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Son Lux

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Son Lux
Son Lux in 2016. From left to right: Ian Chang, Ryan Lott and Rafiq Bhatia.
Background information
OriginNew York, U.S.
Genres
Years active2008–present
Labels
Members
Websitesonluxmusic.com

Son Lux is an American experimental band. Originally the solo project and moniker of founding member Ryan Lott, the band's first three albums, At War with Walls & Mazes, We Are Rising and Lanterns, shaped the band's unique sound through post-rock and electronica influences.

With the release of their fourth studio album, Bones, in 2015, Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang joined Son Lux, transforming the project into a three-piece band. After the release of their EPs Stranger Forms and Remedy, the band's fifth album, Brighter Wounds, was released in February 2018.[1][2] The band composed the music for the 2022 science fiction action film Everything Everywhere All at Once, which received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Score at the 95th Academy Awards.

History

Son Lux started in 2008 as the moniker and solo recording project of American musician and composer Ryan Lott. Their debut studio album, At War with Walls & Mazes, was released in March of that same year.[3] Following this release, NPR named Son Lux "Best New Artist" on their program All Songs Considered.[4]

Lott then released the second album We Are Rising on May 17, 2011, recorded in the entire month of February for the RPM Challenge.[5] Adam Kivel, writing for Consequence of Sound, described the album as "the dark, operatic middle ground between Owen Pallett and In Rainbows-era Radiohead or Wild Beasts' fantastic, operatic heights."[6]

Son Lux signed with Joyful Noise Recordings in May 2013, the same month that their "haunting rendition" of "Black Waters" was featured in the eponymous flexi-disc series released by Joyful Noise. After the announcement of Lott joining Joyful Noise, the project released "TEAR", a conceptual 7" featuring one new song in two distinct parts. Lanterns was then released on October 29, 2013.[7] It includes vocals from then label-mate Stranger Cat, the musical project of Cat Martino.[8] The lead single "Lost It To Trying" was named one of Pitchfork's Best New Tracks.[9]

In 2014, Son Lux released the extended play Alternate Worlds, which contained re-imagined songs from Lanterns, including a version of "Easy" with vocal contributions from Lorde.[10][11][12] Later in 2014, Glassnote announced that they had signed Son Lux worldwide.[13] Additionally, Lott composed the score and soundtrack for the 2014 film The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.[14]

In 2015, Lott was featured on The Art Assignment in a project that invites viewers to work collaboratively around music that he wrote for the program.[15]

Son Lux's fourth album, Bones, was released on June 23, 2015.[16][17] With the release of the album, the project transformed into a trio when touring members Rafiq Bhatia and Ian Chang joined Lott as members of the band.

On July 15, 2016, Son Lux appeared on stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival as a guest of Woodkid at the "Woodkid and Friends" evening.[18]

On April 7, 2017, the band released the song "Dangerous", simultaneously announcing the song as the lead single from their fourth EP, Remedy, which was released on May 12.[19] On December 15, 2017, a song titled "Eazy" by hip-hop artist G-Eazy was released featuring sampled audio from "Easy".[20]

Son Lux released their fifth album, Brighter Wounds, on February 9, 2018, on their new record label, City Slang. The album received a review of 7.3 out of 10 points on Pitchfork.[2][21][22]

On April 5, 2019, Son Lux released a box set with one of their earlier labels, Joyful Noise Recordings, that has two reissued early albums and a new album of unreleased recordings, Remnants.[23] In May 2020, the collection entitled Reincarnates was released. This collection, much like Remnants consisted of previously unheard or rare tracks, including three reworkings of "Change is Everything" from the Bones album, and a new version of "Remedy" (entitled "Remedy, Surging Sea", and included a crowd-sourced choir of over 300 voices).

In February 2021, Son Lux announced that their next album, Tomorrows III, would be released on April 16, 2021, and was scheduled to be the final album in the Tomorrows trilogy of albums.[24] Tomorrows III was released on the scheduled date.[25]

In 2022, the band composed the musical score for the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. The 49-track soundtrack released on April 8, 2022, and includes collaborations with Mitski, David Byrne, a flute-playing André 3000, Randy Newman, Moses Sumney, and yMusic, plus others. The score was nominated for Best Original Score at the 95th Academy Awards, where it lost to Volker Bertelmann's score for All Quiet on the Western Front.

