Saint DX (FR)

In contrast to an era where everything moves too fast and constant output is expected, Saint DX chooses a different approach, one that obeys no schedule but his own, deeply connected to his inner struggles, sonic explorations, and personal reflections. Late is a testament to this approach: it took Aurélien Hamm 35 years to record his first true album, oscillating between pop choruses and R&B leanings, downtempo arrangements, and synthetic love songs. It also reflects a determination not to rush, taking the time to consider every detail of a record started in 2021 at the legendary ICP studio in Brussels and completed at home in an apartment transformed into a space for reflection.

This creative dichotomy perfectly illustrates the album’s complexity, balancing opposing yet complementary dynamics. On one hand, there’s the effervescence of collaborations, with Saint DX inviting Belgian producers Prinzly and Ponko—who worked with him on Damso’s QALF – as well as his friend and pianist Paul Prier. On the other hand, introspection plays a central role, turning the album into a meditative, solitary journey rooted in ritual and self-soothing.

Saint DX is an artist for whom the process matters as much as the outcome. He embraces improvisation, encourages letting go, and values boldness. Late reflects this philosophy: the album of a composer with experience, seeking serenity and listening closely to his own desires, composing without concern for meeting external expectations.

The eleven tracks on Late reveal new ambitions and Saint DX’s commitment to staying true to his emotions. Songs like “Way Back Home,” “Jamais vu le jour,” and “Tout perdre” show the hours spent weighing every detail, with meticulousness that translates the artist’s sensitivity into the intensity of his words. The album’s lead single, the irresistible “Everyday,” written during a personal storm but delivered with redemptive energy, conveys the creative freedom enabled by the rituals through which Saint DX found calm—a rare connection with his body and emotions, fulfilling a visceral need for life balance.

Late is the album of a man full of questions, justified in asking them, and seeking ways to tame time through literature. Inspired by Carlo Rovelli and Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, each song functions as another variation on a theme that has accompanied Saint DX for nearly a decade: the passing of time, the doubts it brings, and the melancholy it engenders. The album’s unifying thread is an intimate reflection, urging Saint DX to accept the duality of his tracks and even his thoughts.

With arrangements of great delicacy, Saint DX pours out his spleen, erasing the memory of a lost relationship in “Jamais vu le jour” like Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or embracing a form of frenzy, as in “I Don’t Care,” surrendering to celebration and letting go. He also embraces contrasts, as on “Everyday,” which presents paradox within a catchy melody, carried by a synthetic hook perfectly suited to the song’s celebration of routine.

Undeniably, Saint DX gains mastery, confidence, and the ability to distill complex ideas into a handful of pop songs sung in English or French. These tracks send chills, reveal inner states, and assert their serenity, romance, and comforting fragility, making the universe of Saint DX uniquely precious.