Lackluster - Alley (Hymen)

[dcom]

It's been a while since my fellow Finn Esa Ruoho's last album as Lackluster, but here, finally, it is. Beautiful melodic IDM, very much recognizable as Lackluster. Highly recommended.

Edited April 17, 2023 by dcom

[zazen]

Always loved Container, will check this out

 

Things I love about Finland:

• There are 3 million Saunas in Finland (enough that the whole population could conceivably all be in the sauna at the same time). You've got to respect the commitment to setting aside a whole room in your house for basically sitting around naked and doing nothing
• In the UK whenever it is hot you get official advice not to go and jump in a cold lake because the shock might give you a heart attack but in Finland coming out of a sauna and jumping into a lake is a fucking national sport
• Snow
• Midnight sun
• Finnish government baby box (given to all newborns)
• Generally nice high-tax, high social security vibes
• old nokia phones

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by zazen

[esaruoho]

hi y'all thanks for posting about Alley - my first ever release on Hymen Records - they got in touch with me way back in 2001 and sent bunches of vinyl but I basically got spooked from sending anything there because all the other releases were simply of a higher caliber.
Here's the press-release for it:

Quote

LACKLUSTER. alley.

digital ep. hymen records ¥876

available on bandcamp:
https://hymen-records.bandcamp.com/album/alley

tracklist:
01. ginger alley
02. pepper alley
03. coffee bean alley
04. swelter alley
05. cinnamon alley
06. vanilla alley
07. fog alley

layout by stefan alt. release date: 17.04.2023

lackluster is walking down the alley and calls us to join him to his irresistible universe full of emotive and gleaming idm sounds. alley is alternately simplistic, beautifully melancholic, ambient / beatless to gorgeous melodic and chilled electronica in a  bold and consistent mix.

Influenced by the amazing variety of sounds in the 1980s and 1990s, Esa Ruoho grew up with an inspired musical background. As the close of the century came, he began to experiment with his own equipment and sounds and through this his main project Lackluster was born. Certainly, the picturesque surroundings of his homeland Finland would also impact the direction of his style and his trademark sound. Beautiful, whimsical, catchy and memorable are words that listeners often use to describe his compositions. As styles come and go you can always hear a bit of Esa's personality and unique sound within his music. Esa also records more ambient drone material as one-half of the side project HLER. Having recorded for iconic indie labels such as DeFocus, U-Cover, Merck and others, his back catalog is brimming with highlights. The future is just as bright as Esa maintains his artistic integrity throughout these tough times and challenges the listener to come along for the ride.

discography:
https://www.discogs.com/artist/374-Lackluster

websites:
http://www.lackluster.org
http://facebook.com/LacklusterOfficial
http://linkedin.com/in/esaruoho
http://twitter.com/esaruoho
http://lackluster.bandcamp.com
https://www.discogs.com/artist/374-Lackluster

hymen records
www.hymen-records.com
www.facebook.com/hymenrecords

 

[Limo]

Pleasant

[milkface]

Amazing stuff as always. Loved Lackluster's stuff ever since I first heard one of his songs used in a David Firth animation.

[esaruoho]

Hi! Thanks y'all!

There's been plenty of reviews dropping recently about this:

1. http://www.datawv.com/2023/04/lackluster-alley.html - Data.Wave
2. https://www.cyclicdefrost.com/2023/08/lackluster-alley-hymen-records/ - Cyclic Defrost
3. http://dasfilter.com/sounds/plattenkritik-lackluster-alley-hymen-2023-ravetronica this one written in german by Thaddeus Herrmann, a.k.a. Thaddi of City Centre Offices (CCO)!!
4. https://silenceandsound.me/2023/06/04/lackluster/ this one written in French
5. https://igloomag.com/reviews/lackluster-alley-hymen - Igloomag

Even got on a Finnish small-run local newspaper.
 

[zazen]

esaruoho, just gotta say my kids love "Strateface" and we all dance to that track at least once a week : )

[esaruoho]

On 10/17/2023 at 3:38 PM, zazen said:

esaruoho, just gotta say my kids love "Strateface" and we all dance to that track at least once a week : )

Ohh! That's lovely to hear! I'll tell my wife - I should try and play it to our 3 year old toddler and see what happens! He used to love this Machinedrum remix of Rochelle Jordan: Lay. And dance to it. I'll try them back-to-back and see what happens