LAKIM has always been an individual with myriad aspirations, from wanting to seize the Street Fighter throne; to wanting to find the #ForeverSadAndLonelyBoyz foundation with fellow producer, Ta-ku; to claiming top honors at the hypothetical-but-incredible-to-imagine Top Chef: SXSW Edition. Through all the endeavors, though, his music has remained as the concrete constant in his evolution as an artist, and frankly, we're happy that's been the case. The Virginian producer has released over a dozen projects in his creative tenure, and ever since Esoteric came our way two years ago, we'd been anticipating in earnest his official body of work. Fortunately for us, that work came in the form of This Is Her earlier in the week, and, just as incredibly, it's all we hoped it would be. The album is one of the most extraordinarily cohesive projects we've heard across any genre this year, and, all exaggeration aside, it's truly awe-inspiring to consider how LAKIM was able to pack such fluidity into and around his lush twelve-track offering. We were exposed to his "Need Want" single earlier in the month, and from it we acquired a glimpse into TIH's sound, but we'd no way of knowing whether the particular vibe would cascade into the greater work (some later-released singles had sculpted a clearer image of what sound to expect). The entirety of that unripe speculation turned inconsequential when This Is Her burst forth Wednesday, though, and all we'd left to do was sit and indulge in the futuristic grooves LAKIM slipped into each and every one of his efforts. Now, to be fair, LAKIM's music is not for everybody, despite it's enormous appeal to instrumental aficionados and others around the particular artistic circle. It's a wonderfully esoteric sound he's able to champion, undoubtedly, but it's not exactly accessible to those who've no experience with the kind of indescribable sound he exudes. That's not to say anything about the creativity LAKIM employs within his works, however; his authenticity is unquestionable, but because it's so unique, it's really only a niche audience that it's able to effectively enthrall. The feminine vibe he sought to portray in the album works nicely to attract those yearning for a kind sonic tale to be told, however; and the three women LAKIM alleges to have helped inspire the album ought to feel some kind of high after hearing their traits manifest. We'll let the ladies bask in their inspirational selves while we find as many ways as we can to vibe out to our favorites from TIH below, though; and we'll see just how well the "Bride of Franksteinesque" album works to bridge the gap between accessible and esoteric within the realm of the aforementioned genres.
LAKIM