We previously featured Lucian Lacewing for channelling psychedelic spirituality and cinematic world-building on his hypnotic debut single, Land Of Enchantment, so when we learned that Lucian was back with Freedom From Forever, we couldn’t wait to enter his universe again and share our experience.
Freedom From Forever opens with a cosmic and melancholic melody with pizzicato, microtonal details, cerebral psychedelia and delicate Swahili vocals. The opus expands with immersive textures, warm ambience and cinematic allure. We appreciate the intricacy of the piece.
The accompanying video for the composition features celestial imagery and a drag queen dressed as Marilyn Monroe performing against a red curtain – we appreciate this juxtaposition and subversion. There is something super enigmatic about the visual language. It complements the track’s otherworldly sensibilities at the same time as challenging conventional ideas of beauty, identity and spiritual transcendence.
We learn that the composition is built around six or seven randomly selected single-note harp samples. Once again, Lucian shows that Freedom From Forever is a testament to creative possibility. The ethereal harp melodies intertwine cohesively with reverberating ouds, trippy synths and haunting vocal samples from an unidentified Kenyan singer. There is beauty in her anonymity, although we share Lucian’s hope that the singer might one day be identified.
There is no doubt that Freedom From Forever has a cinematic allure. We could imagine the track featuring in a film like The Green Knight, The Fountain, or Annihilation, or perhaps a TV show such as Nine Perfect Strangers, Legion, or The Day of the Jackal.
Fans of Brian Eno, Laraaji, Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore will be able to vibe with what Lucian Lacewing has created. Ultimately, Freedom From Forever is a mesmerising exercise in ambient psychedelia. It feels peaceful and zen at a time when we need that energy the most, and was poignantly released in the wake of the full moon.
On his intention as an artist, Lucian leaves us with the words, “I make soothing and otherworldly music for our troubled times. I like to experiment, in the true sense of the word. Meaning I have little idea of how a piece will end up when I begin.”
We continue to be in awe of what the artist creates and will be adding Freedom From Forever to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists soon.