Pushing boundaries, melting minds, changing the way music is produced and listened to. All in a days work for Japan’s LITE. 13 years since they formed and the band are still reinventing the wheel when it comes to instrumental music and taking it to places it’s never been before. Now with their fifth full-length album ‘Cubic’ the band have once again put together a collection of songs that will have your head spinning for months to come.
Before venturing too far down the rabbit hole, it must be known that ‘Cubic’ is quite a challenging record to get in to. It’s an album best to listen to while seated comfortably and not distracted, as other stimuli will only result in headaches, motion sickness and deep confusion. Delicate picky riffs build and build under layers of vibrating bass and jazz influenced drums to create a sound unlike anything else.
The band crafts music that challenges just as much as it entertains. They go into realms of listening many don’t even dare to dip their toes. It’s minimalist yet daring and vivid. Messy but also perfectly put together. There’s the quirky post-jazz vibes of ‘D’. There’s the all out euphoric mayhem of ‘Warp’. There’s the gorgeously bizarre ambience of ‘Inside The Silence’ that leaks into the rough edges of ‘Angled’. Every track a deliciously indulgent masterpiece in itself but all together they become a kaleidoscopic journey in to the deepest corners of your mind and self-conscious. Not many bands have that level of power, but LITE make it seem easy.
Satisfyingly intricate and physically testing, LITE have continued to innovate and intensify their sound with ‘Cubic’. Not the faint hearted but worth every second of attention you give it, this is music to get lost to but also find yourself again. See you on the other side.
3.5/5
‘Cubic’ by LITE is released on November 11th on Topshelf Records.
Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)
