Sun Lo, ATTLAS and Richard Walters - Shapes In My Head (2023) [Hi-Res]

Shapes in My Head is the debut album by Sun Lo, a collaboration between multitalented Canadian producer ATTLAS and acclaimed British vocalist Richard Walters. Bringing together two likeminded artists who have never even met in real life, the album demonstrates a synergy between the seemingly disparate musical worlds of the club, the orchestra, and the singer-songwriter. Though it's not a concept album, ATTLAS's production and Walters' lyrics coalesced around a single narrative, inspired by Kazuo Ishiguro's 2021 novel Klara and the Sun, a work of dystopian sci-fi in which an artificial intelligence examines its relationship with the human world.

The album serves as both a glance towards a dystopian future and a time capsule from the trying times of the pandemic. Lyrics reflect both the plight of its AI protagonist and the frustration of lockdown: "Dreaming in monochrome and sepia / sometimes blue and red bleed in," sings Walters on 'Lately'. But there's a positivity to the album too, an uplifting quality that suggests a bright future for the relationship between humans and AI — as well as a fruitful partnership between Hartford and Walters.