This was the TV host show Joan Rivers’ signature question for the celebrities who walked the Oscar’s red carpet about which designer had made their gown.

However, try to repeat the same question (“who are you wearing?”) in front of the mirror and the context changes entirely. What persona have you chosen to go out today? Who are you on your dayjob? Or at the bar with your friends? And on Facebook?

We are the mannequins on the cover of THE LAUTREAMONTS debut EP. Blank figures who, depending on the occasion, will wear whatever is the most appropriated. Be it a fashion outfit on the red carpet or a personality trace that’s going to be accepted by our pears.

Identity (who we are, how do we see ourselves and how we’d like to be perceived) are a central topic on “Who Are You Wearing”, to be released in August by labels Efusiva Records and Oblique Musique Disques.

“The Adequacy Waltz”, the EP’s opening track, talks about the desperate search for social acceptance. It is an ironic vision about how we try to fit into an idealized life model.

“Who We Were”, with the pun “were/wore”, is a self-reflection on how we see our current moment as musicians and artists. Not by chance, it’s one of the most complex track full of references and textures. You will hear elements of Middle-eastern music, Post-rock, Dreampop, Darkwave and more.

“Drinksin+Truthsout” as the name implies, is about how some of our hidden truths only come out after a few drinks.

“The Ones He Wore” was inspired by Truffault’s “Stolen Kisses” famous monologue, in which the main character repeats his and his girlfriend’s names in front of the mirror in an attempt to understand himself.

“Black Sabbath” is a cover that had the lyrics modified so that it’s now sung by the victim’s point of view. It’s like an answer to another version made by Type O Negative in which the singer plays the role of the devil himself. It shows that, despite our new references and experimentation, we’ll never deny our metal roots.

The Music

The first bars already shows an escape from the conventional. In a clear influence of Middle-eastern music, it’s the sitar that plays the main riff. It is accompanied by the percussion, another fundamental element on the songs.

The production was done in our own music studio. This allowed us to explore the almost infinite range of possibilities that technology can provide. Without the limitations of traditional band, we have spared no effort or time on experimentation and research for new sounds.

This resulted in an album that mixes influences ranging from Middle-eastern and Indian music to Post-punk, Post-rock, Dreampop/Shoegaze and a touch of psychedelia and melancholy. Fleeing from the limitations of the guitar-bass-drums triad, we used instruments such as sitar, dulcimer and several other unconventional string, wind and percussion instruments.

The recordings included Gilber T. (Tomba Orquestra, Gerson King Combo, Laura Palmer, among others) playing guitars on tracks “Who We Were” and “Drinksin+Truthsout” and Gabriel Calderon (Divã Intergalático and The Dormants) playing guitars and viola caipira on “The Adequacy Waltz”. It was mastered by Chris Hanzsek (Melvins, Green River and Kultur Shock).

For fans of: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Elysian Fields, Dead Can Dance, the exotic and some sarcasm.

 

Who Are You Wearing?

Efusiva Records + Oblique Musique Disques
Rio de Janeiro, 2018

1. The Adequacy Waltz
2. Who We Were
3. Drinksin+Truthsout
4. The Ones He Wore
5. Black Sabbath

Credits
Recorded and produced by The Lautreamonts
Lyrics by Martha F and Hudson
Guest musicians: Gilber T on guitars on tracks 2 and 3, and Gabriel Calderon on guitars and viola caipira on track 1.
Mastered by Chris Hanzsek