English born and French raised experimental artist Lauren Auder released his ultra impressive new EP, Who Carry’s You this week and to mark the occasion released a new Kevin Elamrani-Lince shot video for its epic closing track ‘for those who patiently endure’. It sees Auder alone in the corner of a white room transcending his confinement without really moving from it reflecting both the track and EP’s subject matter and the creative process behind it. That journey started in 2013 at 15 when the talented Auder began making music from his bedroom in the small southern French town of Aldi. He began releasing his avant garde and underground pop music constructions two years later, draping them in a multitude of genres, styles and influences from hip-hop to drone to dub. After spending some time in New York honing his musical vision he moved to London in the middle of 2016 and shortly after began working with Lyon experimentalist Dviance and signed to True Panther Sounds for what would become Who Carry’s You.
The result is a musical document that sonically rests somewhere in the space created between the orchestral and the electronic, between the dramatic and the minimal. Lush instrumentation combines seamlessly with delicate electronic touches and dramatic rhythmic structures provide vigour alongside Auder’s often dissociative sounding vocals. Traditional tales including religious motifs appear in the lyrics throughout as vehicles Auder cautiously drives to try and explain both personal and social phenomena, things he seems clearly troubled by. As someone who eschews convention and clearly values non-conformity and freedom of expression, its little wonder he is pained by a society dominated by an unashamedly hollow and hypocritical corporate led culture. One that instantly co-opts and dilutes creativity and meaningfulness and presents illusion as reality and reality as illusion. In fact, it doesn’t care about the difference.
While his view on the spiritual and whether it can be such a vehicle for making sense of the world is tenuous to say the least, there is little doubt that Auder is musically and culturally wise beyond his tender years. Growing up as an outsider in a foreign country clearly shaped him and gave him a sense of perspective and humility. He has clearly stated that he sees the five years leading up to Who Carry’s You as barely the start of his instruction as a music artist and that as a 20 year old he has much to learn. While that is indeed true, this work is a most satisfying end to a more than a promising start. Watch the video below and get the EP here.
for those who patiently endure
Lauren Auder (ENG)
From the EP, ‘Who Carry’s You’, True Panther Sounds.
Lauren Auder Facebook
Audio Stream
Official Video