Today the Hong Kong dream pop group Lucid Express dropped the EP re-issue of Floret when the band was formerly named THUD via Kanine Records.
The four tracks showcases their dreamy shoegazy pop rock sound that was featured on their self-titled full length.
While on the remixes ranges from experimental moody and dreamy sound stripping out the guitar to more a electro-synth vibe.
About Floret EP:
The band reintroduce their long out-of-circulation debut EP Floret to the world.
Long before Lucid Express released their eponymous debut album (Kanine Records, 2021), the same five musicians created their first recordings together as Thud and released the 5-track digital EP Floret (2015). This record made an instant splash amongst local music lovers and the band were soon being covered by correspondents for international entertainment publications including Time Out and NME.
However, the years that followed were a tumultuous time, both personally and politically.
In those years the band describe a depression setting in as Hong Kong’s democratic future began to look uncertain, and at times downright hopeless, with pro-democracy protests ruthlessly cracked down on by the state.
It was in this environment and its scenes of tear-gassed and beaten protesters serving as a backdrop to the group’s inception and young growth. Add to this an increase in politically-targeted arrests, and death threats openly delivered from government officials and it is understandable how this oppressive weight infiltrated most aspects of everyday life in the region.
At some point, this depression spread to the music scene and amongst shows being canceled, and releases stalled, Floret quietly slipped offline.
Now, Floret returns. Pressed onto vinyl for the first time, fully remastered, repackaged with new artwork and expanded with remixes from some of the group’s favorite artists. These collaborations bring an international flair to the EP which was originally tracked in Hong Kong and now features remixes from Austin, TX (Elliott Frazier), New York City (Orchin), Tokyo (For Tracy Hyde), Bavaria (The B.V.’s), and London (Max Bloom from Yuck).
Floret was announced in August with the release of the opening track, “Lime” and its remix from Ringo Deathstarr’s Elliott Frazier. In this treatment, the track received an extra layer of grit with the bass dialed up into an insistent warm crunch and the original ambient guitar textures removed leaving singer and vocalist Kim’s vocals strikingly exposed in the verses. An effect that creates a fragility ripe for shattering as the chorus hook bursts open. Between them, these two tracks set the table for an EP that delivers immersive ambient soundscapes, to bright guitar lines, and enveloping walls of vocals, all while maintaining the raw spirit of a young band discovering their sound.
Floret EP gets: 📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷/10.
Lucid Express – Floret EP [Streaming]
