Lxury - Trinity Lounge EP

September 11, 2020 - Lost Palms

Seasons have risen and faded, projects have been conceived and released, and time has made clear it won’t be stopping at any soon moment. So we turn our attention again to Andy Smith, the enigmatic Croydonian who produces enigmatic music as Lxury. 

Trinity Lounge EP opens the metaphorical curtains on a quiet beach with a soft sun just beginning to shed light on a new day. ‘Skydance’ uses thick layered synth chords to paint this picture, energetic notes rising along with the life-orb and a cheery, animalistic chanting pushing negativity out from our very cores. Pillowy percussion booms loudly but with a delicate cadence, creating a playful rhythmic atmosphere without bearing down too firmly from the Land of the Dance. There’s a lot of pep here; we were woken up at 5:30 in the morning, and we love it. 

‘Blue Orchid’ is the next scheduled event for the day. It maintains that early morning vigor but with more emphasis on others. Where ‘Skydance’ felt like a joyous private ritual, ‘Blue Orchid’ is best enjoyed with a crowd. Sharply sampled vocal elements weave a sonic beach blanket on which playful chiptune notes roll and stretch. The percussion becomes bouncy, taut bass notes fading in and out of the upswing of the kick. ‘Dimly Lit’ carries these sentiments onward into the early evening, warm tones and body-moving tempo contrasting with the crisp breeze that starts to slide in over the waves on the backs of longer vocal samples. Stretched orchestral riffs undulate as well, swelling with the energy and causing the piece to end before it feels like it should; maybe I’m just greedy. 

As the life-orb sets, ‘Memphis’ rises. What sound like filmi samples lay down a pleasant atmosphere of near-nostalgia mixed with the pseudo-exotic. The Hindustani words are kept at a distance, providing more texture than context for the soft chords and bubbly bass. The tempo here is teased up and down with some dynamic start-stops, giving the track a playful, loose feel. We lean back, semi-supine with our arms behind our head as the moonlight takes over dusk. 

‘Go (Dub)’ closes out the project with that elusive blend of late night energy and early morning exhaustion, focusing on the drums and a core melodic sample that’s been pushed and pulled through various layers of effect and distortion. It’s about remembering the good times of long ago, the good times that are happening, and the good times that have yet to pass. Trinity Lounge EP has been a brief but welcome escape, a moment on a perfect beach complete with perfect temperatures and perfect people. Time marches on, though, and we all know that with time, there is unhappiness, anxiety, and stress. But there are still good times, and they come with time too. 🍍