Lil Julez

Lil Julez has emerged as one of the most compelling voices of his generation, attracting international attention since the release of his debut album It Was A Hoax in 2023. Over the past few years he has also established himself as a captivating live performer, sharing stages with acts such as Geese and The Godfathers and appearing at festivals including Lido Sounds and Waves Vienna.

With Pleasurecruise, Lil Julez takes a significant step forward. Drawing on influences that stretch from the 1960s through to the 2000s while embracing the contemporary sound of the Gen Z indie movement, the album finds him developing a distinct musical language of his own, carried by a charismatic voice and a palpable connection to the energy of his live band.

The singles “I Wanna Be Lonely”, “Your Life” and “Lovebyte” offered early glimpses into the world of Pleasurecruise. Several of the tracks received radio support across Europe and revealed an artist whose gift for melody is often paired with subject matter that runs far deeper than the music initially suggests. The album is accompanied by the new single “Into The Sun”, which continues that thread. While “Lovebyte”, inspired by the tragic story of Sewell Setzer and a chatbot, explores a relationship between a human and a machine, “Into The Sun” circles around loss of control and the importance of a trusted person helping someone find their way back to themselves.

With Pleasurecruise, the focus shifts in a noticeable way. “It’s a very special album for me because it’s the first time we recorded the songs together as a band. We became stronger and stronger as a live act over the years and decided to capture that feeling on record. Compared to the first album, not every detail is perfectly worked out. It’s more about feeling than precision.”

The album title itself reflects the creative process behind it. “Pleasurecruise represents the flow state I could dive into while writing these songs. During a very difficult period in my life it became a form of escape, a space where I could create my own world and disappear into it for a few minutes.”

The result is an album that creates its own space somewhere between longing, escapism and contemporary digital life – a place where big melodies meet subtle unease, and where feeling matters more than perfection.

Pleasurecruise will be released on 19 June 2026 and will also be available as a limited transparent vinyl LP edition.

‘Pleasurecruise’ is supported by SKE Fonds
Artist photo by © Alexander Haiden