Multi-instrumentalist producer and fine artist, Lomea has announced the release of his second album, Echoes in Bloom to be released on 31st May and shared its first single, entitled ‘You are Your Memories’ (19th April) via Here & Now Recordings. Lomea’s music has been championed by the likes of Nick Luscombe from Late Junction on BBC Radio 3, as well as Nemone from BBC 6 Music’s Nemone Electric Ladyland and an array of blogs. While this album is self-produced, Lomea has worked with David Baron, most notably known for his work with The Lumineers, Jade Bird, Bat for Lashes, Lenny Kravitz and Shawn Mendes, to name but a few.
Born on the outskirts of south London, Lomea grew up with dreams of being a drummer and lived that dream out by fashioning a makeshift drum kit form whatever he could find around his home. By the age of ten, the artist was able to get classical guitar lessons and further his skill set. However, once the metal bug bit, Lomea moved on to electric guitar. While Lomea did not come from a musical family per se, he did grow up around his father’s love for prog rock and his mother’s devotion to Cat Stevens. He says this and the natural environment of his home town helped shape his own musical outlook as well as serve as musical inspiration.
Lomea cites a range of artists who have served as inspiration over the years from across the globe and back again. From legends Radiohead to trip-hop giants Massive Attack, the experimental jazz of Jaga Jazzist along with the dream pop/Ambient stylings of Sigur Ros. Lomea shapes his own sound out of fragments best compared to the electronic world Amon Tobin and Matthew Herbert with the minimalistic air of Steve Reich and a touch of Cinematic Orchestra and Alva Noto.
The album features ten full instrumental songs combining the organic sound of gentle guitar picking with electronic ambience, giving breath and space to the tracks. Lomea demonstrates his deep understanding of melody and intricate time signatures, where often it’s difficult to find a marriage between, he has thread their union with synth-wave silk.
‘You are Your Memories’ immediately hits you with pumping bass as synth teases outward from the centre, like a spider spreading its legs. Never dropping tempo, the song keeps building up and outward, adding layer upon layer, feeling out the space as it expands with both darker and lighter tones. Delicate guitar picking coincides with tribal percussion before the song takes an even deeper earthy turn and then just explodes with all of the components of the song before quickly retracted its legs again.
Lomea explains that ‘You are Your Memories’ is “… a techno track, more or less. This album’s Votive (from my debut Narratives), albeit with a much broader, cinematic scope.”