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EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: Luo Dazzle With New Single “Tightrope Tap Dancer”

Whenever our friends at Art As Catharsis come to us with a premiere idea, we tend to jump at the opportunity. Such was the case when we approached with a

3 years ago

Whenever our friends at Art As Catharsis come to us with a premiere idea, we tend to jump at the opportunity. Such was the case when we approached with a new music video for Brighton, UK based Luo. We’ve been following these guys since their 2016 debut Sleep Spindles, which was an elegant fusion of post/math-rock and IDM/progressive electronic, drawing comparisons to Tycho, Boards of Canada, and Venetian Snares. Coming off the tail of their acclaimed 2020 sophomore release Unspoken, the now 2-piece project have returned with a new single “Tightrope Tap Dancer” off an upcoming EP Convoluted Mess Machine, set for release this October – and with it, a wonderful new music video we’re proud to bring to you.

While not a huge departure from their previous works, this release does mark a shift in their lineup structure, as the previous 4-piece has been shrunk down to just the duo of founder Josh Trinnaman and drummer/songwriter Barney Sage. From the get-go you can tell this is a very textural song. Shimmering jazzy drums and cool electronic tones with a strong bass presence kick in as we’re introduced to Josh and Barney in the video, taking their roles in a retro-science-fiction film.  The track builds into a powerful melody that surges with energy, before dialing back into their patented electronic post-rock sound with complex drum patterns that should impress any math-fiends. They work in notable influences from jazz and modern classical into their electronic-driven sound with delicate precision that conveys a uniquely palpable vibrancy to it.

“One of the main goals with our music is to merge the worlds of organic with electronic and old with new,” says Trinnaman. “We really wanted to use a traditional but rarely used method of song writing with this track and bring it into the modern day. The whole track is based off of the use of theme and variation traditionally used in classical music, but reinvented for our electronic/prog fusion madness. The main hook is used throughout the tune, but re-invented during each section going through different moods and emotions, which is something we like to explore in our tracks – there’s not a story or a meaning behind things as such, but we do want there to be a sense of a journey or narrative through different emotional states and genres.”

Stream the new single “Tightrope Tap Dancer” now, and pre-order the upcoming EP on Bandcamp, set for release on October 15th.

Trent Bos

Published 3 years ago