“Chord Work II” by Ludus

Ludus, April 2021 – photo by Stella Gardiner

Our Day 8 song for 31 Days of May Madness, attempting to post a New Zealand track every day of the month of May, is “Chord Work II” from the recent album “Two of the Same” by Ludus:

Pōneke/ Wellington based electronic composer-producer Emma Bernard has been making music for 5 years under the name Ludus and with “Two of the Same”, released in March of this year, delivered one of the best electronic albums of recent times, pulsing with lush, atmospheric music. The album blends more familiar minimal techno and electronic music styles with its creator’s own exploration of sounds, field recordings, tones, moods and subtle rhythms.

The album has “a strong connection between composition and live performance” which helps explain the more spontaneous feel of human-operated-technology over programming which is often evident in the compositions and performances captured on the album, particularly in the two gorgeous downbeat electric piano compositions “Chord Work” and “Chord Work II” here.

“Moving Places” by Ludus

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Pōneke/ Wellington based electronic composer-producer Emma Bernard has been making music for 5 years under the name Ludus and has now quietly delivered one of the best electronic albums of recent times, full of lush, atmospheric music. Here’s the dreamy synth+guitar world of “Moving Places”

What’s immediately impressive from this Ludus album “Two of the Same” is the effortless and mostly low-key way it blends more familiar minimal techno and electronic music styles with its creator’s own exploration of sounds, field recordings, tones, moods and subtle rhythms. It may not be as idiosyncratic as the thrilling Vanessa Worm album “Vanessa 77” last year, but “Two of the Same” is just as individual and assured.

The notes mention the album having “a strong connection between composition and live performance” and that may explain the more spontaneous than programmed feel of human-operated-technology often evident in the compositions and performances captured on the album, particularly in the two gorgeous downbeat electric piano compositions Chord Work and Chord Work II.