Lorca – If I Told You

Label: 2020 Midnight Visions

Brighton’s Lorca first caught our attention last year with his debut solo release on Dummy, a catchy 12” which married distinctive dusty soundcraft with a bubbling energy that worked a treat on the dancefloors. He followed this with one of 2012’s most sought-after London white labels in the form of his unstoppable Faith Evans edit, which made it into our list of the year’s best tracks. Now the young producer takes to 2020 Midnight Visions  for his most substantial release to date. The energy is at a lower ebb here, but opener Have I Told You is a welcome return for Lorca’s sound, his distinctive organic percussion settling into a dusty 2step shuffle which underpins a catchy vocal hook, airy synth accents and atmosphere to spare. The moody cut is also given a functional remix by rising star Citizen, which sets the core elements into a simpler house framework with light Jersey-style synthwork which increases the tune’s dancefloor potential but never really manages to take off.

 

The two deeper cuts which sit in between are a mixed bag, with second cut Giant Stars offering a spare take on the opener’s formula which, despite a delicate selection of woodblock percussion, ultimately fails to stand out. Third cut Searching goes downbeat with more success, an addictive number where an emotive vocal snip lazily emerges over the course of the tune alongside swan-diving bass throbs and crystal-sharp fingerclicks. The If I Told You EP doesn’t quite carry the elated urgency that made Lorca’s earlier releases so special, but the return of the producer’s distinctive lofi sound palette hints at a talented producer who has a lot left to give, but is perhaps yet to establish a solid voice.

7/10