As the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, we’re used to watching Karen O bend over the stage shrieking punk lyrics to distorted guitars. This time round, the roaring anger and gimmicks are gone, leaving a gorgeous pop album which pulls you into a thoughtful dreamy state.

The opening titular track “Lux Prima” is a gentle introduction to the album and at nine minutes long, it’s more of a genre-bending ballad than your average pop song. Her voice is soothing and the overall feel is cosmic and atmospheric. We’re pulled into the stars and we want to stay there and let the music wash over for us.

“Ministry” starts off as if it is going to see Danger Mouse relapse into his hip hop phase but it’s just the beat he keeps. The track quickly ascends back into a Sparklehorse sort of affair and by the time the third track ‘Turn The Light” comes around, we realize just why this collaboration is one made in heaven.

Both artists have a history of meandering through different genres and the coming together of the two creative minds for Lux Prima is the coming together of a whole collection of musical styles. On the album, they weave through snippets of their musical past seamlessly and Karen O’s gorgeous vocals tie the whole thing together.

In “Woman”, Karen O’s voice is a little more familiar for fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In fact, the whole track sounds a little like a more grown-up version of “Man”. Everything is more toned down but the attitude is still there. In the subsequent track “Redeemer”, we get another glimpse of sassy Karen O when she sings “You’re not coming for me / I’m coming for you.” She’s still a badass, she’s just a badass with eclectic talents and a new partner in crime.

Throughout the album, Danger Mouse’s production is quite literally flawless. Everything flows together perfectly and he plays with new technology to keep listeners on their toes. The album’s final tack ‘Nox Lumina’ is a Utopian sci-fi lullaby and by the time it comes around, we’re well away with the fairies.

Our final verdict? The Danger Mouse and Karen O collaboration has been a big success and Lux Prima is superb.

4.5/5

The post Karen O & Danger Mouse’ “Lux Prima”: a Surprising and Cosmic Affair appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

An Instagram account has just popped up @KarenOandDangerMouse, which has so far only been used to tease their upcoming album. The collaboration made in heaven have now released their first track, ‘Lux Prima’, which you can listen to here:

The nine-minute song begins with a dramatic buildup with choral and orchestral sounds which are then accompanied by a steady drum beat. The track chops and changes several times but is chilled and stripped back throughout.

Karen O said of the collaboration: “After making music for the past twenty years and embarking on making this record with Danger Mouse I knew a couple things: one was that the spirit of collaboration between us was going to be a pure one, and two was that the more I live the less is clear to me. When you create from a blurry place you can go places further than you’ve ever been. I think we both were excited to go far out.”

Danger Mouse added: “With ‘Lux Prima,’ we were really looking for a place rather than a sound. It was our first shared destination so we thought we’d take our time getting there. The song itself is a bit of a journey, but all the parts felt like they needed each other.”

The post Karen O and Danger Mouse Share Their First Collaborative Track “Lux Prima” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

As the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, we’re used to watching Karen O bend over the stage shrieking punk lyrics to distorted guitars. This time round, the roaring anger and gimmicks are gone, leaving a gorgeous pop album which pulls you into a thoughtful dreamy state.

The opening titular track “Lux Prima” is a gentle introduction to the album and at nine minutes long, it’s more of a genre-bending ballad than your average pop song. Her voice is soothing and the overall feel is cosmic and atmospheric. We’re pulled into the stars and we want to stay there and let the music wash over for us.

“Ministry” starts off as if it is going to see Danger Mouse relapse into his hip hop phase but it’s just the beat he keeps. The track quickly ascends back into a Sparklehorse sort of affair and by the time the third track ‘Turn The Light” comes around, we realize just why this collaboration is one made in heaven.

Both artists have a history of meandering through different genres and the coming together of the two creative minds for Lux Prima is the coming together of a whole collection of musical styles. On the album, they weave through snippets of their musical past seamlessly and Karen O’s gorgeous vocals tie the whole thing together.

In “Woman”, Karen O’s voice is a little more familiar for fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In fact, the whole track sounds a little like a more grown-up version of “Man”. Everything is more toned down but the attitude is still there. In the subsequent track “Redeemer”, we get another glimpse of sassy Karen O when she sings “You’re not coming for me / I’m coming for you.” She’s still a badass, she’s just a badass with eclectic talents and a new partner in crime.

Throughout the album, Danger Mouse’s production is quite literally flawless. Everything flows together perfectly and he plays with new technology to keep listeners on their toes. The album’s final tack ‘Nox Lumina’ is a Utopian sci-fi lullaby and by the time it comes around, we’re well away with the fairies.

Our final verdict? The Danger Mouse and Karen O collaboration has been a big success and Lux Prima is superb.

4.5/5

The post Karen O & Danger Mouse’ “Lux Prima”: a Surprising and Cosmic Affair appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

An Instagram account has just popped up @KarenOandDangerMouse, which has so far only been used to tease their upcoming album. The collaboration made in heaven have now released their first track, ‘Lux Prima’, which you can listen to here:

The nine-minute song begins with a dramatic buildup with choral and orchestral sounds which are then accompanied by a steady drum beat. The track chops and changes several times but is chilled and stripped back throughout.

Karen O said of the collaboration: “After making music for the past twenty years and embarking on making this record with Danger Mouse I knew a couple things: one was that the spirit of collaboration between us was going to be a pure one, and two was that the more I live the less is clear to me. When you create from a blurry place you can go places further than you’ve ever been. I think we both were excited to go far out.”

Danger Mouse added: “With ‘Lux Prima,’ we were really looking for a place rather than a sound. It was our first shared destination so we thought we’d take our time getting there. The song itself is a bit of a journey, but all the parts felt like they needed each other.”

The post Karen O and Danger Mouse Share Their First Collaborative Track “Lux Prima” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.