Devotedly capturing the essence of impassioned EDM, producer L.U.P raises the bar beautifully, with the precision and outright celebratory power of new album Galaxy On Fire.
Eye-catching artwork and a compelling title naturally set your hopes high, and fortunately, L.U.P more than meets the mark with this album. The project is loaded with simple but striking progressions that are backed by a multitude of intricate layers and effects, with reverb soaked keys through to synths, bass and panning, all making for an hypnotic and empowering listen, which quickly takes you to the depths of your own imagination.
We begin with the ferocity and subsequent euphoric warmth of Atmosphere – a rightfully vast, complex yet captivating listen, both ambient and nostalgic in its timeless EDM presence and the celebratory essence of those rising synths.
After this, a more relentless House beat pulsates through the space, for the intense and snappy yet aptly ethereal Dreams. This ever-changing soundscape later brings a soulful organic instrumental feature, a mid-section solo that’s beautifully enchanting and wonderfully mixed.
As a creative producer, L.U.P’s intentions are clearly to connect and entertain – to allow listeners the true embrace of finely crafted instrumental dance music, without the confines of genre or expectation. The result is a decidedly eclectic album, with a momentous focus on good vibes, and a sort of greatest hits feel to its versatility and consistent appeal.
Gorillaz mellows things out somewhat – an indie riff, tripped rhythms and vocal fragments meeting with sweeping synths and subtleties that let the body calm just briefly. Then for Morning Summer, another catchy but smart riff and a fresh instrumental choice pave the way through a beautiful vocal anthem that seems perfectly well-suited to the late-night summer raves and festivals.
Always inventive on both the instrumental and structural front, L.U.P adopts a distinctly nineties-esque flavour for the title-track Galaxy on Fire. Classic four-to-the-floor keys meet jittery rhythms and pitched vocal snippets, for a sound both soothing and uplifting; depending on what you need from it.
Then on the flip-side, darkness and weight allow the dreamy meditation of Letting Go (L.U.P Remix) to really work its way into your headspace. This one feels like an intensely euphoric ode to the peak of the underground rave years – the ecstasy of the moment reignited through audio escapism. A personal favourite.
Close To You (Heaven) follows on almost like an evocatively mighty sequel, letting that feeling live on as long as possible, before we rise for the electro softness and celebration of a beautifully appreciative closer. You offers everything we’ve come to love about the L.U.P approach, this time with a freshly echoing set of melodies and an almost other-worldly or Enya-esque distant choir vibe of pure unity.
A lovely way to wrap up what is a genuinely diverse and impressive collection of EDM tracks. Galaxy On Fire is an absolute must for EDM and dance music fans both past and present. The skill and passion for the process combined is undeniable, and that authenticity is rare.
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