It’s a real treat when you see a young artist working in the “popular” realm who is obviously an accomplished student of music. Son Lux, aka Ryan Lott, is one of those indefinable, indefatigable artists who is pushing boundaries with everything he does and unafraid to go far afield from pop’s limiting conventions. His records involve electronics, yes, but what he makes is not “electronic music”. He’s a composer, he’s an arranger, he’s a singer, he’s a pianist; he’s making organic, intricately arranged music that incorporates the full range of his talents and influences to create something uniquely his.
This show at Joe’s Pub was the second of two sets that Lott performed on this night. This one consisted of a full run-through of his latest work, Lanterns, a work originally rendered mainly by electronics, plus an encore for good measure. Here, Lanterns was brought to life as a wonderful digital/analog amalgam, featuring both synced laptop and synth sequences as well as a solo artist playing wine glasses. At time he had a four-member chorus singing along; at others, a more-or-less conventional rock band. It was a triumph of innovation, and of risk. Unlike so many of his contemporaries, Lott seems unconcerned with the niceties of the economic model of his music or snagging easy applause. He is an emotional, florid sort of singer, the kind who you suspect can go to places you didn’t even think of, and his hooks, if less immediate at times, are all the more compelling. Son Lux is truly music of, by, and for the twenty-first century, in the best and most honest of ways.
I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V cardiod microphones and a soundboard feed. The sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!
Stream “Lost It To Trying”
Stream “Plan the Escape”
Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]
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Son Lux
2013-11-04
Joe’s Pub
New York, NY USA
Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack
Schoeps MK4V (ROC, PAS)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (mono)>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, fades)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )
Tracks [Total Time: 55:33]
01 [intro]
02 Alternate World
03 Lost It To Trying
04 Ransom
05 Easy
06 No Crimes
07 Pyre
08 Enough of Our Machines
09 [banter]
10 Plan the Escape
11 Lanterns Lit
12 [encore break]
13 Stay
If you enjoyed this recording, please support Son Lux by visiting his website (where you can also purchase Lanterns) and liking him on facebook.
Lovely and transcendental. Thank you for your music.