“Like memory preserved in nostalgic aspic.”

The Independent

 

“Euphoric yet deeply textured...Easy to get lost in.”

The 405

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"Exquisite"

Mary Anne Hobbs

Hirola comprises Bristol-based producers LTO (formerly of acclaimed electronic outfit Old Apparatus, and a highly respected solo artist in his own right) and edapollo (signed as a solo act to Bad Panda and Svnset Waves). Their music together is entrancing. More expressive and human than straight computer music, much more obfuscate and abstract than pop music, Hirola’s debut offering has strength enough to scale multiple peaks.

 

Though founded in LTO’s piano playing (he is a piano teacher in his civilian life), edapollo’s vocals and the pair’s shared production alchemy, Hirola is more than just a skill-trade, but a mutual elevation and inspiration, a new concoction very different to its base materials. “It's taken a couple years of trial and error to develop a sound that's equal parts LTO and edapollo,” Hirola write.

 

The mini-album was created over those couple of years of honing and sharpening, culled from an ongoing body of work, continuously constructed, fluidly and instinctually, as a production collaboration. Eventually sending to Phantom Limb through an existing friendship, the record serves as a bird’s eye view over the span of Hirola’s production and songwriting artistry, its abundance of sound design, melody, field recordings and room-shaking bass delivering greatly, and yet promising more.

 

The record was mastered by Taylor Deupree of 12k Mastering (Loscil, Hauschka, Ryuichi Sakamoto etc.) and features original artwork created by Hirola.