KidSuper, Giggs & Quavo's Big in Da Game

The already ethereal work takes on a new sound with vōx and Alex, adding elements of their own futuristic style. The original acoustic, melancholy piece from 2010 suggests a desire to abandon a world perpetuated by machines and disease, a yearning to return to nature and reconnect with ourselves. Fast forward to today, this message could not be more relevant, in a world where machines, AI, and disease seem to lurk at every turn, there’s a gravitation to return to our roots.

Building from a minimalist perspective, and slowly growing into a room thumping pulse, the third part brings in Alex’s live drums and mesmerizing synths to engulf the listener, before falling back into a deep calm. The new interpretation takes on an electronic and synth twist, bringing us on a rise and fall of emotions, all accompanied by vōx’s diaphanous vocals. 

To accompany the release, the band also worked with Yudo Kurita, photographer and longtime friend of vōx’s, on a photoshoot to capture the dynamic between the two collaborators. Straying away from the same old “band photos” we typically see, Yudo took a different approach, finding an affinity between the photos and the song itself. Drawing from the same somber energy of the piece, the photos were shot in dim lighting, focusing only on the silhouettes of vōx and Alex. Surrounded by a meadow of wildflowers, or laying together on a rocky terrain, the pair finds themselves quite literally reconnecting with their natural roots. 

office sat down with the two to discuss their collaboration and reconfiguration of the track.

There is a bit of an overlap in your guttural, yet ethereal sound and that of Son Lux. What was your process for blending in your own music style and making the song your own?

vōx- Son Lux is already known for their genre defying futuristic production choices, so it was definitely a challenge to make the song our own. We also made careful consideration in how our choices would age over time. Something I really admire about Son Lux is how their production from 10 years ago still feels fresh, and we wanted to make sure we made choices that would have a timeless element. And not even really timeless in a classic sense, but timeless in a sense where you can’t easily place them in time.

Alex- There are a lot of overlaps sonically between what vōx and I have been making and what Son Lux is doing. Though on this song in particular, they have more of an acoustic approach, so we tried to do something with a bit more electronic and synth touch but still honor the original version.

How often do you and Alex work together? Do you have a set approach when you do work on a piece together? 

V- We’ve worked together consistently since 2018 when we met at a small festival in LA we were both playing. I’m super consistent in the way I work. I think it’s definitely a part of my neurodivergence that I’m so settled into the routine of it. I prefer to songwrite alone and then during the pandemic I learned how to record and comp my own vocals, so I’ll come to a session with a demo song for us to start.

A- vōx and I have been working together since 2018 and we work quite often, we have done 2 EPs, One LP and another in the works. Our work flow is so natural and smooth, we have very aligned taste.

How did this reinterpretation come about? Did Son Lux reach out to you? 

V- Yes! I’d connected with Ryan Lott a few years ago about working together. I’ve been a Son Lux fan since the We Are Rising album, so it’s truly an honor and young me is squealing!

What stood out to you about this boundary-pushing track that made you want to rework it?

 V- I love that the track is deceivingly simple and straightforward. The lyric lines repeat and the vocal melodies don’t change much. There’s an effortless quality to it, but underneath is a world of complex musicality. That’s really the magic of Son Lux.

A- I love the rhythms and the melodies, very interesting counter rhythms and compelling melodies. Not landing in a clear positive or negative place. Just evoking questions of the listeners ears.

You’ve also flipped the song on its head, starting instead with the outro “I’m asking you to take…” Why is that?

V- This was an idea Son Lux had!

Together you bring such a unique perspective to the song and often talk a lot about using music to help with mental health struggles, which feels true especially now. How does that transition to this piece coming out in 2023 as opposed to 2013 which was such a different time? 

V-  I agree, this song feels especially poignant now! Never have we been more in a “had enough of our machines/disease” mindset than in 2023. There’s a weariness that I relate to in the lyrics. I think a lot of folks out there are dreaming of a life off the grid or coming back to nature, slowing down enough to find peace and healing. I don’t know if that’s exactly what Son Lux had in mind when they wrote these lyrics, but it’s certainly one way to interpret the song.

A- vōx and I like to use the sound of our music to express deep emotion and anxiety and even frustration with things in our lives, therefore giving it a distorted/chaotic sound at times, countered by some very beautiful soft moments. The music is very cathartic for us for dealing with anxiety and mental health issues, and we hope it can do the same for listeners.

How did you and Alex decide on the creative for the photo shoot to accompany the release?

V- I had met Yudo Kurita (our photographer) many years ago, but we hadn’t connected on a project yet. We mostly just let his distinct style take the lead on this shoot. I was already a huge fan of what he does, so I wasn’t worried. Aside from that, we wanted to find fresh ways to have a shoot with two people. It’s easy to become boring when you’re shooting “band” photos, so we were fighting against that aspect. This is the first shoot Alex and I have ever done together!

Do you both want to do more reworkings like this in the future? 

V- Yes, definitely!

A- I love doing reworkings of other peoples songs because it gives us a chance to tip our hat the original song but also put our personal spin on it. Also, when there is already existing material there to work with, we don’t have the fear of facing the blank page and starting something from scratch!