Astute world-building inspired by unconventional club electronics...
A label that truly emerged from the internet era; an exploration of Sheffield's LOFS back catalog reveals a pixelated landscape within a digital realm, accompanied by elastic club music that reflects the onset of a modern age and ponders its future, yet feels like it could have been transmitted from 2099. Genres like grime, juke, techno, jungle, ambient, pop, glitch, hip-hop, and dubstep find their place here, positioned near the dancefloor; in a sci-fi green room inhabited by three-eyed beings with antennas, where the alien in charge of the aux is spinning tracks from aya and Oneohtrix Point Never to Objekt and A.G. Cook.
‘Fueled by optimism and sonic energies,’ much of LOFS's output is conceptual. Each release features a brief narrative that sets the scene for each science fiction journey, weaving a fictional tale of alternative timelines, AI evolution, folklore, and mythology, rather than indulging in unnecessary jargon or self-generated hype. Originating in the Midlands, the label showcases releases from locals like 96 Back, Oshi Moon, Number One, Renslink, and producer Olson, who presents the label's latest and most comprehensive project to date.
Olson organizes the LOFS x Crend Request Party '2 Crends Deep' alongside the rest of the LOFS team, often moving beyond his more tranquil ambient style to close the night with a mix of dance music, including jungle, footwork, techno, and more. His newest album, ‘Diegesis,’ explores the experience of being a character within the dream of a universal consciousness. Serving as a soundtrack to the continuously unfolding narrative of reality, ‘Diegesis’ offers an auditory meditation on the storytelling aspect of existence.
The nine-track album unfolds like a wistful dream. Echoing drums, ethereal soundscapes, decontextualized voices, chirping birds, rain, and transformative moments of reflective bliss create sensations of utter weightlessness; yielding to the unyielding nature of life and submerging into warm waters that keep you afloat. Drawing influences from auto-tuned pop and wave— a genre rooted in grime yet featuring hyper-emotive melodies reminiscent of Pholo, Vexxy, and Mssngno— as well as contemporary classical music, Olson’s ‘Diegesis’ encompasses the full spectrum of ambient sounds; a calming salve of wandering clouds on an ideally overcast day, with the outside world fading into the background.
8/10
Words: Andrew Moore
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A label that has genuinely emerged from the internet era; an exploration of Sheffield's LOFS back catalogue evokes a pixelated landscape within a digital realm.