Son Lux — the LA and NY-based band Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, and Ian Chang — have shared “Dream State (Brighter Night),” a reworking of the thrilling first single from their forthcoming new album Brighter Wounds, out February 9, 2018 via City Slang.
Stripped back to showcase the song’s indelible melody and dynamics, “Dream State (Brighter Night)” features string arrangements by Rob Moose of acclaimed NYC instrumentalists yMusic (who appear throughout Brighter Wounds).
The follow-up to 2015’s exultant and explosive LP Bones (praised by NPR Music, Pitchfork, Paste, Drowned In Sound, and more), Brighter Wounds finds Son Lux transformed all over again. This fifth album marks another fundamental shift as Lott leaves universal themes behind to write from a personal perspective: while making these songs, he became a father and lost a family member to cancer. Days of “firsts” were also days of “lasts,” and the normal fears of first-time parenthood were compounded by a frightening new reality — Lott’s son was born shortly after Election Day. These songs draw on all of that: warm reflections of a fading past, the pain of still-present loss, and a mix of anxiety and hope for a future promised to none.
Launched in 2008 with At War with Walls & Mazes, Son Lux’s origin as a solo affair was the result of a classically trained mind straining against the constraints of the medium, turning piles of self-sourced note snippets into pulsing digital orchestras. Across 2011’s We Are Rising and 2013’s Lanterns, Lott maintained his auteur approach while broadening the Son Lux sound and guest list to unexpected results. The latter drew the attention of several major pop acts, many of whom who incorporated moments from the album into their own works; Lorde even teamed up on a redux of “Easy,” and covered the song on tour. In recent years, the project’s broad list of collaborators has grown to include Moses Sumney, Halsey, Boots, Nico Muhly, Chris Thile, and Woodkid. Lott’s extracurriculars have included Sisyphus, a collaboration with Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti, as well as scoring three feature films.
Brighter Wounds is available for pre-order HERE.
Son Lux 2018 Tour Dates:
02/12 – Milan, IT – Circolo Magnolia^
02/13 – Lausanne, CH – Les Docks^
02/14 – Zurich, CH – Mascotte^
02/15 – Lyon, FR – Epicerie Moderne^
02/16 – Nantes, FR – Stereolux^
02/17 – Brussels, BE – Ancienne Belgique^
02/18 – Lille, FR – L’Aeronef^
02/19 – Paris, FR – La Cigale^
02/20 – London, UK – Scala^
02/22 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg^
02/23 – Hamburg, DE – Gruenspan^
02/24 – Berlin, DE – Lido^
02/25 – Cologne, DE – Gebaude 9^
02/26 – Munich, DE – Ampere^
02/27 – Warsaw, PL – Progresja^
02/28 – Prague, CZ – MeetFactory^
03/01 – Vienna, AT – Arena Wien^
03/02 – Budapest, HU – Dürer Kert^
03/03 – Istanbul, TR – Salon
03/07 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room*
03/08 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater*
03/09 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent*
03/12 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge*
03/13 – Seattle, WA – Neumos*
03/14 – Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret*
03/21 – Washington, DC – Black Cat**
03/22 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel**
03/23 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry @ The Fillmore**
03/24 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair**
03/26 – Montreal, QC – Theatre Fairmount**
03/28 – Toronto, ON – The Great Hall**
03/29 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall**
^ supported by Hanna Benn
* supported by Gordi, WILLS
** supported by Sinkane, Hanna Benn