French-born artist Lewis OfMan shares his second full-length album 'Cristal Medium Blue' via Profil de Face and Virgin Music Group, which includes previously released singles 'Frisco Blues', 'Highway (Ft. Empress Of)' and 'Hey Lou (Featuring Camille Jansen)'. Alongside the album release, he shares his latest collaboration with Barcelona’s Gabriela Richardson, a glowing example of his marked evolution as a musician, composer, and producer.
On 'Get Fly (I Wanna)', Lewis and Richardson breathe the same Mediterranean air into this funky and playful track as they did on their other recent collaboration 'Verde Oscura (Ft. Rejjie Snow)' released under her name but with Lewis’ co-production. Prioritising creative spontaneity in their creative process, this latest offering sees Gabriela contribute effortless vocals that were improvised on the spot and recorded in one take. Though they each bring their unique twist to the track, the natural fluidity and musicality of the song 'Get Fly (I Wanna)' highlights Lewis’ dexterity as a producer and his innate ability to complement his collaborators with his compositions. The single is paired with a music video directed by acclaimed Catalonian filmmaker Albert Moya, a close friend of Lewis with a hand in the world of fashion (Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dries Van Noten). Filmed outside of Florence at the artist residency Numeroventi, the music video is a true family affair featuring a cast of close friends such as Le Diouck and the fashion designer behind Open YY, all the while capturing the impromptu essence of Gabriela and Lewis’s recording session.
Born Lewis Delhomme, 'Cristal Medium Blue' demonstrates the creative harmony that can flow from an artist who has found his musical sweet spot. Building on his signature alternative-pop synth sound, he weaves in breezy vocals, clever samples, and a lively electric guitar that expertly ushers in a new era. Cristal Medium Blue was conceived from decisive personal experiences, most notably, his breakup with his girlfriend in 2022 following an intense touring program. As a result, he turned to the music of his youth that first informed his musical identity (Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and a host of psychedelic rock artists). Following this necessary realignment, he retreated to the beaches of Greece to start putting pen to paper.
Speaking on the album’s conception, Lewis shares, “I was on a beach in Greece, and I saw the name ‘Cristal Medium Blue’ on a pen,” he recalls. “The moment I saw it, I was writing a lyric in my notebook. I thought, ‘Something is happening. This is the name of the album’. Once I had the name, I realized the new sound I was coming up with was a contemplative and abstract, yet precise vision. I wanted to express a theme, which wasn’t necessarily the case with (debut album) Sonic Poems which was more a compilation of tracks from three years prior. ‘Cristal Medium Blue’ is much more defined.” He adds, “I hope you hear the songs, and they bring back the best moments of your life when you felt something special in your heart and mind. I want you to feel like you’re living a dream.”
As the story goes, the French-born artist first turned the family iPad into a de facto music lab, mastering GarageBand at the age of eleven. He formally introduced himself to the world with his 2017 EP, 'Yo Bene', followed by 'Dancy Boy' in 2021. 'Sonic Poems', his 2022 full-length debut album incited critical praise with PAPER Mag christening him “one of the year's breakout talents with a brand of synth-pop that's upbeat, fun, and complex without being overthought or inaccessible.” He arrived as the rare outlier just as at home collaborating with pop superstars such as Carly Rae Jepsen as he is with fashion houses and brands a la Chanel, Gucci and Versace, to name a few. Canvasing the globe on tour, he made his debut on North American soil when he supported YELLE back in 2017 followed by a coast-to-coast run with Rejjie Snow before eventually lighting up Coachella in 2023.
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