Son Lux
Weapons EP
Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Label: Anticon
The concept of Son Lux’s (aka Ryan Lott) Weapons EP is as innovative as his unique hybrid of somber, classical piano and digital pop mayhem. How could At War With Walls and Mazes‘ “Weapons” possibly justify itself a 25-minute, six-song marathon of remixes and renditions? For starters, listen to “Weapons,” and then branch out into the rest of Mazes to familiarize yourself with one of 2008′s best-kept secrets.
With special guests Polyphonic, Nico Muhly and Alias, Lott beats “Weapons” into a myriad of forms. Polyphonic drowns the tracks in excessively spaced-out digital bliss, while Muhly warps Lott’s mellow synthony into an augmented hipster composition. Alias gives the song a harder club ‘n rave gloss-over. In the middle, he spits a mile-a-minute rap that complements the song surprisingly well.
In addition to the remixes, Lott contributes three companion pieces to his song. “Weapons II” and “Weapons V” allow the composer to showcase his classical and compositional prowess. Combining a riveting orchestra and subwoofer-shattering digital aesthetics, the tracks are as intense as anything you might find on an action soundtrack. By the final song, “Weapons VII,” the song’s root melody still sounds fresh even though it’s been repeated to death by this point. After hearing it filtered through a variety of genres and moods, “Weapons” maintains a strong half-life. Lott gives the song its final treatment with a rapid series of acoustic and electronic movements, displaying its extreme versatility. By denying all pretentiousness, Weapons becomes a perfect tool to whet our appetite for the next Son Lux album.
by Jory Spadea
