Lucien Dante's song Spark from his recently released LP "Our Of We" has been chosen to be exclusively distributed in South Korea by Benjamin J Arrindell with Liquid Light Publishing. Our Of We also has a worldwide non-exclusive deal with Getty Music.

Listen as Lucien Dante sit's down with Playboy Radio's Tricia Cruz and talks about his career as a singer/songwriter, visual artist and clothing designer. Playboy Music Spotlight

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Lucien Dante, hails from Chicago in the USA, but the turning point in his artistic career took place in Germany, when he was sixteen years old. As sophomore in high school, Dante participated in an exchange program that took him to Germany and led him to recognize his passion and desire to perform and produce music. This led to the songs featured on his album, “First Breath”.

Since then, Lucien Dante has signed to DEG Records, and released three singles as well as the EP “Lights”. His debut full-length album is entitled “Our Of We” and contains 15 tracks plus 3 bonus songs. This is a rare album. Luscious, layered, modern, edgy, moody, distinctive and full of emotion – from performance to production – the attention paid to detail is impeccable. All the while Dante, with his melodically pronounced voice, gently induces us into dreamlike ecstasy throughout the album, where his vocals are clear and never obstructed by the production.

Right from the punchy opening track, “Worldwise” and the sultry “Love Me Lessons (Imma Be) Feat. Lu Reads”, everything, from Dante’s earnest, crystalline vocals, to the impeccable electronic music arrangements, make this effort a particularly special and poignant one. It gets even better by the time you arrive to the piano-driven “Tell Me Why” and the sublime “Beowulf” with its sensual falsettos.

Dante seems to have a byzantine understanding of music. The way he presents his cryptic ideas is gorgeously groundbreaking. His dreamy, unusual sound is mixed perfectly and layered with just the right amounts of vocal effects and musical wizardry, and is splendidly evident on “#ShouldIWait” and “Mr.Drugman”.

“Ivory Toast” serves as a natural vehicle for Dante’s ever-reaching vocal range, while “Black Water” showcases his ability stimulate deep and dark emotions with a soft filtering voice and a minimal music background. If you enjoy dance-inducing electronic drops with soul, depth and creativity, then fast forward to the bonus tracks, “Pulsing” and “Tonight”.

Lucien Dante seems to successfully bridge the distinct sounds of various genres to conceive his own hybrid electronic pop and soul style. “Our Of We” is a record that has a song for every emotion you’ll likely experience, no matter what your sex…or even in spite of it! It has been meticulously crafted over 18 tracks with the use of an incredible range of sounds, beats and vocals.

The sonic scope of “Our Of We” is fairly large, and there is something to be said about an album that grows bigger with every listen. The songs are all immediately intriguing at first listen, but explore a little more and a surprising amount of sonic depth begins to reveal itself. These songs are rich and have plenty to offer on repeat listens. There’s plenty here that’s catchy, and the album as a whole moves the soul.

Lucien Dante has proven himself as a performing and recording artist, with the release of “Our Of We”. This is a colossal achievement for his proper full-length debut, and I suspect we’ll be hearing much more of Lucien Dante in the future.

http://jamsphere.com/reviews/lucien-dante-our-of-we-is-gorgeously-groundbreaking

ALBUM REVIEW: Our Of We by Lucien Dante

Jul27by thefaulknerreview

Lucien Dante is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and producer hailing from Chicago in the States. Gifted in music and the arts from a young age, a turning point came at the age of sixteen, when he went to Germany on an exchange program. It was there that he realized he wanted to produce music and wrote his first songs which featured on his album, First Breath.

Since then, he has signed to DEG Records and already released three singles and the EP Lights. Our Of We is his debut album and consists of eighteen tracks (with a few songs being bonus tracks). Lucien worked with four different producers in creating the album and so the songs are varied in style and sound. He cites other singer songwriters like James Blake and Bon Iver as big influences, but he undoubtedly has a musical and lyrical style all of his own.

