Deep, dark new EP from Lorn, “Debris”

by Matt Caprioli

“DJ” is not an apt descriptor for Milwaukie based Marcos Ortega, aka Lorn. Listening to his latest EP, Debris, one is struck by the atmospheric quality of the songs. Like classical music, each track has, “texture” (whatever that means. But c’mon, if you’ve been captivated by classical music at some point in your life, this makes sense).

Lorn is more of an artist than a DJ. There’s a classical touch in much of his music, though it’s always conveyed through a distorted violin or cello. Lorn happens to be a classical music fan, recently posting on his Facebook page Scarlatti Sonata in B Minor, K. 87, played by Clara Haskil. Each song plays off the others, there’s a clear disposition present through the EP. The phrase, body of work, really applies to Debris. It’s less than 15 minutes. Lorn prefers quality over quantity.

Debris begins with “Introverted.” During the first listen, the song sounds like a message from outer space. But on a second listen, it starts to make sense. What’s awesome about this song is that Lorn tries to capture what it feels like to be an introvert.

Some archaic meanings of Lorn are lost, ruined, and undone. He has songs like “Burdens” and “Ghosts” and “Bury your brother.” We’re clearly dealing with a deep, darker guy.

Lorn is using the city to make his sound. It’s curiously organic. Though in this day and age, especially when you live in a city, what does organic mean? Listening to Lorn is like going to a museum. If you contemplate it deeply you will get quite a bit in return. But if you just put it on as background music, you’ll absorb some of its ambient benefits.

“On the Ice” has similar beginning to “Introverted,” but sounds lighter and simultaneously dangerous. With all of his music, it seems that Lorn wants to compose a landscape. He wants the music be interchangeable with the experience of being on ice.

At times this song reminds one of Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive”. What would “On the Ice” be like when paired with a voice? Lorn could easily move in a mainstream direction. His music that is paired with a voice, like Ghosts from his summer of 2012 album Ask the Dust, is easier to listen.

But Lorn is uninterested in easy music. Debris basically has no vocals accompanying it. It is indeed uncompromising to this particular vision: it will never be the pop in popular, but there’s no doubt that Lorn knows how to make a top 40 hit, he just chooses not to. Not to say Lorn hasn’t enjoyed some commercial success. Many a video gamer were brought to comment on his YouTube videos because of Grand Turismo 5 or Dirt 3.

“Bury your Brother” is surprisingly upbeat, with many elaborate clicks and clacks. It’s perhaps the most memorable track. Why the jolliest track has the most depressing title is curious. Lorne’s music is definitely for the pensive.

In an interview with his record Label, Ninja Tune, Lorne wrote “I wanted them to physically sound like they were picked out of some wreckage. Some lost caravan out in the desert with a crew of zero.”

Lorn achieved that goal in the last track, “Debris.” He seems to be asking, okay, find the beauty in this (pun intended) debris.

Release date: September 2, 2013