Lorn

Lorn represents the work of Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Marcos Ortega, who functions as an electronic producer, composer, and DJ. Early immersion in sound led Ortega to commit to music professionally once the dark, hypnotic, and schizophrenic qualities of Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" proved irresistible. His initial breakthrough arrived through a remix of grime MC Jammer's "Better Than," after which he moved away from eight- and 16-bar loops suited to scratch beat remixes, allowing his pieces to expand in length and accumulate greater textural depth. This evolution brought Lorn substantial attention throughout the mid- to late 2000s.

After signing to the independent label Wednesday Sound, he issued multiple EPs that began with 7&13 in 2006, followed in later years by Grief Machine in 2007 and the DRUGS EP, a joint project with labelmate Dolor. In 2010 Ortega transferred from Wednesday Sound to Brainfeeder, the imprint founded by experimental recording artist Flying Lotus, and delivered his first full-length album, Nothing Else. English electronic artist Clark handled mastering duties on the release, which earned broad critical praise for its consistent evocation of melancholy, paranoia, and aggression through an unwavering dark electronic palette and crystalline production.

Further visibility came when Lorn's tracks featured in various video games and television programs, including the U.S. police/crime drama C.S.I. Subsequent touring alongside Amon Tobin, GonjaSufi, and Mary Anne Hobbs preceded work on a second album. Titled Ask the Dust after the 1939 novel by John Fante, the record appeared in 2012 on Ninja Tune. While preserving the earlier darkness, it introduced fresh energy through an aural canvas of "glitched-out soul music" that also integrated heavily manipulated vocal samples with the haunting and visceral melancholy of prior material.

A new venture emerged in 2014 when Ortega partnered with composer Tyler Bates to create the official score for the Killzone: Shadow Fall video game. He returned to Wednesday Sound for his third album, Vessel, which he elected to issue quietly on New Year's Eve in 2015.