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Cover of Low Tide Frequencies

Album · 2016

Low Tide Frequencies

by Vanta Lux

A debut album of rooftops, kitchens and power cuts: the quiet hours of a city just before the tide turns.

Tracks

  1. 1. Rooftop, Before the SunUp the stairs to the roof as the city goes quiet. I wanted the opener to feel like stepping outside after a long room.romantic deep house, ambient house3:48
  2. 2. Spare Key Under the FlowerpotI really did lose my key that night. The cold hands are in the hi-hats.warm house, tape-loop house3:23
  3. 3. Three A.M. Kitchen LightThree a.m., wide awake, kitchen light low. This is the heart of the record for me.hushed deep house, dub house3:28
  4. 4. Power Cut, Candles and ThunderThe storm took every light at nine, so I recorded this by candle with the thunder as the kick. Nothing was fixed afterwards.dub-tinged deep house, ambient house4:15
  5. 5. Bakery Lights Before DawnOne gold window in a sleeping street, and that's the bakery below my old room. The groove is the ovens.groovy house, chicago-leaning3:43
  6. 6. Snow on the Tram WiresSnow on the tram wires, soft on the glass. I let the loop decay for nearly a minute at the end.tender deep house, tape-loop ambient3:05
  7. 7. Boxes in the HallwayNew city, boxes in the hallway, nowhere to stand. It's the most hopeful thing on the record, and I kept the bass bouncy for that reason.smooth house, chicago-leaning3:30
  8. 8. Grandmother's Spoon, Sunday PotMy grandmother's spoon and a Sunday pot with steam on the window. It's the warmest track I have.warm house, soulful house4:01
  9. 9. I Said I'd Be ThereA promise made ten years ago and a train that's late. The one sung line comes back only twice.romantic house, dub house4:06
  10. 10. Last Song, Lights Half UpLights half up, floor warm and slow. I close every set with this, and it closes the album the same way.wistful deep house, empty-club ambient4:18

Liner notes

This was the first time I had a whole album's worth of nights to choose from. I recorded it live over a winter, a few hours at a time, always after midnight, always one take. The rooftop, the kitchen light and the storm that took out the power are all real. I wanted the record to sound like a radio you've left on low in another room, so the bass is warm, the voice is close, and the breakdowns are where I breathe out.

Vanta Lux