One could almost begin to think this is a musical tour de force. On Hyperphantasia, Lone charges ahead at maximum intensity, sounding exactly as overblown as the accompanying cover looks. Once again, he shows how to bring kitsch, pop and rave into a coherent whole – tongue in cheek, as they would say in England.
Thus, a computer voice on »Opening A Portal« wonders whether vocals are in fact real words or merely gibberish. In club music in particular, that most thoroughly functional of genres, this amounts to pure existentialism. But it is not all brain – there is more than enough dance here too. Take the opener »Life Spark«, which sounds as though it were elegantly mocking both the trance hype of recent years and the stodgy seriousness of conceptronica at the same time.
But that is only half the story: Lone loves helium voices and is drawn to the garish with at least as much sincerity as he despises artistic stodginess. Just because his tracks squeak – see Evian Christ – does not make them gimmicks. Just because humour is present does not make Hyperphantasia a lightweight album. That is borne out by the tactile, fizzing downtempo rap with Juga-Naut on »Throw The Ember«, the four-to-the-floor pop with Ell Murphy that recalls early Disclosure on »We Move«, and the fluffy breakbeats with fine-boned rave pianos and further indicators of excess on »Waterfall Reverse«.
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Hyperphantasia
