Review: "Many Waves Later" Audio Visual Album by LIGHTS AT ELEVEN
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Central Texas based producer LIGHTS AT ELEVEN explores a lovely, sunlit sonic realm with the blissful “Many Waves Later” audio visual album. A nice tuning into the aquatic world helps to lend the sound a sense of pure joy. The inclusion of samples throughout the work hints at a greater history, one that he holds nothing back on while he explores. Stylistically elements of dub, ambient, IDM, pop and more filter into the fray. By keeping it all timeless it proves to be impossible to pin down time-wise, for LIGHTS AT ELEVEN includes both old-school and contemporary references in how he chooses to sculpt the sound and the accompanying visuals.
The references have an abundance to them making sure to bring in pieces of Future Sound of London’s “Lifeforms” release. Similarly structured to that album, LIGHTS AT ELEVEN makes sure to incorporate a whole slew of different layers. On the more modern kick of things, the hypnagogic pop hints bring to mind some of James Ferraro’s looser, more carefree pieces. With the James Ferraro nod, they are both mysterious yet, at the same time, quite joyful.
Cleverly “When Can We Take Our Shoes Off?” takes that common question and transforms it into a surreal experience. Beats feature a nimbleness with “So Sudden”. “The Man From Sweden” brings a bit of Boards of Canada’s nostalgic lens into the fray. A jazz-like quality defines the wild trip of “Poet Vagrant”. Quite expansive “Como Ondas” washes over everything with a true giganticness. Tight grooves hold the attention with “Contra La Corriente”. On “Permanent Cellular Alteration” has a seedy underbelly. A fantastic buildup occurs on the heavenly “Under The Vapor Streetlights/Above The Breathing Blacktop”. Slow-moving with its gait comes “Speaking In Tongues”. Drums hit with a poignancy on the dazed “Soy Mal Pintor” with the electronics virtually getting torn apart in the background. Heavy hits of the drum give “Gitano” a hip-hop flavor. Reflection works at the heart of the energetic “Kerouac”. “Mas Muerto Que Disco” has a swagger to it. Tying it all together and bringing it home “I Go Where I’m Sent (In The End, You Will Understand)” ends things on a mystical kick.
The “Many Waves Later” project features the undeniable talent of LIGHTS AT ELEVEN in creating a universe entirely of his own design, both audibly and visually, proving to have a highly unique voice.