Essentially, I would classify his music as electro pop, with a production sheen throughout that gives it a modern, cutting edge sound. The focal point is undoubtedly Lucien’s remarkable voice, which has a crystalline, ethereal tone and an emotional vulnerability that can be powerful. He tends to sing in the upper apart of his range, which is a style currently hugely popular due to artists like Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran.

The album has an intriguing introductory track that only lasts a minute, consisting of a spoken word dedication poem to the person who inspired the album. The next track Worldwide is a fine piece of electronic pop that features a four to the floor beat and an excellent vocal. It’s about the worldly wisdom and perspective you get through travelling:‘If you want to live in the worldwide, gotta be worldwise!’

Love Me Lessons (I’m a Be) feat. Lu Reads comes next, a blissed out and hypnotic electro RnB track which contains the simple but poignant hook ‘I found love in the openness of your heart…’. Unexpectedly, after the second chorus it features a fluent rap from Lu Reads, which works well within the context of the song. It is unusual these days for solo artists not to feature guest vocalists or rappers on their tracks and Lucien is no exception.

Cradle Me Germany is another excellent showcase for Lucien’s voice, a slow piano ballad with RnB overtones, like the lush backing harmonies. He sings some parts in an angelic falsetto and the chorus is emotive : ‘Germany, cradle me… there’s a life you gave to me..’. Fans of Sam Smith will love this well crafted song. Fifth track Spark is a nice contrast, a pop dance track with a Robert Miles style musical backing. It works well as an album track, but is tailor made for the clubs with a pulsating kick-heavy beat.

Lake House Glory carries on the dance vibe, though this one has a more laid back, summery feel. It’s about escaping with a lover for a holiday, and features some typically quirky lyrics: ‘Just like karaoke carries you, I’ll carry you away….’. Tell Me Why returns to the dreamy languid pace and electro pop of earlier tracks. Lyrically, it is about a lover with emotional issues: ‘Tell me why would you let me waste away? I don’t got the heart for playing games, so tell me why….’.

Beowulf is at a similar pace with a sparse musical backing, but the music is filled out by some breathtaking vocal harmonies that weave in and out of the song. The lyrics are societal rather than personal and very serious, originally about the tragedy of the Sandy Hook shooting. Lucien explains that ‘it explores a much deeper and broader issue about the destructive ways through which we raise male youth in America’.

#Should I Wait (the hash tag is part of the title – very modern!) returns to a romantic theme. It’s a slinky RnB track with a very catchy chorus, aided by a swirling synth sound. Lucien shows no fear in being gender specific in his songs and is brave in his openness and honesty about his sexuality. However, though it’s written from the perspective of a young gay man, love songs are universal. A great track and a potential single.

Ivory Toast is a fun upbeat dance track that takes Lucien from the deepest part of his range to the highest part of his falsetto, while Hookup (Romance) is a sultry, slow song that creates a sensual vibe. It’s a track to play when you’re on the sofa with a prospective lover and want to set the mood. Mr. Drugman is a late highlight, a funky RnB song about decadence and hedonism with the line : ‘Lately, sex feels like a commodity…’.

The album concludes with two piano ballads, Wolf and Dylan’s Keep, that are both excellent pieces of songwriting and feature some of his most poetic and powerful lyrics. There are a few good bonus tracks as well, which makes it eighteen altogether, an impressive amount for any album but especially for a debut.

Overall, this is an album that impresses in every aspect, as Lucien Dante excels as a singer and songwriter in equal measure. The production is both modern and cutting edge, which makes it perfect for radio. He fits in perfectly with the current strategist of male songwriters being emotionally honest and vulnerable in their music. He brings to mind someone like Rufus Wainwright, but with the commercial potential to become one of the major pop stars of his generation.

Alex Faulkner

LONG BEACH, Calif., Feb. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On the verge of releasing his full length LP "Our of We," Lucien Dante signed an endorsement deal with custom in-ear monitor company EarWerkz.

After being scouted to personally audition for the producer of ABC's "Rising Star" and being approached by Pandora to include his music into their exclusive library, this makes the third time Lucien has been offered an opportunity without going through the normal audition or approval process.

