Lane 8 - Rise

Lane 8
Rise
2015
Spotify

FOr my taste I am arriving at Lane 8's debut LP Rise quite late (It was released in July 2015). You don't often come to music while sitting in a Ramen Bar at 5:30 pm on a Sunday but that is exactly what happened so big shout out to La Brea Ramen for adding the song "Frau" to their playlist and to Shazam for telling me what it was. Rise first and foremost is a House record. Lane 8 has an almost fervent adherence to the tenants of what House music is and that is clear when you listen to Rise. This is a DJ who knows what He is doing with a crowd in front of him and bringing that to an album is the next logical step. Daniel Goldstein (Lane 8) got his start as many do through creating remixes even getting nods from Eric Prydz and Odesza along the way. The music of Rise is wholly electronic, both in application and spirit. This is the vibe you want created when you go to a show show or listen to an album. Keeping the beat constantly going and improvising around that to craft something really special. Lane 8 does a great job on this album to keep that vibe going and tracks like "Diamonds" featuring Solomon Grey really exemplify this. The music also has a pop twinge, not quite to the level of a Jamie xx but along a similar path.

What Rise really feels like is a return to House from an over saturated EDM market. Lane 8 wants to show that the genre still has teeth and give credit to it's roots while still pushing it forward. It is quite the balancing act, but one Lane 8 is able to accomplish expertly. When Lane 8 brings in a featured singer it definitely gives the music something more approachable, but when it is just him controlling everything that is when the music really takes a shape all of it's own. Elements of Progressive and Deep House make appearances as well, but they serve more as vehicles for the song to get to it's destination rather than the true destination itself. The atmosphere also feels really important on Rise. The music feels more like an experience to get lost in than something to have in the background. There are times when Lane 8 does begin to sound a bit to much like his predecessors but He is able to expertly pull himself out of these into areas and ideas that you never expected. Rise really is something special, and something that many of us missed in 2015. Don't let another year go by before you jump on the Lane 8 train, you won't want to miss it.

8.3 out of 10