Lapalux: Malevolence
Brainfeeder’s latest boy Stuart Howard, aka Lapalux, had 2 EPs released in 2012 that might have given you some idea of what he was all about. There’s more to the 25-year-old Essex resident though, and he intends to show it off on upcoming full-length record Nostalchic.
Lead single off the album, ‘Without You’, is the sort of r’n’b that burns your soul slowly like the best of The Weeknd’s nasty epics. Heck, JUICE wagers ‘Without You’ is probably even more malicious than anything Abel could come up with. Beyond the synths, clings, vocal distortions & loops, and the negative spaces in between them, guest vocalist Kerry Leatham’s voice recalls Abel’s vocal androgyny.
The video accompanying the single adds to the maleficence of its sound by augmenting it with a Lynchian mindf*ck of a concept. Gimps, prostitutes, back alleys, gender reversal oral intercourse, and more make for one sinister r’n’b tune. Just don’t expect the rest of Nostalchic to sound like it though – Stuart belongs in a world of genre-diverse DIY electronic talents. His love for hip hop, house, soul, and r’n’b will most likely translate into his trademark atmospheric sound. Lapalux is one of the stronger voices of his scene.