Lune Rouge (Red)

2017 release. As Tokimonsta, California producer Jennifer Lee's charted a fascinating career over the past seven years, and Lune Rouge is her exhilarating next step. Her third proper long-player is both a logical progression of her sound and a surprising left turn from an artist that rarely ceases to surprise. A smoky, patient, and altogether lovely collection, Lune Rouge mixes modern sensibilities with old-school sounds to make for a heady brew of moonlit music. Following Half Shadows' release, Lee collaborated with artists like Jessie Ware, Anderson. Paak, and Kelly Rowland, while also putting out several records on her own Young Art Records imprint that served as practical blueprints for the dusky environs of Lune Rouge. Mini-albums Desiderium from 2014 and last year's FOVERE elegantly deployed pitch-shifted vocal samples to add new textures to the Tokimonsta sound, and in 2015 she added her capable touch to Gavin Turek's own mini-album, You're Invited. All these roads lead to Lune Rouge, a lush work that stands as the summation of what she's been cooking up since Half Shadows. Tokimonsta's sound has always kept one foot in the pop stratosphere, but Lune Rouge finds her diving in with glee. Her effervescent beats serve as the perfect framework for these gorgeous songs.