EP// Lunova Labs: [shhht_20]

     
Lunova Labs is Kevin Erwin's musical brainchild, and his latest EP is based on trees. It looks fairly strange written down like that, granted, but Erwin manages to pull off the concept with minimalist flair. Airy and sublime, electronic synths and passages of natural percussion dance a slow duet. A muted breeze blows, rolling off silver waves and carrying with it the perfectly sad keys of a distant piano. In one moment the echoes of a voice can be caught, and in others the momentary rustle of a bird's wing. Everything feels beautifully short-lived, like the liberating impermanence of building a grand sandcastle too close to the gently swelling tide. It's ambience as it should be.

Listen and buy the EP from Belgium label Silenced and their Bandcamp.

ALBUM// Lunova Labs: [shhht_13]

[Shhht_13] is four tracks, produced by the prolific Lunova Labs and published under interesting Belgium project Silenced, which has been aiding underground electronic artists for more than half a decade. The thirteenth net-release from the collective, [shhht_13] is a fascinating and experimental listen, inspired by transcendentalism, a philosophical movement devoted to intellectual independence and the merits of both man and nature. Lunova Labs matches synthesisers and vocal samples with field recordings and stunning ambient vistas, pairing man and nature and giving substance to the conceptual. 'paradise (to be) regained' is pure sampled bliss, the swell of the sea and distant trains vibrating across a gravelly shore. Seagulls cry and a mysterious voice ushers in water drips and ethereal echoes. Woodland is the following story's setting, sparse piano notes playing gleefully with nymphs and birds alike. Minimalism is key to these songs really working, on both an aesthetic and emotional level. On 'night & moonlight', a track that starts relatively abrasive, we see industrial repetition give way to a haunting classical piano. A beautiful sample on the final number relays some complex theorem, but again we descend into almost mesmerising and subtly despondent synth-work. [shhht_13] is simply brilliant. Described as 'future garage', I can only hope the concept catches on! Grab it for free over here and then visit Silenced here!

NEWS// Lunova Labs: Echelon Calling MP3

I was sent an email the other night from Kevin Erwin, the chap behind Franklin based Lunova Labs, asking me to have a gander at his work. After the review (see below), I decided to take a break with his latest track, 'Echelon Calling', which you can grab here. To cut a short story shorter, I had to listen again, and again. It really is a mesmerising number. The synths roll and swell naturally, detailed by a subdued beat and surreal vocals that echo with the tide. Broken by a slow and uninterrupted piano and fantastic guitar work, I realised without a doubt that this was some seriously beautiful music. The two halves manage to vary themselves from each other just enough, while still remaining together. The production and polish to 'Echelon Calling' creates some of the smoothest and most gleaming pieces of downtempo chillwave you'll hear for a while. I'm truly blown away. Hear the song above and follow Lunova Labs over on the SoundCloud. I sure am!