New Music: Manuela – Lullux

Magical and realist, a series of Runyonese details transposed from New York to London, Lullux is an enchanting insight into Manuela’s Ultraviolet LP.

The follow-up to her 2017 self-titled album, Ultraviolet sees Manuela – vocalist and songwriter Manuela Gernedel – team up once again with long-term creative collaborator (and fellow Box Codax member) Nick McCarthy. The two have worked together in a series of projects since the 1990s, and that may go a long way to explain how the flittering whimsy and sudden concrete of the lyrics of Lullux find the perfect accompaniment in the languid art-pop of the arrangement.

Each time you listen to Lullux, something new will pop up to intrigue you, but I always find myself coming back to the chorus. Is it literal or something more? Am I reading too much into it, and the mention of the King of the Rats or the Emerald City? This could easily be an exercise in world-building, reflecting the magic and madness of living in impossibly large cities, an experience that can easily engender exotic thoughts in even the sturdiest among us.

Talking about the story of the lyrics, Manuela reveals, “The story of a character named Lullux, groping through a nighttime city – a fantastical version of London, AKA The Emerald City. Glamour, ambition, rot, debauchery and gambling. The chorus line quotes Gena Rowlands in a scene in John Cassavetes’ cult film, Opening Night: “the number one question: ‘is she winning or is she losing?’”

Ultraviolet is set for release on the 5th of June via Lost Map, and was produced by Manuela alongside Nick McCarthy and Polina Lapkovskaya. It features contributions from close friends of the artist, including Laetitia Sadier. For artist and album updates, follow Manuela on Instagram. Ultraviolet can be pre-ordered in CD and vinyl formats on Bandcamp.

Header photo Mikko Gaestel