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LONE 'REALITY TESTING' (BEST ALBUM)

Lone's latest record is a future classic destined to be returned to again and again...

“I love the idea of my records being found in a second-hand record shop in years to come,” ponders Matt Cutler. “Some kid just picking up this mad weird record from a certain time that’s really surprising.”

That’s how the Nottingham-born producer found most of his favourite records after all, rifling through the racks as a young hip-hop obsessive, or being passed old rave tape-packs.

Thing is, it seems unlikely that ‘Reality Testing’ will share the same fate. Not that it isn’t “mad and weird” or won’t blow your mind, but because his sixth Lone album seems more destined to end up in the exalted ranks alongside the likes of ‘Leftism’, ‘Smoker’s Delight’ and ‘Untrue’ as an album that any musical connoisseur — electronic music aficionado or not — should own. Combining the hip-hop beatsmithery of his earlier 2008 album ‘Lemurian’ with the housier flavours of 2012’s ‘Galaxy Garden’, ‘Reality Testing’ manages to be even more than the sum of those excellent parts, containing some of the best beats to emanate from Manchester — the city Matt now calls home — since the heyday of Grand Central, suffused with the endorphin rush of the dancefloor.
“The premise was to produce an album of house and hip-hop tracks but both produced in the same way,” he explains. “It’s definitely the most subtle thing I’ve done so I’m quite surprised by the reaction to it. But I put a lot of work into it and a lot of emotion so maybe people relate to that.”

One emotion Matt isn’t feeling is stress however, as he reveals when DJ Mag asks him about the challenge of following ‘Reality Testing’ up. “Rather than there being pressure, this award has spurred me on. I’m just really excited to get on and surprise people.”

Although if one thing’s certain, whatever he comes up with will be worth the wait.

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