Lukepi – Soar
Recommendation: ☀☁☁
Soar was a watershed moment for artist Lukepi and label Question Records. For the former, this six-track EP represented an evolution from early IDM and hip-hop sounds to a more eclectic style that also incorporates electro, wonky, and even dreampunk music. For the latter, Soar opened up the possibility of releasing music other than vaporwave, which was previously Question Records’ shtick, and eventually led to inspire releasing music from artists such as the neoclassical Te Amo! project and the glitchy drone of river water analysis group on 5-29-16 mycosocial.1 Six months later, Soar became the first album to receive a physical release on Question Records by way of a blue-shelled cassette in an edition of thirty-five. For artist and label, it’s an important album, and it represents a sort of change-over to new and exciting times.2
Soar does a lot in its fourteen minutes, and by no means is that a veiled insult. Starting off is the glitchy, staticky intro of “Luke” – a reference to the then twenty/twenty-one year old producer himself – that quickly changes over into an instrumental hip-hop flow that wouldn’t be out of place on an ambient hardvapour release at HVRF. This gives way to “Comfort”, a two-minute ditty of breakbeat and electro sounds with playfully-dueling keyboard melodies. Follow-up “Hold On Tight! / I’m Soaring” is the most vaporwave of the bunch despite the early hip-hop/breakbeat; halfway through, an anime sample plays that introduces the “I’m Soaring” side. “Lovely” and “Black Blanket” are two short tracks much like “Comfort”. Closer “LYSM” brings the IDM influences to the front, using a glitchy-sounding percussive section that recalls that used by Autechre on albums such as Incunabula.3
Tracklist
1. Luke – (2:25)
2. Comfort – (1:53)
3. Hold On Tight! / I’m Soaring – (4:44)
4. Lovely – (1:30)
5. Black Blanket – (1:32)
6. LYSM – (2:04)
1More information may be found in our conversation with Question Records founder Methyr, available here.
2Not that their previous albums weren’t exciting, mind you!
3I know I reference Autechre all the damn time. Their influence on vaporwave, dreampunk, and other strands of modern cyberpunk music is undeniable.