Lukid - "Onandon" (LP Review)

"Onandon" is the 2007 debut LP by Luke Blair, aka Lukid. Herbert first turned me on to Lukid, but it took quite some time for me to find a copy. It is released on Werk Discs, a small indie label based in London. It now seems to be more available in places like Amazon so you should not have any problem finding a copy.

This is an amazing instrumental electronica LP. The songs are dense and lush. They find the right balance between being rich enough to allow for active listening, but not so busy that you can't focus on other tasks while listening. This balance is hard to achieve. For example, I like DJ Spooky, but it seems he tries to prove how smart he is on every track and overworks them to the point where 1 song contains 3 songs worth of ideas. In contrast, Lukid seems to have hit the sweet spot between "too busy" and "too bland".

There are a lot of good electronica LPs out there, but few that I would describe as "fresh" or "innovative". "Onandon" is both. I could try to further describe the music, but since song samples are well represented on last.fm and MySpace you should just go there and listen for yourself. I eagerly look forward to Lukid's next release.

Standout tracks: Smart Girl, Onandon, Wonder Years, Fela.

Skip 'em tracks: "Isis" is interesting, but has a shrill sound that often causes me to skip to the next track.

Final score: 9/10.