Analogue Appreciation: lullahush

Ireland’s music scene is absolutely thriving right now. Fontaines D.C.’s Romance was an easy contender for 2024’s album of the year, while Kneecap’s politically charged rap has seen them become some of hip-hop’s most provocative pioneers. Beyond them, the likes of Gilla Band have consistently pushed noise-punk forwards over the past decade and a half, while Bricknasty are perhaps the next act up, with creativity that’s hard to label.

And running through all these artists, there’s a thread that connects them all – distinct senses of Irishness that’s explored in their own ways via their work. With lullahush’s impending album Ithaca, set to release via Future Classic tomorrow, April 11, he adds his own spin to the growing canon of the country’s contemporary music. 

Blending traditional Gaelic folk sounds that include Sean-nós singing and twanging guitars with experimental electronics, it’s an eye-widening clash between past and future, with very little in-between. Ithaca’s lead single ​‘Maggie na bhFlaitheas’ serves as an introduction to the project, opening with glittering plucked strings that quickly descends into hectic, heads-down techno workout topped by a rapidly evolving flute motif. To celebrate the album’s release, lullahush joins us for Analogue Appreciation – our series celebrating the power of physical culture in a world dominated by screens – and picked out five of his most cherished items.

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“The objects I chose are suffused with my own personal history, there are ghosts in each of them. They say: ​‘This is me, this is my life, this is what I’ve done, this is what I’m doing, I am here,’” he explains of his picks. ​“The permanence of objects rejects the transience of the digital. All we have in this life is time and physical objects express that accumulation of a life. That can’t be felt digitally. All of the screen’s pixels will eventually dissolve.”

The miraculous medal is one of the nicer symbols of Catholic Ireland. It’s supposed to protect you. Wearing my granny’s medal is a simple but powerful connection I can carry around with me. I feel very uneasy without it.

We were given these as part of the Red Bull Music Academy. Numbered and names engraved on the back, pretty special. You can only have 20 samples on it which is cool, forces you to let go and move on. Although there’s some I can’t let go of. 

This was made for my grandad by a relative while interned in Magilligan Prisoner of War Camp during the war with Britain in the ​’70s. It’s absolutely beautiful hand crafted leather – pride of place on my work shrine.

My friend Kelvin (who designed the artwork for Ithaca) and I did our first show in a very nice DIY space called Lelouda which recently closed. We made this as a parting gift for Katina and Nefeli who ran it. It was a vital space in Athens – its closing is a real loss to the community.

This was made by Argentinian legends Yaeltex for an installation I did. The cover plate is a film photo of sea pinks on Inis Oírr taken by my friend Emil. I think the nicest part of what I’ve been able to do so far has been collaborating with my friends and bringing all these things straight from our lives into the art.

Ithaca by lullahush is out April 11 via Future Classic.

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