Today, L’Rain, the critically beloved musical project of songwriter, multi-instrumentalist producer, and curator, Taja Cheek, shares ‘elmyra’, the cascading and deeply moving third single from her highly anticipated upcoming fourth album fata morgana – out this Friday, 14th August via Mexican Summer.

‘elmyra’ is a breathtaking encapsulation of the slippery, elusive magic at the heart of L’Rain’s process; a song built from dichotomies that expose new truths rather than existing in opposition. Delicate and precise synthesizers mesh seamlessly with breezy organic percussion, knotty polyrhythms congeal into an undeniable, head-bobbing groove, Cheek’s vocal harmonies are as densely layered as their delivery is featherlight, and the recurring refrain “all teeth when I see you” evolves from defensive to grandly romantic. The song is paired with a stunning music video starring dancers Coco Villa and Maleek Slade choreographed by Elliot Reed and directed by Andy Swartz.

The single is preceded by “borderline,” a sweltering and cathartic statement of communal self-assuredness, and “soulless cycle,” a searing and cacophonous riptide of distorted guitars and speed metal drums praised by The New York Times, Pitchfork, NPR Music, Stereogum and more – watch the live performance from Julian Shapiro-Barnum (Recess Therapy, Celebrity Substitute)’s new late night show Outside Tonight here.

The culmination of a quadrilogy – including 2017’s L’Rain, 2021’s Fatigue, and 2023’s I Killed Your Dog – fata morgana is both L’Rain’s most intimate and expansive album, at once refracting and clarifying Cheek’s bewitching and collagic sonic world. Elegiac cassette ballads blur into dancehall interpolations and full-throttled rock numbers, all grounded by her singularly precise vocal command. Cheek created the album alongside long-time collaborators Ben Chapoteau-Katz and Andrew Lappin.

An unflinching reckoning with self-doubt, belonging, and alienation, fata morgana was conceived and crafted around a central question in Cheek’s life: How do you grow in a world not meant for you to thrive in? Across the album’s electrifying, genre-obscuring 13 tracks, the sources of resilience and resistance that Cheek returns to center on a self-reliance forged from uninhabitability; the Rose of Jericho, a desert plant adapted to survive for long periods without water, and the bioluminescent creatures of the deep sea who produce their own light.

Cheek’s interest in resilience and resistance is a unifying thread across her work both as L’Rain and as an immensely respected curator. Currently as the artistic director of the storied art organization, Performance Space New York, Cheek is motivated by the need to create the supportive infrastructure for other artists that she hopes to be afforded for herself. Be it her guest curation of the 2024 Whitney Biennial, her work as a curator at MoMA PS1, or her pivotal role in the reemergence of pioneering musician Beverly Glenn Copeland organizing his first ever performance in the United States, Cheek is acutely aware of the dynamics behind institutional access and works to build more doors rather than solely holding the door open for others behind her.

This autumn, L’Rain will embark on an extensive headlining North American tour as well as a one-off UK show at London’s ICA and a festival appearance at Unsound in Poland. More shows will be announced. This past weekend, Cheek curated and co-organized BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!’s Aaliyah Day tribute. To celebrate the release of fata morgana, on August 13th L’Rain, Sounds of Saving and the Wythe Hotel Art Program will host a free special listening caravan and release party at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn in collaboration with Joya Studios. More information HERE. 

L’Rain Tour Dates:

September 14 – Kingston, NY – Tubby’s

September 15 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa

September 16 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison

September 17 – Detroit, MI – TSDMAAC (Crypt)

September 22 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Andy Warhol Museum

September 23 – Washington, DC – DC9

September 24 – Philadelphia, PA – TBD

September 28 – New York, NY – Night Club 101

September 29 – New York, NY – Night Club 101

October 10 – Krakow, Poland – Unsound Festival

October 14 – London, UK – ICA

November 17 – Asheville, NC – AyurPrana Listening Room

November 19 – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man

November 20 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5

November 21 – Durham, NC – Cat’s Cradle: Back Room

December 2 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop

December 4 – Portland, OR – Jack London Revue

December 5 – Seattle, WA – Baba Yaga

December 8 – Los Angeles, CA – 2220 Arts

Image provided by Macai Sharp