Album Review: Lost Frequencies – Less Is More

‘Less Is More’ is an album title that reflects the humble and simple philosophy of one of the most talented young producers of recent times. His name is Félix De Laet, known to his fans as Lost Frequencies. After topping the worldwide charts with each single release, the talented 22-year-old Belgian is embracing the next challenge in his young career by proudly releasing his debut album on Armada Music. ‘Less Is More’ is a sixteen-piece body of work and strikes a perfect balance between globally acclaimed hit singles and new compositions.

We Rave You had a rare and special opportunity to listen to the new album with the charismatic Félix on the album’s release day at Amsterdam Dance Event. Chatting to us about the album, the young hitmaker opened up:

“When I had an appearance on the radio 2 years ago for my very first promo, a gentleman from a Belgian label told me that although my music did not have complex production it still managed to have that magic and the hit appeal. When I was deciding the name of the album, I remembered this conversation and named it ‘Less Is More’. What I like about an album is that I can try things out and I don’t have to release a single every 3 months. I don’t have to be in the same vibe as I was for the first single. With the album I try some different sounds so I make tracks that sound like Lost Frequencies but I also do things that are a little bit different.”

Lost Frequencies’ renowned hit singles, ‘Are You With Me’, ‘Reality’ and ‘Beautiful Life’, are among the tracks featured on ‘Less Is More’. Between these three singles, Lost Frequencies was crowned with gold, platinum and double platinum in a few dozen countries, gathered over half a billion streams on Spotify alone and peaked at #1 in several of the world’s most acclaimed charts, including the UK Singles Chart. Additionally, the album spotlights fresh collaborations with talented singer-songwriters on tracks such as ‘All Or Nothing’, ‘Sky Is The Limit’ and ‘Lift Me Up’.

The long awaited new album starts with a divine melodic track named ‘All Or Nothing‘ featuring the sensual vocals of Finnish talent Axel Ehnström. The young singer-songwriter is featured on no less than three tracks on ‘Less Is More’ which is welcome news to fans if ‘All Or Nothing’ is any indication of the quality of production of the rest of the album.

After a future hit in the making, the album delves into familiar territory with Lost Frequencies’ current hit single ‘What is Love 2016‘. The track explores a fresh take on the hit song from Haddaway and although elements of it are quite familiar, the new version of the classic is a hit in its own right. The 22-year-old truly revived the vocal classic with beautiful and soft tropical elements and melodic aspects that we have learned to expect from the star. The track is bound for great heights of worldwide charts and will most certainly compete with the success of the original.

The album takes us on an intimate journey once again with a beautiful track that has dominated radio airwaves in recent months. ‘Beautiful Life‘ is a delicate, sublime tune which certainly does not disappoint. The track is a feel-good tropical anthem with elements of sparkling guitar tones, catchy flute melodies, and Sandro Cavazza’s distinct sultry voice. The track’s strength is also in its dreamy amorous lyrics such as ‘Anywhere you wanna go, I’ll follow’ and ‘It’s a beautiful life with you.‘

‘Sky Is the Limit‘ continues the vocal, melodic vibe with elements of guitar and motivating lyrics while the next track on the ‘Less Is More’ journey is one that needs little introduction. Featuring the sublime vocals of Janieck Devy, ‘Reality‘ is a track that has topped multiple charts with its laid-back vibe and strong vocals. The recognizable song dominated radio airwaves the world over, and it would be rare to find any music lover that has not yet enjoyed the gorgeous sounds of this tune.

The next track on the album is one that explored a genre unexpected of the Belgian hit maker. Lost Frequencies explains the origin of ‘Dance With Me‘:

“With this track you have the guitar sounds but then it’s a bit trap-like while still being melodic. It was a mix of the Lost Frequencies vibes with a trap influence and it gave this production a really happy vibe. It worked out really well.”

The album continues with ‘In Too Deep’ – a track that uses the pure and simple ingredients of a trademark Lost Frequencies production. A melodic guitar and an organic vocal that truly has a way of taking the listener on a melodic journey.

One of the most unique tracks on the album comes courtesy of Lost Frequencies and the incredibly talented singer-songwriter Joakim Wilow. The track is ‘Dying Bird‘ and aside from enhancing the album with refreshing music elements, it also comes with a serious message. Check out the lyrics of the track and find out the touching message contained within.

‘Funky‘n Brussels’ is one of the two rare instrumental tracks from the young Belgian star. The track title gives away one of the main elements of the track – it is one funky tune. The other interesting tidbit we found out from Lost Frequencies is that the title is derived from his feeling about the track and the place where it was produced. Track titles sometimes have the simplest of origins.

The next tune on the divine album is a romantic and sensual ballad titled ‘Send Her My Love‘. The gorgeous play on the vocal, as well as a slight departure from the familiar, make it a highlight of the album. While ‘Send Her My Love’ is a departure, ‘Lift Me Up‘ is far from it, as it uses the vocals of Nick Schilder to explore the guitar and laidback vibes reminiscent of hits like ‘Reality’.

The album continues with the worldwide hit ‘Are You With Me‘. In 2014, Lost Frequencies besieged European dance charts by masterfully mixing Easton Corbin’s country megahit “Are You with Me,” to originate its dancing deep house sibling. The simple fact that he took an American genre with the least global reach, and transformed it into a chart-topping phenomenon, is significant in its own right. Lost Frequencies sped up the refrain and looped it to create a slightly melancholic dance anthem. In July 2015, the single topped the charts in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia and Austria.

‘St Peter’ speeds up the tempo with a piano melody infused with a fast and energetic vocal while still keeping the general laid-back vibe of the album while ‘Selfish Love’ delves into a theme we are all too familiar with. ‘Footsteps In The Night’ neatly finishes off the vocal aspects of the album with intimate piano melodies and a beautiful vocal.

The album is concluded with the second instrumental track on the album philosophically titled ‘What Goes Around Comes Around.’ The track certainly explores Lost Frequencies’ love of the Flume sound as evidenced by the avant-garde sample highly evocative of the Australian star.

‘Less Is More’ was certainly on par with our expectations of a debut album of a hit-maker like Lost Frequencies. The star kept true to his original sound while exploring other elements which is a luxury afforded to those that choose to have the creative freedom of an album release. With a debut as strong and musically diverse as ‘Less Is More’, this is one timeless album that will be staying on repeat for a while and will be one we will fondly come back to in years to come.

Enjoy the lush sounds of the debut album on Spotify below and order it right now on Itunes: