUCID is no stranger to the music scene. Having studied music in Mannheim and collaborated with notable artists, including Dena Zarrin (Madanii) and Wallis Bird, the artist has honed his music and carved out his unique sound. The release of his six-track EP, “Getting in Touch”, in 2022 garnered significant attention, further solidifying his place as a rising star.
LLUCID’s music transcends borders and defies conventional categorizations. Drawing influence from American artists while infusing his own distinct style, LLUCID presents a collection of songs that resonate with a global audience. The album’s title, “Deep Blue Dreams”, perfectly captures LLUCID’s immersive and imaginative approach to music, blurring the boundaries between fantasy and reality.
To complement the album’s captivating sound, LLUCID collaborated with artist Edgar Koop, whose painting graces the cover art. The artwork, a perfect visual representation of “Deep Blue Dreams”, encapsulates the ethereal and dreamy aesthetic that LLUCID meticulously crafted.
LLUCID’s debut album promises to be a remarkable musical journey that showcases his immense talent, innovative style, and boundless creativity. Prepare to be captivated by LLUCID’s unique blend of sounds and emotions that transport you to a world beyond imagination.
In search of fair treatment, Faroese songstress Marianna Winter says that women deserve to be heard, speaking through her latest song, ‘Consequences’. The song is a tactful approach to protest, delivering the message with grace. That isn’t to say it lacks fire. Rather, it sizzles with the heat of Marianna Winter’s clear voice and strong desire for equality.
What’s more, the singer has published an official music video for the track, which bolsters her message, acting as fuel to the social justice flame therein. But in a fun, light way. Wondering where this all came from, we asked Marianna Winter for the song’s backstory:
What is the story behind ‘Consequences’?
Long story short, the story portrays two women, acting like boys.
We chose to reenact different iconic scenes from movies made by Quentin Tarantino, because of a love for his work, but also because the weird, surreal movie scenes portray our reality quite well.
Here goes the long backstory:
Trygvi, the director, and I were brainstorming on how we wanted to portray the song. Initially, I had imagined a couple, maybe a crazy girlfriend thing. But then we dove a little deeper into the feelings of betrayal, mistrust, and craziness that the song is built on and got to talking about a situation that had occurred a week earlier where I and some other female musicians had put together a girls-only jazz jam because the Faroe Islands is still very far behind on gender inclusivity in the music environment. Most professional musicians are male, and there are almost never any female instrumentalists at the late-night jams. Our girls’ jam struck a chord in a lot of men in the music environment, and it got a lot of weird pushback. We got to talking about how annoying it is to feel less than, as a woman in the music industry, and how I always feel like some men are just waiting for the opportunity to push us down and will call us whiney for pointing out the inequality.
So we decided we would stick it to the guys and give the song and music video an extra layer by making the narrative more about mistrust and inequality in general instead of “just” in a relationship.
What is your worst musical pet peeve?
When I’m at a concert and the musicians or singers have lyrics and notes on stage… I get feeling scared or nervous that you’ll forget the lyrics or something, but I would honestly rather hear someone sing “lalala” and be present rather than the right words.
What are some of your earliest memories of music?
The first time I remember being at a concert and having this screaming feeling of “I WANT TO BE UP ON THAT STAGE” was at a Britney Spears concert in 2009 at the age of 9.
Before that, there was a lot of singing and performing in front of my family, with my pink plastic karaoke machine. Music was a big part of my growing up. One of my family members is in a world-famous rock band and I remember how cool it was to be backstage at huge venues in the US and seeing them work. Music is also a big part of the Faroese culture, where I did most of my growing up. Basically everyone in our country CAN sing, because it’s a big part of our traditions, and it’s something we always end up doing at parties and cultural events.
Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting music together?
I like to start a songwriting session off with a vibe check. Like choosing if it’s a feel-good vibe, sad vibe, sexy vibe, etc.
When going into a session, I usually always have a handful of ideas. I have a million short and stupid-sounding voice memos and notes on my phone. Then I’ll choose, together with my producer, which Idea we both relate to and want to pursue.
Sometimes the idea will be a whole chorus, verse, sometimes just a singular lines, or just a melody. From there on, it’s all about the flow. I like to work with a producer because I find it’s way easier to write melodies and lyrics when I have an underlying vibe going on and never better if it sounds amazing.
Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, which do you prefer?
That’s a TOUGH one… I LOVE studio work and music creation because it’s always a surprise which way it goes, and I feel so much lighter after a session.
That being said, performing is also such a huge explosion of energy, love and connection, which leaves me all jittery after. The problem is, as much as I love performing I tend to get really nervous, which obviously is uncomfortable for a while until you feel safe and secure on stage. For me, it takes a couple of songs to feel at place, but when I do it’s all good.
What is the most memorable response you have had to your music?
A very young little girl telling me after a concert that I was such a good singer that she was now going to go home and practice so she could sing just like me.
If you could put together a radio show, what kind of music would you play?
So much different music. It wouldn’t even make sense. We’d go through Pop, Indie Rock, Jazz, Americana, R&B, and Soul.
Name five artists and their albums who would appear on your radio show
Mahalia (Love and Compromise), Chet Baker (Chet Baker Sings), Lennon Stella (Three. Two. One.), Beharie (Beharie, the third), America (Homecoming).
What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?
It looks like performing in front of people, playing concerts around the world, and people showing up. This would also initially lead to living off of music exclusively and not having it be a stress factor.
One last thought to leave your fans with?
Go with your gut, not what other people think is cool.
LT has provided her fans with a music video for her already-released single ‘Act Your Age’. Directed by Brendan Schoenmaker, the visuals came together quickly. In fact, it was “Filmed in one day at Brisbane City Hall,” said the singer.
The video opens with a secretary lost in a daydream and various workers organising paperwork. In the middle of the white shirts sits LT gowned in green. She takes her place at the head of the boardroom table, where she, like the secretary, loses herself in thought.
What is she planning? Where is this going? We don’t have to wait long to find out… Following her lead, her fellow ‘colleagues’ quit what they were doing, choosing to have a good time instead. LT’s falsetto sets the backdrop for this moment of feel-good insubordination. Out now via LT Records.
LT Tour Dates 2023
Thursday 20th April – It’s Still A Secret, Brisbane, Australia
Friday 21st April – Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns, Australia
Wednesday 24th May – (Secret Show), Liverpool, UK
Friday 2nd June – Levi’s Corner House, Cork, Ireland
