Lorn – Nothine Else review

Much has been made of Lorn being the first non LA resident to feature on the forward thinking Brainfeeder imprint overseen by Flying Lotus. However, it’s worth mentioning that Nothing Else, his debut album for the imprint, is driven by Lorn’s geographical status – ‘the middle of nowhere Illinois’.

The frustrations and dark mood that have peppered his time in Milwaukee making this album have been reimagined as deep bass driven tales of urban decay. The central point of Nothing Else, typifies this perfectly as “Void 1 & 2” play out as acid washed neck snapping dubstep wastelands.

This abrasive approach to arrangement is present elsewhere, not least on “Automaton” where the quick fire percussion is pushed violently aside by the sheer force of the rising bass patterns. “Tomorrow” marks a further descent into sub woofer hell but is underpinned by strands of melancholy which Lorn expands on elsewhere – “Cherry Moon” for example, where soaring string arrangements combine with a viscous beat and sci fi synths to create one of the albums’ highlights, albeit one drenched in a sense of forlorn.

The album’s closing note “What’s The Use” provides another high point for Lorn as pounding organ sounds morph with stuttering beats and scuzzed out bass before snatches of dejected vocals signal the end. Some three years in the making, Nothing Else has succumbed to numerous sequencing permutations as Lorn has agonised about how best to present his work. Luckily for us, Nothing Else is an album steeped in sonic textures and an exciting portent of what to expect in the future.

Review: Tony Poland