13.07.18

Lotic’s first LP sees the Houston-born producer – who broke through in 2015 as a resident of the wild and experimental Berlin party Janus – lend their futuristic vision a heavy injection of hometown influences, including syrup-thick hip-hop and Texas marching bands.

The latter influence, which informs many of the record’s mangled rhythms, makes things especially interesting. On Heart, a rowdy snare section thunders beneath the track’s mournful crooning and icy keys. On Resilience, Lotic crushes a similar rhythm into lo-fi digital detritus, the sound of which flutters amid warm washes of synth. Power also features tracks where, for the first time, we hear Lotic’s voice.

This creates welcomed moments of vulnerability and defiance. Hunter’s whispered mantra – “acting real feminine/ make ‘em vomit” – speaks of the fragility of power, and the ease with which those who wield it are made upset. On Nerve, the producer delivers gossipy lines with playful menace over a strangely straightforward beat. On closer Solace, they deliver a soulful performance, thick with loss and reminiscent of Arca’s 2017 output. Perhaps Power’s greatest quality is that while it’s no less experimental than previous EPs, Lotic’s decision to add their own vocals peels open a sensitive core inside their creations – one which you might not have spotted previously. And in vulnerability, there is power

Xavier Boucherat