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Photo Roberto Brundo

Louis Olivier balances excess and emptiness on debut single "Ellie"

11 January 2018, 11:52 | Written by Pip Williams

"Ellie" is the debut single from East London-based artist Louis Olivier; an illuminating introduction to the blend of hip-hop and poetry found on his Millennia EP.

"Ellie" centres around a stark-yet-poetic narrative, with Olivier telling the vividly vulnerable story of a one night stand. He explores the emptiness brought on by excesses of various natures, fuelled in part by cocaine and the relentless pressures of masculinity. It's the first of many stories Olivier has to share, with Millennia probing themes of family, identity, and mental illness. In his own words, it's "a chronicle of family, lost friends, and finding a home that doesn’t exist."

Check the video, directed by Guy Francis, below.

As a project, Millennia originated out of a desire to set Olivier's poetry to music. Indeed, poetry remains the foundation for his sound, with Ben Mair's spacious, minimal production adding structure and poise. The video for "Ellie" is also the debut project from arts support group LONERARTSCLUB, a collective of young poets and performers set to release a collaborative mixtape later this year.

Millennia is out now.
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