Lapalux

Since signing to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, Lapalux’s defiantly abstract sound has garnered praise from fans and critics alike. Danny Turner dives deep into the Eurorack setup that’s central to his approach

- Danny Turner

The brainchild of Stuart Howard, Lapalux signed to Brainfeeder in 2011. With the label acting as a natural home for his intuitive experimental approach, the producer has had free rein over his career. Painstakingly assembled, Howards’ debut album Nostalchic was based on a patchwork of generic textures, accentuated by swirling melodic atmospheres and abstract beats.

Fuelled by emotive introspection, subsequent releases have added further layers to Howard’s sound, and since delving into the modular realm he’s been able to move closer to realising his conceptual ideas. The latest Lapalux album Amnioverse is a beautifully realised homage to the work of US light artist James Turrel, constructed from Howard’s ever-expanding Eurorack setup.

What attracted you to creating abstract electronic music above other forms?

“I’ve always gravitated towards very textural music concrète and found experimentation in sound and how layers work together interesting. I used to overdub a lot of guitar stuff on a really primitive Cubase setup. I’d record on a little microphone, loop it in Cubase and start recording over that until I had these ambient textural guitars with 30 tracks of audio mixed into one. I’m fascinated by manipulating audio to a degree where it’s unrecognisable as an instrument, and to this day try to make and blend sounds in unorthodox ways.”

Was there a template for the sound you made?