- The lead single from This Side Of Paradise, the upcoming second album by Cologne duo COMA, "Lora" is about as gentle and classy as synth pop comes. Its vocals are hushed with a slight grin at the corners, and its drums sound light and perky as they work out the polite dance beat. The hook is playful without being silly, like a cartoon love song, and every synth tone feels warmed by age. You could picture "Lora" showing up on an early Hot Chip album, maybe even Caribou, but COMA aren't overtly witty or wistful. Pop music as unassuming and pleasant as this is rarely played so straight, and that edge gives the track some unexpected mystique, as if it was written decades before the Kompakt regulars brought it back to life.
Hivern Discs affiliate and John Talabot collaborator Pional is an ideal candidate to remix "Lora," if only because it sounds like something he could've made himself. Yet he takes the music to more psychedelic, wandering spaces, which in turns feel unwieldy, curious and remarkable. If the first six minutes of the Spaniard's version sound gratuitously disjointed, those last two minutes make up for the confusing journey.
Despite the wild FX knocking around Robag Wruhme's remix, its path is more direct and satisfying. It's not unlike the dance floor material on his recent Cybekks single for Pampa, and you can actually hear some of those elements—hollowed-out bass notes, shimmering astral backdrop and homemade percussion, for instance—coursing through the spacious house jam. You'll want to bring Wruhme's cut to the club, but depending on your mood, COMA's original version wouldn't be a bad choice either.
Tracklist01. Lora
02. Lora (Pional's Trip Mix)
03. Lora (Robag's Fandara Qualv NB)