Werk, 2007
From the cover, I was expecting Modern Love electro, but this is instrumental hip-hop through and through. Lukid’s beats are nicely crafted out of bits and pieces. “A Smart Girl” provides an amusing introduction as an interviewee describes a life in decline. On “Piano Nono,” snippets of piano swirl around a broken beat. “Wake Up” and “The Now” are rather nondescript experiments, the former playing with short repeating phrases, the latter with a morphing bassline. Fortunately, the title track (meaning on and on, I presume) is a high point. Vocal samples and acoustic instruments weave in and out over a funky bassline. It’s very DJ Shadowy, but in a good way. “Western Swing” has a jazzy feel, with some nice old vinyl surface noise. “Fela” is, of course, chopped-up Afrobeat. “Light Up” concludes the album in stuttery style with more micro-loops. There are some rough edges here, but at least Lukid’s trying something new.