There was a time when being a member of Lazer Sword was
a lot more convenient. Back in 2006, Antaeus Roy (a.k.a. Lando
Kal) and Bryant Rutledge (a.k.a. Low Limit)
were a couple of San Francisco beatheads who lived together, worked at XLR8R,
and bonded over a shared love of underground hip-hop and a desire to experiment
with electronic sounds. Working on a Lazer Sword track literally meant walking
down the hall, while playing a show was as simple as packing up some equipment
and hopping in a taxi. Six years later, things have changed—a lot. In 2012, the
seasoned artists now find themselves living on separate continents, as Roy now
calls Berlin home while Rutledge has settled in Los Angeles. Making music
requires online collaboration and the accommodation of wildly different time
zones, while touring means that one of the guys is hopping on a plane and
crossing an ocean. In the aftermath of the duo's 2010 debut full-length, Lazer
Sword, it would have been easy for Roy and Rutledge to pack it in and
simply focus on their solo careers. Instead, they've soldiered on, teamed up
with Modeselektor's Monkeytown imprint, and put together Memory (out
May 1), an accomplished 11-track effort that is without a doubt the best
thing Lazer Sword has ever done.
Memory may not be a complete departure from
Lazer Sword's earlier work, but those looking for the slapping hip-hop beats
and crunked-up vibes that defined the group's past releases may be surprised to
find that Roy and Rutledge have seriously trimmed the fat while simultaneously
expanding their sonic palette. This is a sleeker, sexier version of Lazer
Sword, one that take cues from ‘80s electro, Detroit techno, and various brands
of UK futurism. Yes, there is still plenty of low end, but the duo's thick bass
tones now serve as a jumping off point rather than a tool to bash you over the
head. Some tunes onMemory—namely the woozily psychedelic album opener
"Sky Burial" and the hauntingly intense synth workout "Out the
Door"—don't have any beats at all.
That said, the heart of Lazer Sword still resides in the
club, and Memory is anything but short on tracks geared for
the dancefloor. Catch them live next month as Lazer Sword will play select
cities in North America, including Austin during SXSW and
Miami during the Winter Music Conference.
Lazer Sword tour dates:
Fri. March 9 - Vancouver @ The Waldorf w/ Nguzunguzu and
Salva
Sat. March 10 - Reno, NV @ Wurk
Tue. March 13 - Sacramento, CA @ The Townhouse
Thu. March 15 – St. Louis, MI @ 2720
Sat. March 17 – Austin, TX @ XLR8R Official Showcase
Wed. March 21 – San Diego, CA @ Kava Lounge
Fri. March 23 - Jacksonville, FL @ Club 1904
Sat. March 24 - Miami, FL @ WMC - Future Perfect Miami at
The Electric Pickle
Memory tracklisting:
01. Sky Burial
02. Toldyall
03. Missed A Spot
04. Point of Return
05. Let’s Work (Ft. Jimmy Edgar)
06. Better From U
07. Out The Door
08. Pleasure Zone
09. Sounds Sane
10. CHSEN (Ft. Machinedrum)
11. People
Lazer Sword online:
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