Lay-Far

Dance music veteran Alexander Lay-Far unveils his fifth full-length album “True, Necessary, Kind” on STVOL Records in collaboration with In-Beat-Ween Music. 

Dance music veteran Alexander Lay-Far unveils his fifth full-length album “True, Necessary, Kind” on STVOL Records in collaboration with In-Beat-Ween Music. In the music game for more than 15 years now, the artist, DJ and all-round creative trail-blazer has the reputation of one of the most talented and prolific producers of his generation with an impressive array of projects for the likes of Razor-N-Tape, Local Talk, Lumberjacks in Hell, Tru Thoughts or MYOR. 

 

Continuing the discourse of music being a universal language, the artist is now taking the nostalgic 90’s rave aesthetics as a vehicle for crafting his new personal message to the world. 

The record boasts what Lay-Far is well known for: the poetry of groove and rhythm, soulfulness, effortless juggling of cultural references. Yet 2023 Lay-Far seems to be more straight-forward, systematic and laconic, achieving in his new work the equilibrium of artistry and functionality. As a result the album sounds bigger, louder and more impactful than all of his previous LPs. The sonic tapestry here is woven with the myriad of small sample chunks, grainy drum breaks, warm harmonies, overdriven 909’s, 808’s, sequenced acid lines, reggae style basslines, bleeps and hovering synth pads - all meticulously arranged and mixed with lots of attention to detail. Funny enough, some of the most prevailing instruments on “True Necessary, Kind” are actually piano and human voice, although heavily processed, chopped and manipulated. 

 

From the uplifting funky breaks of the opening “Everybody” to the atmospheric electro rap “Пламя Огня” (featuring Kotzi Brown of Cops On Fire fame), through the catchy dream-house of “Rock You Hard” featuring Lay-Far’s own vocals to the peak-time earth-shaking banger “Whatever (you need)” the album takes us on the rollercoaster ride through moods and grooves. The shape-shifting “Breath Of Ocean” is probably the best illustration of the album’s flow, morphing organically from the breezy ambient into dubby trap, funky house, techno, jazz breaks, piano house and back. Halfway through the record we are introduced to “Hey Hey Hey”, a crispy techno track heavily influenced by ghetto-tech and footwork, followed by “I.G.T.R.” - an almost chrestomathic acid breakbeat anthem. Next is a spectacular “Cowboy Song” - a lyrical hardcore jungle tune combining distorted drums and bass with life-affirming piano chords and an infectious whistle melody. If J Dilla had been into rave he would have made something like “My Heart Says”, marrying hip-hop-style sample chops with uplifting trance chords, pumping broken beats and low-end pressure. This brings us into the depth of “Imagination” - thoughtful and cinematic, yet playful hybrid of UK hardcore, techno and deep house, followed by the bitter-sweet nostalgia of “Novatorov Electric Blue'' - the mesmerizing finale to the kaleidoscopic journey of an album. This beautifully-crafted electric jazz number featuring Phil Gerus on piano is a perfect hommage to late 80’s Herbie Hancock, Paul Hardcastle & George Duke. 

 

The album’s title alludes to the concept of mindfulness with the quote “Is it True? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind?” commonly referred to in both Eastern philosophical and Western psychological traditions. It took Lay-Far several years to express a very simple yet important idea: in the modern world music remains one of the most direct and effective means of human communication - “true, necessary and kind”. Now it’s time for us to finally hear that message! 

 

A word from the artist: “Creating the album was a therapeutic process for me - the way to express the feelings of hope and love, joy of connection, discovery...as well as all my frustration, anger and fears - turning negative into positive. I was losing myself in music, getting in that light meditative state when hours pass by in an instance. The idea was simple - make real heartfelt music people will enjoy dancing and listening too. Share that pure energy. Give it to the world! Is it necessary? I felt like it is writing these tracks!”