Sumac presents three exclusive tracks from label founders DJ Plead, Jon Watts and T.Morimoto. This is the first in a series of releases dedicated to reworked material from Utility's singular 2019 release Nexus Destiny (SU005).

DJ Plead extends 'Flooot' into a hypnotic 140BPM journey; Jon Watts contextualises 'Vert Bend' against his signature hard-as-nails electro template; and T.Morimoto bends '96Khz Rapture' + 'Cloudy Choir' into a heady psychedelic mix.

Nexus Destiny is an experiment in preset aesthetics conceived by Utility (T.Morimoto and Austin Buckett) as equal parts sonic readymade, machine/human collaboration, ambient soundtrack and sample pack for fellow producers.

utility101.bandcamp.com/album/nexus-destiny
unprojects.org.au/article/interview-with-utility-part-i/
unprojects.org.au/article/interview-with-utility-part-ii/

Nexus Destiny Reworked - Utility, DJ Plead, Jon Watts, T.Morimoto

LAVURN is the debut self-titled album from Lavurn Lee, a singer, songwriter, producer, performer and DJ from the inner suburbs of Toronto. He has also lived and worked in Sydney, Hong Kong and Berlin. His music is an emotionally complex assemblage of processed vocals, filtered pads, surgically programmed drums, haunting melodic fragments and hazy textures. This 13 track album of sparse, emotive and experimental R&B is his second for SUMAC and his first under his own name, following a previous record under the name Fake in 2018. Lavurn was made over three years between Toronto, Berlin and Hong Kong in close dialogue with SUMAC founders DJ Plead and T.Morimoto.

Previously, as Cassius Select, he has established himself as a unique voice in dance music, releasing on cult labels such as Unknown to the Unknown, Accidental Jnr, Hypercolour, Banoffee Pies, Raw Basics and Bruk Records. His side projects include collaborations with vocalists such as VV Pete and Daemon, his previous experimental R&B aliases Guerre and Fake, and BV (alongside Marcus Whale and DJ Plead).


THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS ON THE MAKING OF LAVURN

“I’m trying to make pop music. Not in the industry sense, but in the way that everyone is making their own type of pop music. It wants to be listenable, so it can create emotions. I come from bedroom song writing in the age of the internet. The lyrical content and sounds reflect my demeanor. Big ego with low sense of self-worth. Constantly posturing. At once both strong and weak. I don’t always trust my abilities. I don’t have the voice to produce contemporary radio R&B. I don’t do traditional harmonies, mine are all over the place.

It's the first time I'm writing about my own life in a literal sense. I spent years writing love songs having never been in a relationship. Whereas this feels very raw as a reflection of my experiences. To me the album sounds insular because it was made that way, in isolation. The vocals are used in a sampled way. A chorus for one track might be chopped and turned into another hook. A verse for one song is half timed and used for the chorus of another. Auto-Tune is used heavily. Some tracks are ‘written’ by pulling different beats, textures and vocals from different tracks and seeing what fits together. I tried to take self-sampling further and further. I was thinking of ways to world-build.

Most of the lyrical content on the album is about dealing with a breakup. But the album doesn’t reflect a break-up because it’s completely one sided. It doesn’t reflect the reality that I was an awful person during the relationship. Really it's an inward study of a reaction to rejection. It’s ambivalent. The attitude is “hey imma do me and improve myself”, while also desperately wanting someone back (for all the wrong reasons). There’s a veneer of self-improvement and healing. But it’s all performance. I used to think all the songs had a kind of toxic intent because of this. Trying to impress someone in a way that would make them want to return to you. In retrospect I understand the songs differently. They’re not perfect. A bit confused in their vulnerability. Maybe quite sweet in a way. I think it’s healthy for me to see the lyrics on the album as directed at myself. It’s an album about self-love. I learnt that making music can be a kind of self-care.” 
credits
released February 16, 2024

Written, recorded, produced and mixed by Lavurn Lee
Mastered by T.Morimoto
Photography by DJ Plead

LAVURN - LAVURN

Jannah Quill

Sine

Nexus Destiny Reworked

Vert Bend - Jon Watts Remix

Flooot - DJ Plead Remix

96kHz Rapture + Cloudy Choir - T.Morimoto Remix

First single from LAVURN's forthcoming self-titled album on Sumac. 

