In honor of AAPI Heritage Month and nodding to Brian Eno’s 77th birthday today, acclaimed electronic artist Lawrence Lui has unveiled his captivating avant-garde take of Eno’s 1992 track, ‘Fractal Zoom‘. Originally commissioned for a WFMU compilation, Lui’s version plunges the listener into a spellbinding sonic landscape reminiscent of the evocative depths explored by late-era Scott Walker, the atmospheric textures of Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and Hiroshi Yoshimura, and the shadowy soundscapes of Actress, Burial, and Grouper – all while retaining a spectral echo of Eno’s own groundbreaking vision.
This intriguing cover serves as a glimpse into Lui’s forthcoming album, a project set to delve deeper into his more abstract and ambient sonic roots. The choice of ‘Fractal Zoom’, hints at the sonic territories Lui intends to explore. Lui takes Eno’s ambient foundation and adds a layer of grit and tension. It feels both spacious but packed with layers of textures. Ghostly samples hover over grainy layers, showing influences from Japanese ambient music (like Hiroshi Yoshimura) and the darker, more melancholic sounds of artists like Burial.
Adding another layer of artistic depth to the release is the cover art, designed by Lui’s 16-year-old son, Liam Lui Martin. The artwork draws inspiration from the iconic aesthetic of Peter Saville, the legendary designer behind the visual identities of New Order, Joy Division, OMD, and the legendary Factory Records. This intergenerational collaboration speaks to a lineage of creative exploration and a keen understanding of visual language.
Lawrence Lui has carved a unique niche for himself within the electronic music sphere. His debut EP, ‘Retroism’, garnered significant attention, amassing over 5 million streams and earning praise from tastemaker outlets such as Magnet Magazine, The Wire Magazine, WFMU, Indie Shuffle, EDM Tunes, Nexus Radio, Big Shot Magazine, This Song Slaps, and more. A remix by Anjunadeep’s Beckwith further solidified his presence in the scene in 2018.
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