DEG Records President John De La Torre said, "Lucien definitely has that unique sound that defines a genre and with a rapidly growing social fan base of over 75,000 and over 242,000 in YouTube views, we are very excited about this latest opportunity."

EarWerkz VP Sales and Marketing Jack Vang agrees saying, "Lucien Dante immediately stood out to us as a pure, free-spirited, and incredibly talented artist. Just one listen to 'Cradle Me Germany' and we just knew that we had to have him on team EarWerkz."

When asked what made him consider Lucien a perfect fit to represent the EarWerkz brand Vang said, "There are many factors when considering artist endorsements and Lucien just fills them all. He's a very welcome addition to the roster and we look forward to seeing him rise to the top while representing our products."

EarWerkz is a rapidly growing company in Atlanta, Georgia that specializes in handcrafting only the finest in custom in-ear monitors.

DEG Records is an independent record label out of Long Beach, California.

All the latest information about Lucien can be found at http://luciendante.co/ that includes links to all his social media outlets. His EPK can be found at http://artistecard.com/LucienDante.

Contact: John De La Torre - DEG Records - (562) 684-0883, Email

LONG BEACH, Calif., Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- LUCIEN DANTE is a compelling and unique artist adored by his fans and critics alike. The musical product of a spiritual awakening in Germany, Lucien is a singer/songwriter with depth like no other. He categorizes his own music as being in the genre of love, peace and soul with a mission of trying to help his listeners uncover their own passions, spirituality and beauty within. "I want to help others realize themselves through my self-exploration and vulnerability. I want to create songs that last and indulge in culture as proactive emblems of hope, wisdom, and inspiration," said Lucien Dante.

About Lucien Dante's Sound

Certainly not limited to one genre, Lucien fits into a variety of compelling categories such as alternative, pop, R&B and acoustic. Lucien sports a catalogue of talent as rich as his influences and skillset. Lucien endeavors to explore the intricacies of the human condition through his music, in an attempt to unveil the things that block us, and untie the knots that hinder us from understanding ourselves and our peers.

Previous Singles

Lucien has previously released three well-received and successful singles and is building up a huge following with his videos on YouTube getting thousands and thousands of hits. All three songs have been intricately mastered by Grammy award winning mastering house 'Lurssen Mastering' and immediately after the first release Pandora confirmed that Lucien's pioneering music would be accepted into their catalogue. 'Cradle Me Germany' is a five-minute track, which beautifully illuminates Lucien's stunning vocal range. It showcases his exceptional musical craft and spectrum of emotions in his performance.

'Worldwise' with its pulsating beat and infectious melodies urges society to break free from the confines that hinder opportunities to engage in the world and is a perfect example of Lucien's mission to make the world a more fulfilling and peaceful place to live in. With over 17,570 views in just over 2 months, the song continues to rise in popularity. 'Hookup (Romance)' is an innovative and highly expressive song, which fuses groove with electronica. It's a beautifully soft ballad, which again, highlights the artist's wide musical ability.

New Album 'Our of We'

The upcoming and highly anticipated new album Our of We will boast an impressive 14 tracks and will include the previous three releases; 'Hookup Romance,' 'Worldwise,' and 'Cradle Me Germany,' in addition to a unique poem intro and outro and a bonus track.

All the latest information about Lucien can be found at http://luciendante.co/ which includes links to all his social media outlets. His EPK can be found at http://artistecard.com/LucienDante

Contact
John DeLaTorre
DEG Records
1-(562)684-0883

A source of hopefulness and inspiration, singer-songwriter Lucien Dante provides listeners with immense positivity and guidance on his recent single, “Worldwise.” Originally from Illinois, Dante’s musical journal has been a versatile one, as he has traveled from Illinois to Germany to New York, where he is currently a junior at Bard College. Though his travels have been extensive, Dante’s primary focus now is on helping others, through his music, not only his personal success, as he explained, “I want to help others realize themselves through my self-exploration and vulnerability. I want to create songs that last and indulge in culture as proactive emblems of hope, wisdom, and inspiration.”

The single, “Worldwise,” which urges society to break free from the confines that hinder opportunities to engage in the world as conscious, inquisitive, and radiant beings, is an up-tempo track driven primarily by its pulsating beat and infectious melodies.