See Metal Magazine via 'buy link above for video premiere and pre-order etc. 

Enjoy.

LAVURN

LAVURN - MEZZANINE

LAVURN - +WINDCHILL

LAVURN - COMBAT LANGUAGE

LAVURN - STILL

LAVURN - 30 BOUNCE

LAVURN - WICKED

LAVURN - CCC

LAVURN - STEPPIN (FLIPMODE)

LAVURN - READ VIEW MIRROR

LAVURN - JK

LAVURN - TOOL

LAVURN - LITTLE MOTHER

LAVURN - HARDCORE

LAVURN - COMPACT DISC

04 Hunger Wait

Strings+Siren - T.Morimoto
Humid Slow Down - Poison
FM 3 Slow Down - Poison
Aeons Slow Down - T.Morimoto
KID - Utility
Tired - Poison
Precision - DJ Logic
Loss demo - Poison
Super Yacht - Utility
Super Cloud - Poison
Vacation - T.Morimoto
Crazy Now - T.Morimoto
MINCC - Poison
International Funds Transfer - Poison
Mess Tool - Poison (Jon Watts remix)
Leila - Poison (dj plead version)
Stuck demo - Poison
J-Jos - T.Morimoto

POISON - Mix Up on Triple J - September 2018

Logic1000 by Logic1000 is the fourth release on SUMAC, and the first by the reclusive Sydney born, Melbourne based producer Samantha Poulter. In her unique music making process, Logic1000 conjures concepts, genres, samples, rhythms and tempos that coalesce into a tough, stark sound that will appeal to working DJs and listeners alike. Her sound is a combination of UK-centric dance rhythms, vocal samples, hyper-accurate digital synths and disembodied textures. On this EP Logic1000 has worked extensively with long-time SUMAC affiliate COP ENVY, who has added his signature mix sheen, and SUMAC founder DJ Plead who appears on Na with his signature sounds.

On this ep Logic1000 presents a series of tools, sketches and experiments that run the gamut from UK funky and deep house, to abstract percussion jams and ambient experiments. Derrière is the record’s toughest moment; a snare heavy dance track featuring the coldest of one note bass lines and distorted leads. On Precision, Logic1000 channels her Indo-Indian heritage into an extremely playable, yet minimal drum work out, while The River is Tight sees Logic1000 working in more experimental territory. Baddie Part 2 is a heavy UK funky inspired tool with an emotive, super clean portamento lead. On Na Logic1000 and DJ Plead combine their signature sounds, creating a drum heavy jam that channels dancehall snares, Darbuka grooves and icey pads. In possibly the record’s most iconic moment, Logic1000 Please Forgive Me reworks RNB icon Deborah Cox into a slice of vocal house heaven featuring a perfectly disjunctive FM bass line.

Derrière

DJ Logic

Baddie Part 2

Na ft. DJ Plead

DJ Logic Please Forgive Me

The River Is Tight

Precision

@sumactrac founder DJ Plead presents three exclusive and unreleased edits. All proceeds will go to the First Nations Fire Relief Fund, NSW Rural Fire Service and the Victorian Bushfire Disaster Appeal.

These tracks are offered with the intention of giving much needed relief to communities across South East Australia that have been affected by the worst bushfires on record.

1. Massari and Me
2. Mercy
3. X5

For information on the individual funds and ways to directly donate, follow these links:

www.gofundme.com/f/fire-relief-fu…ions-communities
www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/suppo…r-local-brigade
www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/supportin…cfa#donate-cash

Massari for Relief EP [Bush Fire Relief Fundraiser]

DJ Plead - Mercy

DJ Plead - X5

MarcelDune - Run

LABEL

by DJ Plead (@1djplead), T.Morimoto (@tmorimoto) and Jon Watts (@jonwattss)

sumactrac @ gmail.com

SUMAC

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