The “lofi” in lofi at lowlands is a tongue in cheek nod to the contemporary trend of nostalgic-sounding, primarily background music popular online; this music is anything but relaxing or self-consciously retro. lofi follows Sun's critically acclaimed double album Quartets, which garnered significant praise from major publications: The NYC Jazz Record celebrated his "witty tenor saxophone playing and pensive compositions," noting his "nonchalant, cooly tossed-off tenor wizardry," and DownBeat Magazine awarded the album four stars, with critic Scott Yanow praising its "impressive variety in its exploration of moods, rhythms and original melodies." That album was also featured in NPR Music's New Music Friday.
"Before I started editing lofi at lowlands, I had a long conversation with my friend Jacob Shulman, whose recent releases inspired me in the experimental direction of this album's production," Sun explains. "In typically provocative Jacob fashion, he said something to the effect of, 'Imagine the music as the fungus that will grow from the corpse of your recording,' and this is that fungus." The recording process spanned multiple environments, beginning with live trio performances alongside bassist Walter Stinson and drummer Kayvon Gordon at Brooklyn's Lowlands Bar, where Sun has been in residence since September 2021. The project then moved to the historic Sear Sound studio in Manhattan, where two intensive days of overdubbing and improvising in Studio B yielded additional layers of sonic material. The opening track Banshees exemplifies Sun's innovative approach: multiple takes were overdubbed in the studio against a live performance excerpt, which was then largely removed from the final mix. This technique of removing the foundational layer while keeping the responsive overdubs creates a haunting, centerless quality—a sonic ghost of the original performance. “I’d describe much of this music as having an accidental or fortuitous synchronicity,” says Sun. “When you layer different musical moments that happened weeks apart and they magically work, it just seems to affirm something deeper, maybe even cosmic, about improvised music.” The EP's nine tracks showcase various experimental configurations and techniques. Only three tracks (banshees, the scars in a glaze, and praise the run!) feature the full trio throughout, as the majority of the record spotlights the rhythm section in unexpected ways. fissures and nor the merest flicker focus entirely on drums by slicing, distorting, and layering to create an uncanny, electro-acoustic atmosphere. floral deceit features two overdubbed arco bass performances by Stinson, creating a balletic, high-wire dialogue. This emphasis on the rhythm section emerged organically through the editing process, with Sun often removing or condensing his own contributions—a creative decision that, while not representative of the entire series, shapes this first installment's unique character. “I really cut and cut and cut and only kept what was strongest, so I ended up with a lot of Kayvon and Walter,” says Sun. “Their interplay was the engine of this collection, but I’m already at work on the next installment, which does have much more of the entire trio with myself.” With lofi at lowlands ー, Sun collages six hours of live performances into a kaleidoscopic experience through long hours in the editing room. This first installment represents just the beginning of an ambitious series that promises to blur the lines between live performance and studio artifice. The result is neither lofi beats nor traditional jazz, but rather something entirely different: a bold reimagining of what a so-called “sax trio” recording can be in the modern era. Track Listing:
lofi at lowlands ー will be available on all major music platforms starting May 9, 2025 as well as on cassette tape. Kevin Sun is a saxophonist and composer living in New York City. He endorses VENN reeds by D’Addario.
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 Fono Forum in Germany awarded Quartets 4 stars in their review. Read the original German and rough translation below:
 Thanks to Tristan Geary for his dual write-up of The Fate of the Tenor & Quartets in the November 2024 issue of the NYC Jazz Record. Full text below:
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