Lone

Review: Before Lone became one of Britain's most celebrated kaleidoscopic rave fusionists with the R&S-released Echolations EP and Galaxy Garden LP, he was best known as a beat-maker with a passion for experimental MPC rhythms and dreamy exotica samples. The highlight of this portion of his career was undoubtedly debut album Lemuria, which here gets a deluxe reissue - with new artwork - on vinyl. It still sounds just as magical, dusty, picturesque and otherworldly as it did back then, with brief moments of rush-inducing clarity nestling side by side with jazz-flecked workouts and shimmering, Boards of Canada-go-glitch beatscapes.

Review: A new Lone album from Matt Cutler represents an about turn away from the more mellow tones found on 2014's Reality Testing back in favour for the rave tropes that characterised his output circa Pineapple Crush. The nine tracks on Levitate are rife with the energetic fervour of hardcore and jungle, blending peppy tempos and nimble drum licks with the trademark graceful melodies one would expect from a Lone record. You should be familiar with "Backtail Was Heavy," already been premiered via a phone line service and "Vapour Trail" which formally announced Levitate and the other seven cuts from Lone show Cutler is at the top of his game.

Review: Midlands retrovert Mat Cutler aka Lone returns on Ambivert Tools Volume One. Inspired in no small part by the rich seam of house that he's been excavating with his fine Magicwire imprint, this is where the guy shows you all once again just how dusty and lo-fi things can actually get. Starting off with the early nineties rave stomp of "Crush Mood", on the flip there's some deeper strains of classic throwback sounds in the form of the lovely "Chroma" with its neon lit synths and vintage drum computer sounds working in perfect harmony while "From A Past Life" calls to mind Derrick Carter's Oneiro project from the nineties on this rolling and hypnotic jam which is so damn lush!

Review: While now revered just as much for his kaleidoscopic, all-action club tracks as his similarly colourful downtempo explorations, it should never be forgotten that Lone began life as a maker of skewed, head-in-the-clouds beats. For this fine contribution to the DJ Mix series, the DJ/producer has decided to take us on a whirlwind tour of his influences and inspirations, brilliantly joining the dots between sunrise-friendly ambient, melodious electronic, blazed hip-hop, dazzling experimental beat-scapes, loved-up house and futurist techno. It's a thrillingly eclectic set, but one that holds together brilliant. While this is in part due to the use of a number of his own productions, it's also testament to his immense skill as a DJ.