More pervasive than a virus, anxiety and urgency has spread across our physical and virtual landscapes. The growing inequities of centuries old and current day complexes of oppression has reached a critical and necessary breaking point, forcing us out of our severe isolation back together in a call for justice. All the while, the continued trajectory towards climate catastrophe still creeps across the horizon into our view, another result of the valuing of profit over people.
These defining traits of the present moment find parallels on the newest body of work by Son Lux: Tomorrows, a long-format album to be released in three volumes over the course of a year. On Tomorrows, Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, and Ian Chang train their sights on volatile principles: imbalance, disruption, collision, redefinition. But for all of its instability, Tomorrows’ exploration of breaking points and sustained frictional places is ultimately in service of something rewarding and necessary: the act of questioning, challenging, tearing down and actively rebuilding one’s own identity.
Arriving at a time of considerable uncertainty in the world, Tomorrows is ambitious in scope and intent. Born of an active, intentional approach to shaping sound, the music reminds us of the necessity of questioning assumptions, and of sitting with the tension.
=====
All songs written, produced, and performed by Son Lux
Rafiq Bhatia, Ian Chang, and Ryan Lott
Publisher – Leroy Lott Music (BMI) Administered by Domino Publishing, Rafiq Bhatia Music (SESAC) Administered by Domino Publishing, Ian Chang Music (BMI) Administered by Domino Publishing
Additional Performances by:
Kadhja Bonet – vocals (Plans We Made)
Gabriel Cabezas – cello (Plans We Made)
Nick Dunston – acoustic bass (Last Light)
Jackson Hill – electric bass (Honesty, Undertow)
Charles Ferguson, Jeremy Gustin – percussion (Last Light, Undertow)
Nadia Sirota – viola (Plans We Made, Bending Shadows, Undertow, Involution)
Rajna Swaminathan – mrudangam (Last Light)
Strings on Only, Into Wind, Undertow, Involution:
Audrey Hayes – violin
Hajnal Pivnick – violin
Andrew Griffin – viola
Hamilton Berry – cello
Recorded by:
Nate Thor Odden at Red Bull Studios, New York
Chris Tabron at Red Bull Studios, New York
András Makay at SuperSize Recording, Budapest
Pierre de Reeder at 64Sound, Los Angeles
Mixed by Chris Tabron at Rumours, Brooklyn
Engineer for mix: Brandon Peralta
Additional mixing by Ryan Lott
Mastered by Dave Kutch at The Mastering Palace, NYC
Album Art by Mareo Rodriquez
From installation series M.E.L.T.S (Matter Energy Light Time Space)
Additional Layout and Image Editing by Yuanyuan Su