Ryan Lott, aka Son Lux, is a versatile artist, the rare kind that’s respected by peers across multiple genres. He’s comfortable on stage at Carnegie Hall in his native New York City, debuting intricately composed arrangements. He also commands smaller, more casual spaces, typically performing the with the help of additional musicians.
Lott released his first album as Son Lux in 2008, the 11-track At War with Walls & Mazes. The artist’s sound evolved significantly in the years leading to 2013’s release of Lanterns, an enjoyable LP of experimental electronic music. Lott truly understands the possibilities made available through the use of digital music tools, and he uses them to create compelling sounds that distance themselves from anything else you’ve likely heard elsewhere.
Son Lux also recently teamed up with Sufjan Stevens and rapper Serengeti to release a self-titled album as a hip-hop group entitled Sisyphus. Son Lux has earned comparisons to Sufjan for the way he’s able to craft layered melodic indie rock tracks while incorporating unusual rhythms, and the chemistry between these two similar styles shines through on the Sisyphus songs. Serengeti is a strange rapper, and his atypical flow works well over the beats Sufjan and Son Lux provided him. The Sysiphus project is one of the best, most unique albums to be released in 2014 thus far.
Son Lux is wrapping up a month-and-a-half-long tour throughout several major U.S. and Canadian cities, and Champaign is the group’s last stop before the tour culminates with a show in Louisville.
On Wednesday, Lott is scheduled to bring his Son Lux project to perform at Mike ‘N Molly’s with Leverage Models. Although Sufjan and Serengeti wont be accompanying him, Lott and his bandmates are likely to put on an incredible show for the relatively low entrance fee of $10.
