Lex Ludlow debuts on Atomnation with the Midnight EP, a four-tracker filled with woozy, seductive house grooves.
Sri Lanka-born but Sweden-raised, Lex Ludlow has spent years working in the dance music industry on events, in nightclubs, singing and co-producing with various projects, but only now is she stepping out with her own sounds. The tracks are made on a simple set-up, detailed with plenty of personal found sound. Each track is as free-flowing as the ocean that gives her such inspiration: as well as DJing and producing, Ludlow freelances as a sailmaker. With Midnight, she showcases her love of supple grooves, manipulated vocals and liquid synths.
The title track opens up with a taught house beat and lovely wet claps. Wordless vocals are smeared up top with hooky percussive ticks and angelic coos. It's a dreamy minimal sound that is gorgeously warm. 'Marble Arch' is a sumptuous and soft deep house groove with daubs of synth colour and elastic bass. It's stripped back but oozes soul.
The brilliant 'Sailors Lullaby' has pendulous drums that soon hypnotise as wordless vocals bleed in from above. The deft pads and soft-focus melodies all make for a dream-like sound that has you lost in your own thoughts. Finally, 'Sunday Morning' is the most upbeat, with firmer claps and kicks but still lots of frayed edges, bleary-eyed chords and aching pads that strike a perfectly melancholic note.
With the Midnight EP, Lex Ludlow has immediately found her own beautifully unique sound.