Lotic – Power

The issues surrounding who has and who can wield power have become entrenched in society and, in recent times, have come to the fore once again. After losing their apartment and going through a self-reflective period, it’s a theme that Berlin-based producer Lotic has been navigating for two years, musing on both power and empowerment. Unsurprisingly, the concept manifests itself throughout their debut album.

Power sometimes addresses its theme explicitly, as on Hunted, where Lotic whispers repeated lyrics that tackle how white, cis gazes can fall on black, non-cis people. But it’s an album that also implicitly addresses these issues through its deft and layered instrumentals, often straddling the line between the harsh and muscular, the soft and twinkling. It’s the motif that keeps bringing into sharp relief a kind of musical power-play. With Bulletproof, Lotic presents a cacophony of crashing, percussive noise that drags the listener in, Nerve takes on a trap vibe, while Distribution of Care adds an organic, orchestral element to the clamour.

Through it all, Lotic maintains a deep sense of nuance, sounds constantly morphing and remaining grippingly vital, still with great emotional intensity around every corner. Heart is a simultaneously pulsating yet tender ballad where Lotic and NON Records' Moro exchange verses. It captures the inherent power embedded within Lotic’s debut, one that explores the conceptual recesses in vital fashion.  

Listen to: Heart