Razaq El Toro’s Lagos Loft has a pulse that never wanes.
I never thought the day would come, but I actually miss going to parties. I miss hearing excited voices even before entering somebody’s home and then walking in and having the convivial energy wash over me. Listening to Razaq El Toro’s Lagos Loft is the closest I’ve come to feeling that energy in three years.
Lagos Loft has a pulse that never wanes, and I don’t think that it’s possible to listen to these four songs without moving your body, even if it’s just shyly in your chair like I do. El Toro, a Toronto-based Lagos, Nigeria-born producer and DJ, describes his vibrant sound, a mix of electro and afrobeat, as “Eko Electronic (Lagos Electronic).” Each track is a collaboration between El Toro and a vocalist (or instrumentalist or producer), which puts friendship at their core and fosters the feeling that every song is a party. El Toro himself says, “the project is inspired by the intimate gatherings in an alternative, swanky space in Lagos, Nigeria.” “No Love Lust (Ft. Ezi, Sensei Lo, KYU)” sounds curious and playful, reminding me of the spark that can happen when eyes meet across a room. “Risky Hotline, Pt. 1 (Ft. Revy B, Martinses)” and “The Flow Comma (Ft. Moncliche and KYU)” are moodier with denser layers of beats that seem to sizzle with possibility just like a night out with friends does. On “LoFi FuJi,” a song that has an entrancingly twinkling synth melody, Idris Lawal describes the vitality of Lagos Loft as a whole when he sings, “I pull up, I don’t tip-toe.”
Come on in; the party is waiting for you.
