Lawrence Le Doux (BE)
Under an array of different names, with a nucleus of different collaborators, and moved by an even greater set of influences, Laurent Baudoux has been etching a critical place in Belgium's music scene for over two decades. However, it's under the wryly named alias of Lawrence Le Doux that he's finding a new audience and appreciation for his sunlit electronics all over again.
Revolving around his unique ear for house and techno, Lawrence Le Doux's gift for melody plays a central role in the tapestry of his music. His productions subtly shift between dreamy melancholia and the hot, impulsive charm of summer nights. Accordingly, he conjures dancefloors into a heady and emotive space that somehow stays effortlessly eclectic, leading us through different scenes and places, but never giving up on a gritty bump.
The earliest Lawrence Le Doux releases set the tone for an almost pastoral and experimental sound, as if hinting at his former affiliation with influential German label Sonig, who released many of Baudoux's earliest solo and collaborative works. But it's once he found a home at fellow Brussels-based label Vlek that his sun-soaked excursions into house and techno began to bloom with twists of acid and electro achingly mixed in. His pivotal 'Music For Documentaries' album on Hivern Discs' concept-driven sublabel HVNX in 2017 compiled his soundtrack work for Fabrizio Terranova's documentary on Donna Haraway, fully capturing the diversity of his influences at play. The 'Hermanio Age' EP and the album 'Host' followed in quick succession on Le Pacifique Records and Vlek respectively, showcasing his buzzing mix of club-capable yet affected electronics.
A contribution to the revered Dekmantel Podcasts series in 2018 was a sure-footed journey in the role of DJ, and it has set the course for the next slew of releases. A track on Hivern's new compilation 'Fragments' is arriving imminently, whilst a new EP is in the works for Amsterdam's Kalahari Oyster Cult, as well as a contribution to a new compilation on Rotterdam's Nous'klaer Audio. With praise coming in from the likes of Resident Advisor and Thump, to mention but a few outlets, Lawrence Le Doux's activity in 2020 and beyond is set to receive a lot of deserved attention.