Another release from Steve Nguyen—and once again, a journey that overturns the familiar. If you think you know everything about lo-fi, “Lunar Shower” offers its own, utterly unexpected perspective. This composition is an entire story, woven from contradictions: tender, sensitive, and energetic all at once.
I was immediately struck by the complete rethinking of the genre. Nguyen masterfully weaves in synthesized sounds – leads, arpeggios, sequences, and pads, which are usually the core of EDM. But here, they don’t sound harsh or aggressive; on the contrary, they settle onto the lo-fi landscape with such organic ease, as if they had always been an integral part of the genre.
The beginning of the track is a real portal to childhood. Light, ethereal chimes, reminiscent of a lullaby, seem to dissolve the external noise. And then, after the careful plucking of piano keys, the composition gains momentum. A soft beat emerges, a light bass, and then a panoramic synthesizer that mimics a barely audible, transparent vocal. And closer to the 44-second mark, a rhythmic synthesizer passage enters, which is essentially an outsider in lo-fi, but has settled in here as if it were native.
For me, “Lunar Shower” is a musical metaphor for growing up. The first half is bright, saturated with emotions and discoveries, like a meteor shower of the early years of life. It’s pure, untamed energy. The second part of the composition intentionally slows down. It becomes more measured, almost jazzy, thanks to the piano, but the familiar synths from the first part still run through it like thin threads. This is the author’s reminder, his “Easter egg”: experience enriches us, but somewhere deep inside, the same child who can still marvel at the wonders of this world always remains.
Lunar Shower is a masterfully executed work that is not afraid to mix seemingly incompatible styles. In this track, you can feel the softness of lo-fi meeting the rhythmic precision (though muted) of elements reminiscent of House or brostep. This soft yet energetic sound demands a separate definition. Perhaps this is what we should call lo-step. This is not just a new sound for lo-fi; it is a projection of the future where genres become less rigid, allowing music to breathe, tenderly and energetically conquering new spaces. BBC Radio 1, welcome a new star!
P.S. Want to hear more from Steve Nguyen? This is not his first experiment. If you wish to dive deeper into his work and discover previous releases, such as “Escena”, which offers a dreamy and experimental lo-fi journey, check out our previous review: Steve Nguyen — “Escena”: Dreamy Experimental Lo-Fi Journey.
