Lone

Lone is Nottingham, UK's Matthew Cutler, a producer with a history of unapologetically wearing his influences on his sleeve. While previous albums received positive reviews, his warbled hip-hop beats came off as the sound of an artist struggling to find his voice. Galaxy Garden (Cutler's fourth official album in as many years) takes the hazy, nostalgic melodies of his previous efforts and reimagines them through early '90s house and Detroit techno. The album is laden with bouncy synth lines that weave their way in and out of each song, projecting a sense of urgency without discomforting the listener. Cutler touched upon these ideas with Emerald Fantasy Tracks, but here they are fully realized in their well-planned structural and dynamic changes. A first for Lone on this album is the introduction of outside collaborators. IDM mainstay Machinedrum is heard playing guitar and singing on "As a Child" and "Cthulhu," while the soft-voiced Anneka is featured on "Spirals." The appearance of these organic instruments is a welcome addition, offering short breaks from the mechanical repetitiveness of the rest of the album. For listeners that like their electronic music with a pulse (both literally and figuratively), this release will be a rewarding experience.