Coming from Hong Kong, Lucid Categorical made their 2021 debut LP within the shadow of the Umbrella Motion, the place its radiant glow was meant to carry each other out of the extreme sociopolitical local weather. The band logged miles throughout their first North America tour final 12 months (together with a cease at Slide Away NYC), and as they return for spherical two subsequent month, they’ve additionally expanded their sound.
Their sophomore album, Instantaneous Consolation, out tomorrow, mirrors a bunch who’ve turned from easygoing to alert, but nonetheless uncovering “stunning moments of peace amongst troublesome instances in life,” singer/synth participant Kim Ho tells AP. Speaking over a Discord server, it was combined in marathon late-night periods between the fivesome in Hong Kong and Kurt Feldman (The Pains of Being Pure at Coronary heart) in Manhattan. From midnight to daybreak, the songs had been put underneath a microscope in a shared pursuit to achieve “perfection” — leading to layered, iridescent precision that builds on the ambition of their self-titled.
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Directed by one other Hong Kong native, Neo Yeung, and premiering beneath, their new video for “Promise Me” paperwork a part of these very periods. Filmed over 24 hours through the 2025 Chinese language New 12 months, Yeung harnesses that foggy grind whereas interpolating dwell and candid footage. “This time of 12 months has a particular feeling of hope and good spirits, and that carried by to taking pictures this video,” Ho says. “In fact, by the point 4 a.m. got here round, all of us had been actually beginning to really feel fairly exhausted.” From the opposite aspect of the globe, she provides us a deeper take a look at the music and second album.
What challenges did you run into whereas making the “Promise Me” video with Neo Yeung? What was the temper like on set?
This video was truly the very first thing we completed for the album and was, coincidentally, shot throughout Chinese language New 12 months, which simply occurred once more this week. There are plenty of social and familial obligations that include this time of 12 months, so simply managing to get the 5 of us collectively was actually difficult. That’s why we ended up taking pictures for thus many hours — we actually wished to benefit from the time we had collectively.
How would you describe Instantaneous Consolation’s assertion of intent?
This can be a file that finds stunning moments of peace amongst troublesome instances in life. Our first album had a straightforward, youthful sense of hope to it that we don’t fairly carry anymore. Instantaneous Consolation is aware of that hope continues to be on the market — it simply must be fought for.
What was probably the most satisfying or uplifting second in making this album?
When Kurt despatched us his preliminary mixes of a few the album tracks, we simply felt like he instantly “bought” us and knew precisely easy methods to carry probably the most out of our songs. It’s such a comforting feeling to know that one thing you’ve spent so lengthy on is now within the arms of somebody who has the concepts and the abilities to make it one of the best factor it could presumably be.
I learn that you just combined the songs with him in marathon late-night periods to attempt to obtain perfection. Are you able to clarify what your concept of “excellent” seems to be like, and did you set any particular guidelines or objectives for your self to get there?
“Excellent” for us is a collaborative end result. It’s the results of all 5 of us growing our elements collectively to create one thing uncompromising and pure. Once we strategy music with the intent to create one thing “excellent,” we carry open minds to strive new sounds and methods, and we make house to really mirror on whether or not these approaches are serving to us or hindering us in our quest.