Members

  • Ryan Lott – producer, composer, keyboards, vocals (2008–present)
  • Rafiq Bhatia – guitars, producer, composer (2015–present; touring member ?–2015)
  • Ian Chang – drums, producer, composer (2015–present; touring member ?–2015)

Discography

Son Lux playing in 2014 at the "Way Back When Festival" in Dortmund, Germany

Studio albums

Soundtrack albums

EPs

  • Weapons (Anticon, 2010)
  • Alternate Worlds (Joyful Noise, 2014)
  • Stranger Forms (Joyful Noise, 2016)
  • Remedy (Joyful Noise, 2017)
  • Dream State (City Slang, 2018)
  • The Fool You Need (City Slang, 2018)
  • Yesterday's Wake (City Slang, 2018)
  • Labor (City Slang, 2019)
  • Tomorrows Reworks (2021)

Compilations

Other

Music videos

  • "Break" (2008)
  • "Stay" (2008)
  • "Wither" (2009)
  • "War" (2009)
  • "Weapons VII" (2010)
  • "Lost it to Trying" (2013)
  • "Alternate World" (2014)
  • "Lanterns Lit" (2014)
  • "Lost it to Trying (Mouths Only Lying)" (2014)
  • "Easy" (2014)
  • "Change is Everything" (2015)
  • "You Don't Know Me" (2015)
  • "You Don't Know Me (Jailo Remix)" (2015)
  • "Undone" (2016)
  • "Cage of Bones" (2016)
  • "Breathe Out" (2016)
  • "Dangerous" (2017)
  • "Ransom" (2017)
  • "Slowly" (2018)
  • "All Directions" (2018)
  • "The Fool You Need" (2018)
  • "Yesterday's Wake" (2018)
  • "A Different Kind of Love" (2021)
  • "Plans We Made" (2022)
  • "Undertow" (2022)

References

  1. ^ "And Then There Were Three: An Interview with Son Lux". PopMatters. February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Brighter Wounds, by Son Lux". Bandcamp. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  3. ^ Brown, Marisa. "Son Lux". AllMusic.
  4. ^ "The Year In Music From All Songs Considered". Npr.org. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  5. ^ Fitzmauriceon, Larry (March 28, 2011). "New Release: Son Lux: We Are Rising". Pitchfork Media.
  6. ^ Kivel, Adam. "Album Review: Son Lux – We Are Rising". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  7. ^ "Son Lux Signs with Joyful Noise". Joyfulnoiserecordings.com. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  8. ^ "Stranger Cat // In The Wilderness". Joyful Noise Recordings. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  9. ^ Greene, Jayson. ""Lost It To Trying"[Best New Track]". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  10. ^ "Announcing...Son Lux "Alternate Worlds"". Joyful Noise Recordings. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  11. ^ Martins, Chris (March 4, 2014). "Lorde and Son Lux Collaborate on Menacing 'Easy (Switch Screens)'". Spin. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  12. ^ "Alternate Worlds – EP". United States: iTunes Store (Apple). March 4, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  13. ^ "GLASSNOTE RECORDS ANNOUNCE SIGNING OF SON LUX". Glassnote Records. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  14. ^ "Original Music From And Inspired By: The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby". Amazon.com.
  15. ^ Lindquist, David (July 23, 2015). "With 'Paper Towns,' Son Lux goes to the movies". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  16. ^ Gordon, Jeremy (March 26, 2015). "Son Lux Announce New Album Bones". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  17. ^ Oliphint, Joel (June 23, 2015). "Son Lux: Bones". Pitchfork.com. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  18. ^ "Woodkid and Friends at Montreux Jazz Festival". Archived from the original on June 22, 2016.
  19. ^ Geslani, Michelle (April 7, 2018). "Son Lux announce new Remedy EP, share "Dangerous" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
  20. ^ "G-Eazy – Eazy". Genius.com. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  21. ^ "Son Lux: Brighter Wounds Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  22. ^ "Review: Son Lux, 'Brighter Wounds'". Npr.org. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  23. ^ "Son Lux | Reissues & Remnants | Joyful Noise Recordings". Joyfulnoiserecordings.com. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  24. ^ "Son Lux Announces New Album Tomorrows III For April 2021 Release, Shares New Single "A Different Kind of Love"". Music.mxdwn.com. February 28, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  25. ^ Donelson, Marcy (April 16, 2021). "Son Lux – Tomorrows III Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  26. ^ "Reincarnates". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  27. ^ "Son Lux Signs". Joyfulnoiserecordings.com. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  28. ^ "Son Lux//Black Waters". Joyfulnoiserecordings.com. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
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