Lapalux – Lustmore

Inspired by hypnagogia – the hallucination-prone state of semi-consciousness between sleep and wakefulness – Lustmore finds Stuart Howard exploring territory similar to that charted by his label chief Flying Lotus on Until the Quiet Comes, lulling listeners into a blissful daze via fluid, disorienting arrangements conjured from undulating pedal notes, angelic R&B vocals and wandering percussion figures. Howard’s brand of narcosis is more volatile, however, liable to erupt suddenly into a tide of caustic synths, as on Closure (featuring Szjerdene) or Don’t Mean a Thing, before receding just as quickly back to sultry finger clicks or rain samples. 

By sculpting these serene, atmospheric textures only to puncture them moments later (like when prettiest cut 1004 is swiftly obliterated by abrasive, comparatively cynical follow-up Make Money), Lustmore palpably captures technology’s wearying effect on the psyche – promising to facilite but ultimately disrupting the conditions for that much needed late night reflection. Challenging stuff. [Andrew Gordon]