Lafawndah – ANCESTOR BOY

For Lafawndah, borders have never existed. The music on her self-titled and TAN EPs were imbued with the spirit of sounds from across the globe, turning them into a melting pot of sound, while last year she collaborated with Japanese composer Midori Takada on the short, mythical Le Renard Bleu. Her debut album ANCESTOR BOY seems a natural progression, a maximalist statement that brims with ideas.

From first track UNIFORM – with its bombardment of chaotic rhythms that both propels and wraps around Lafawndah’s malleable vocals – ANCESTOR BOY reveals a complete assuredness in its globalised vision of pop. Written between Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, London and Paris, Lafawndah mixes sounds together on the album so that they fit seamlessly together, the pop sensibilities we are most used to hearing modified and consequently enhanced by a worldwide influence.

The sleek DADDY peppers its R'n'B groove with speckles of organic percussion and deep bass, while STORM CHASER mixes together clattering, echoing beats and delicate synths, evoking both thunder and rain. But there are more minimal moments too, as on PARALLEL, where Lafawndah’s lyrics glide over quiet electronics before morphing into a sandy, engrossing instrumental climax.

Harnessing a very earthy and elemental attitude and sound, ANCESTOR BOY is often powerful and overflowing with sound but never feels overwhelming as it is consistently surprising and deeply engaging. It's difficult not to dive head first into Lafawndah’s musical vision.

Listen to: DADDY, PARALLEL