As far as intriguing, mysterious and downright interesting bands go, the duo that is Ebony Hoorn and Ellery James Roberts definitely take the cake. Hailing from Amsterdam, the pair have been making music under the moniker LUH. since 2012, and embrace all that is beautiful, ugly and disconcerting.
Aggressive, vigorous yet completely relatable, Amsterdam’s LUH. is an unhinged force of nature, just look to their new single Lost Under Heaven for proof.
When writing about the band, they said “Embracing LUH. challenges you to stop trying to identify with problems or solutions – all is. All is progression and all that is held aloft with such crushing importance today will be nothing but trivia in even 10 years time if we just live it.” It is with these fleeting moments in mind that LUH. create their best work, to temporarily provide solace or at least make an attempt to understand this transitory world.
Lost Under Heaven is the latest powerhouse to be released by the pair, and combines the best of ambient rock with grungy vocals. From thick chords to swollen reverb, everything about this song reads BIG. The beast of a tune cascades with lush textured accompanying strained vocals which work as a duo to bring the gritty singing to the forefront while highlighting rounds of faded crooning in the background. Lost Under Heaven weaves a broken tale of that sense of uneasiness you get when thinking about life and what it all means; and the chaotic sound reflects this.
In a sense Lost Under Heaven is the perfect representation of everything LUH. stands for. It’s big, Foals’ What Went Down kind of big. The kind of song that can easily fill a room despite having no one in it. Starting with the epic “I always knew it would end like this / on a sinking ship / the only lovers left in a world that’s lost all meaning / your truth got me believing we meant something“, we’re immediately introduced to (or more appropriately, smacked across the face with) a solemn take on lost love.
LUH. has a way of being simultaneously poetic enough to tug on the ol’ heartstrings but also maintaining an odd distance from any kind of direct emotion. Instead the intensity comes from seemingly cryptic lyrics and a wall of fuzzy sound, as heard in Lost Under Heaven.
LUH. is not for the faint hearted. It’s bold and confronting and somewhat confusing. But if you fully immerse yourself in everything they have to offer, my God you’re in for an experience.
