In early 2012, Lone dropped his album Galaxy Garden on R&S Records. His debut for the label was less an injection of colour, more a full-on explosion. Born of the memory of finding boxes of 90s hardcore cassettes in his friends dad's cupboard, Galaxy Garden melted down rave nostalgia into hedonistic chord progressions, jungle-inflected drum patterns and dreamy vocal harmonies - and sent heads reeling once animator Konx-om-Pax got his hands on it, too. Here was a debut that smacked of intrigue, personality, memory, and a playfulness that felt often muted in the UK scene at the time.
Now, Lone returns with his new album Reality Testing, which we're pleased to bring you the premiere of in full.
If Galaxy Garden was his insistent forward-thrust into the world, Reality Testing sees Lone find a spot, lean back and take it all in. The 90s rave influences of previous years have ebbed away, and in their place another sort of personal nostalgia; a rediscovery of hip hop that shows Lone at his most considered, and makes Reality Testing a genuine delight to hear.