Anna Lunoe’s new album, Pearl, is an exploration of self-discovery and artistic evolution, capturing the essence of her journey and growth throughout her extensive career. This 13-track album serves as a powerful progression for Lunoe, showcasing not only her own unique vision but also the underground community of artists she’s inspired along the way. With Pearl, Lunoe boldly places her artistry at the forefront, creating a collection that balances spirited experimentation with moments of raw vulnerability, inviting listeners into a cathartic experience.
Pearl reveals Lunoe’s finely tuned club intuition, reflecting over a decade of her production expertise and storytelling. In her words, she explains, “When I started out in dance music as a local DJ, my dream was to fill dance floors and pay my rent. As my career expanded and the industry changed and I got thrown into new challenge after new challenge, I always felt like my artist voice had to be secondary to my DJ needs. So in a way this marks a kinda colossal shift in perspective on my career to date, putting my artistry at the front in a way I never have before.”
Reinvigorating her love for dance music, Lunoe stretches the boundaries of the genre on Pearl, drawing on sounds from early 2000s garage, hyper-pop, and more. Drawing inspiration from collaborators worldwide, Lunoe creates a globally connected sonic landscape featuring the Bristol-based J.O.S.H.U.A on ‘Body Heat,’ Jamaican vocalist Shanique Marie on ‘Polite,’ house and UK garage duo Y U QT on ‘Only Love,’ and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs on ‘Right Here.’ Other contributors include London-via-Aus DJ/producer DJ Boring on ‘Look My Way’ and UK producer Iglew on ‘Keeping Secrets,’ each adding to the album’s dynamic, cross-cultural appeal.
A sophisticated blend of production and creative freedom, Lunoe punctuates Pearl with personal elements, including voice notes in ‘Let’s Go Home’ and raw, genre-blending demos like ‘Going Home,’ which merges influences from Yves Tumor and Diana Gordon’s ‘Kerosene’ with liquid D&B. Standouts include the live-show favorite ‘Trouble’ and today’s focus track, ‘The Seed,’ which she describes as an homage to “rave magic” and early 2000s trance. Reflecting on the track, she shares, “This track came from my first demo day in Feb 2023. I knew instantly there was some innocent rave magic in that vocal line reminiscent of the early 2k trance I grew up loving. It took a few tries to achieve but I love its final form.”
Lunoe’s debut album is a must listen for fans of hers and of house fans in general, there are some stellar offerings felt throughout.