Lapalux Live at Shine

by Irene Lo

Lapalux, real name Stuart Howard, was in Vancouver Tuesday night promoting his recent album, Nostalchic.

Known for breaking down sounds and putting them back together accompanied by glitchy vocals – his or someone else’s – Howard recreated an unexpectedly  different experience for his fans at the Shine Nightclub.

What was originally a rendition of a one hit wonder, Khia’s song “My Neck, My Back (Lick It)”, Lapalux extended and stretched Khia’s voice making lyrics like “shake your body, don’t stop, don’t miss” become, in a sense, instrumental sounds. “Guuurl”, one of the tracks off Nostalchic, played live, is infused with persuasive undertones that highlight the hypnotic synth registers and give extra aural kicks to the song that may appear as the most main stream track on the record.

“Straight Over My Head”, following an R&B inflected deep house opening, offered a rhythmic beat that mined finger snaps and drums that pitter patter. But with the first beats of “Without You” the mood of the performance directed itself towards tranquility.

“Without You” is a robust yet melancholic track; it finds a way to harness a minimal, but complicated landscape, held together by a twinkling shake of percussion. It stood out like a sore thumb in the midst of Lapalux’s set, grinding things down to a solemn halt. The audience seemed to love every bit of it, moving along with Howard to every bit, bobbing their heads, snapping their fingers.

“I keep moments of you…I remember”

Known for being an accessible producer, this past Tuesday, Lapalux brought a more atmospheric set to the Vancouver audience, rich and transcending at the same time.