Under the moniker Lost Twin, Spanish producer Carlos R Pinto has been concocting expansive and complex beats for years, gaining the support from Tru Thoughts and contributing to Brownswood Recording’s third ‘Electr*c’ compilation. Now newly released under the Huelva based label Squaring the Circle, The Mist delves deeper into the psychedelic and the experimental, raising the bar as his most solid and complete work to date.

Hip-hop beats gently pulsate through the veins of the LP. Nodding to the likes of J Dilla and Flying Lotus, cuts like ‘Snake Snake’ and ‘Coda’ swell with heavy basslines and rattling kicks; it strikes the balance between frantically glitchy and totally controlled. In contrast, highlight of the album ‘Ego Hunter’ breaks away from the intense into the ethereal and the empty. The withdrawn and haunting vocals, layered upon fluttering synths, sedate you into a comforting kind of drowsiness, as if the world started spinning at half its speed. Of course, as the album progresses, this blissful wooziness morphs back into the heightened kaleidoscopic synth build-ups, smoothly oscillating between depth and open space from start to finish.  

Ultimately, the greatness of The Mist lies in its strength as a cohesive entity, not as a collection of eight individual tracks. It is all but too easy to become lost within the dense and rich melodies, unable to distinguish where one song ends and the other starts, leaving only a select few tracks to hold their own independently. Yet, in turn, this is a testimony to Pinto’s ability to submerge the listener deep into his soundscapes, and should be something that is celebrated.

Whilst artists like Schlomo and Lapalux have drawn from similar sonic palettes, the meticulous attention to detail and imaginative flare that the album flaunts results in an organic, not recycled, sound. Lost Twin’s refreshing take on the experimental leaves you craving more; ‘The Mist’ entices you, engulfs you, and won’t let you go.

Words: Josie Roberts

AuthorDuncan Harrison