The song initially begins with a dichotomy of Dante singing, as the narrator is one who wants to go home; feels cold within the city, and is living in a state of being upset — “blue, all wet and confused.” The dichotomy becomes apparent as the upsetting lyrics are contrasted by an upbeat, bright instrumental backing of bold synthesizers and the consistent, pulsing beat of the bass drum. Amidst the state of sadness the narrator may be dwelling in, the instrumentation is there to provide an interesting contrast, emphasizing the song’s potential for providing a positive message.

Ultimately, Dante doesn’t disappoint with providing an uplifting, hopeful message. Encouraging listeners to break free of restrictions, Dante encourages listeners, in the track’s chorus, that if they “want to live in the worldwide, [they], gotta be worldwise.” While belting out the track’s infectious, catchy chorus, Dante’s voice is captivated by immense passion and strength, truly illuminating that he seeks to be the musical messenger of positivity; striving to make listeners see that there is truly a light at the end of the tunnel, even on days where one feels “blue, all wet, and confused.”

When “Worldwise” is playing, there is never a dull moment, and it’s an impeccably executed pop track that contains elements that make it extremely danceable. Between its catchy choruses, by which Dante still exudes his remarkable vocal talent, driving beat, and melodious, bright synthesizer tones, “Worldwise” is the epitome of a strong pop track, highlighted by its electronic dance music elements, that also encourages positivity and provides a platform of hope.

Not only is “Worldwise” an infectious, radiant composition, but also it’s a musical source of encouragement for anyone battling hardships or looking for a way to break free from confines.

Artist: Lucien Dante
Song Title: “Worldwise”
Review by: Alexa Spieler
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

For immediate release;

The much anticipated followup single to the hit song Hookup (Romance), Worldwise, will be released by September 17th. This will be Dante's 2nd single from his upcoming 14 song album titled "Our of We" which is scheduled to be released by the end of October 2014. Worldwise will be available through iTunes, Amazon, CdBaby and other digital outlets. 

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Lucien Dante’s 2014 single, “Hookup Romance,” either deliberately or coincidentally owes a lot to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories in how it fuses groove with electronica. Dante takes that formula in an alternate direction however by linking it to a smoother kind of R&B. Keyboards and a simple drum track provide all the atmosphere necessary for Dante’s voice to be a captivating presence and to make it an overall captivating song.

Alluding back to Daft Punk, all of Dante’s vocals are heavily digitized, but not to the point where their natural personality is removed. He’s captured just the right mixture of the organic and mechanical to create a sound that entrances in its uniqueness. Dante could’ve just as easily used his unaltered voice, but that would’ve detracted from the song’s atmosphere and tone.

The rest of the track is focused almost entirely on establishing the mood. “Hookup Romance” is a soft and slow ballad with very little frills attached. The warm keyboards and occasional effect are never intrusive yet aren’t mere ambiance either. There’s a synergy that is generated from the combination of this musical backing and Dante’s digitized vocals. Because the two go so well together and blend their distinct tones so easily, they create a sound that transcends what they would accomplish individually.

If there’s one thing that holds the piece back from being perfect, it’s the bridge that repeats the phrase, “I’m singing like ay, ay, ay” far too many times. Compared to the rest of the song, this section doesn’t do much for the atmosphere or the integrity of the number in general. While it’s nice to have a bridge for the sake of variation, it should be something more substantive than this. Fortunately the remainder of the song is strong enough to compensate for this and still make it a wonderful track to listen to.

“Hookup Romance” does an excellent job of combining electronica with silky smooth R&B vocals and keyboards. Lucien Dante has crafted a sound that is familiar enough thanks to the electronica artists that have preceded him but also unique enough to identify as his own. “Hookup Romance” is a marvelous song to throw on to set a mood, relax to, or dig into the vibe. Even if it’s not a perfect piece, it does so much well that its charm can’t be denied.

Artist: Lucien Dante
Single: “Hookup (Romance)”
Review by: Heath Andrews
Rating 4 Stars (out of 5)