Chiaroscuro by L.O.E

Chiaroscuro is a raw, cinematic exploration of duality—the contrasts between light and dark, despair and hope. It is both a personal outpouring of grief and a profound journey towards self-reclamation. Drawing from the darkest moments of struggle, the album ultimately seeks to find redemption and healing. Through both music and speech, the album weaves an intricate narrative of confronting personal pain, facing health battles, and the arduous yet ultimately triumphant journey toward recovery.

Ben Walsh, our bass player and true brother in arms, has been an integral part of this album's creation—both musically and personally. In 2021, Ben was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, a diagnosis that drastically altered his life. Since then, he has been undergoing dialysis three times a week to maintain his health. And awaiting a life saving double organ transplant. His journey through this relentless challenge has shaped much of the emotional core of the album. The personal story told throughout this music is deeply influenced by Ben’s experience, reflecting the ongoing battle with his health, the isolation that comes with it, and the resilience required to keep moving forward. His strength, courage, and unwavering commitment to the band, despite the physical toll dialysis takes on him, have been a constant source of inspiration for all of us. This album wouldn’t have been possible without Ben’s persistence and his raw honesty in sharing his story, both in his music and in the words spoken throughout the album.

Blending a subtle twist of alternative, and cinematic sounds, Chiaroscuro moves between the heavy, crushing weight of grief and the fragile, uplifting moments of healing. The soundscapes are expansive, filled with both oppressive, distorted passages and soaring moments of release. The music and vocal elements together form a complete journey—raw, vulnerable, and cathartic.

The voices integrated throughout the album serve as a powerful tool to communicate personal experiences of health struggles, grief, and transformation. These intimate recordings act as an emotional thread that ties the album’s thematic core together - survival and resilience.

At its heart, Chiaroscuro is about navigating the complexities of our own struggles and finding strength and hope amidst the hardships. The album moves through the cycles of pain, isolation, and confusion that accompany those experiences, only to arrive at a place of understanding, healing, and renewal.

The "darkness" represented in the album reflects not just external hardship but also internal struggles: the fight with illness, the isolation that often comes with despair, and the difficulty of confronting the most vulnerable aspects of ourselves. But within this darkness, the "light" begins to emerge—through moments of clarity, self-acceptance, and the realisation that even in the depths, we are not lost.

The inclusion of our own voices, provides a deeply personal, narrative element, turning the album into more than just a musical experience—it becomes a story, told in fragmented pieces that offer glimpses into our journey. These audio samples include ourselves amongst other chosen orators who offer reflections on psyche, recorded moments of vulnerability, or even recorded thoughts on personal loss and recovery.

Chiaroscuro builds a sonic landscape that blends expansive atmospheres with the intensity and catharsis of crushing heaviness. Atmospheric guitar tones, subtle orchestral elements, and evolving rhythms create an emotional journey that captures both the tension of struggle and the release of healing. As the album unfolds, the music fluctuates between heavy, somber tones and uplifting resolutions, reflecting the push and pull of life's most difficult battles and the hope that emerges from them.

The mood of Chiaroscuro is one of contrast—dark yet uplifting, heavy yet healing. The music aims to take listeners through an emotional arc, where they can feel the oppressive weight of grief and hardship but also experience the moment of light when healing and recovery begin. It is deeply personal, often introspective, but also carries the powerful message that we are capable of emerging from even the darkest places.

Incorporating sung vocals for the first time gives Chiaroscuro an added layer of intimacy, grounding the abstract musical elements in real, lived experiences. By intertwining raw personal reflections with the expansive, cinematic soundscapes, the album becomes both a universal and deeply personal exploration of what it means to fight through dark times and ultimately find the light. This album is an invitation to listeners to reflect on their own struggles, to embrace the pain, and to find peace in the healing process.

Record Label: Hopeful Tragedy Records

UK/EU Booking: Atonal Music Agency niblock@atonal.agency

L.O.E’s music tries to capture and reflect triumph, heroism, anguish and struggle throughout society. Not as a political stand, but to hold a mirror up to humanity. Weaving speech and video in to live performance to create a cinematic experience of popular culture and a reflection of our times.

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