On their 2013 debut album Voyage, L.A. duo De Lux introduced their singular sound, a fusion of post-punk, disco, funk and synth wizardry. Fun though Voyage was, described by The Guardian as “intricate, witty, inventive, dazzling” and by DJ Mag as “fresh, immediate”, for their follow-up, De Lux felt compelled to add an element of social commentary to the mix.

Inspired by the infamously uncensored lyrics of punk performance artist Karen Finley, as well as the likes of David Byrne, ESG and Can, Generation is a darker album than Voyage, heavy on urban anxiety and audaciously candid. Over its eleven songs, De Lux charts the distance between childhood and adulthood, nostalgia and aspiration, and dream and reality, all with unflinching autobiographical detail. The result is entirely unfiltered and fearlessly contemporary.

From “Center of L.U.B”, a roller-skate jam that examines one utility company employee’s ennui, to the satirical and harrowing “Oh Man The Future”, Generation is never one-note, an album about high highs, low lows and the vast space in between. Stylistically, De Lux has advanced, too, folding styles as varied as krautrock, punk and Italo disco into their template. It may be a step forward for the band, but Generation isn’t a departure. This is De Lux going deeper, not farther away, and the result is electrifying.

“Intricate, witty, inventive, dazzling” – The Guardian
“A genius bit of giddy, bass-driven disco-funk” — Stereogum
“Fresh, immediate and doesn’t sound like what anyone else is doing at the moment” – DJ Mag