'Promo'
Belgian musician Pieter
Coussement, formerly of Sad CBA, is back with a new musical outlet.
Still honouring his early industrial and ebm influences such as
Skinny Puppy and Front 242, his new project Llumen is very much a
product of the 21st century. Incorporating psy-trance, idm
and big-beat into his repetoire, Llumen offers up reverential
club-orientated tracks with an innovative twist.
This eight-track promo
gives an insight into his new musical manifesto with a range of songs
that will no doubt see Llumen become a well known name very soon.
'Where We Collide', 'Force Of Nature', 'Cold In December' and 'Lux
Aeterna' are strong electro tracks with an undeniable dance quality
to them courtesy of their solid beats and catchy lead melodies.
Coussement isn't afraid
to get a bit experimental though as tracks such as 'Silicon Cinema'
and 'Huntress' can attest with their less linear constructions and
emphasis on dark, sometimes ambient atmospherics.
But it's the martial
tinged old school harsh ebm of 'New Moon Rise' that is the definitive
stand-out track here as a fine blend of the anthemic dance leanings
and the experimental ambitions displayed on the rest of the disc.
There is an awful lot
going on here with a lot of styles and influences ever present
throughout the track list. But Coussement consistently finds a nice
balance in his songwriting, which is reflected in the production and
mixing of the songs as well. The only issue that occurs on the tracks
is that occasionally the vocal delivery doesn’t seem quite like it
fits with the timing, which makes the tracks sound rougher than they
really are.
Ultimately though,
Llumen hint at great things here and a full-length outing will
undoubtedly show this to be one project to keep an eye on over the
next couple of years.