The LOFT

Once upon a time (that time being the late-90s), R&B was synonymous with big-booty music videos on MTV Base and acts like Ashanti. There was always a certain template, a definite expectation, so much so that by the early 2000s, the genre had become somewhat a parody of itself. Hell, just ask B2K.

Fast forward a decade or so, and how that landscape has changed. R&B has evolved so much that it’s now possible to lump together acts like Assata Jones and How to Dress Well, the Weeknd and Ciara, or Autre Ne Veut and Rhye. On that same token, out step Miami duo Cristian Gomez and Jose Machin, aka the LOFT (who we premiered last week), with a debut album that owes a lot to the peers just mentioned.

And it’s as impressive a debut as one can expect from songs that have, until recently, been bedroom productions. Anxxxious (A.S.O.V) – a title that reflects both the adult nature and the ‘Story of Victory’ concept - is arresting on the first listen. While the influences are clear, it’s never derivative; songs like Rain, or the highlight Money, stand out on their own merit. What Anxxxious doesn’t have – and is all the better for – are those Weeknd-like vocal histrionics that seem so needlessly prevalent these days. Gomez seems aware of his limitations as a vocalist, but that doesn’t stop the tracks being heavy, breathy cuts to match any deep R&B going.

Of course, with an album so heavy and with such a definite sound, there is an element of fatigue by the time the second half of the album rolls around. Yet it takes nothing away from the fact this is one of the most impressive debuts of the year, and to the LOFT’s testament that they don’t sound like newcomers at all. It’s polished, slick, and profound (not to mention free to download), as great a calling card as any new act could ask for. - Press Play Ok

We don’t half get sent a lot of guff here at PressPLAY, but every so often something rather special finds its way to us. One such moist-making prospect is mysterious Miami-based alternative R&B project, the LOFT.

The LOFT, down to basics, are vocalist Cristian Gomez and producer Jose Machin. The duo have been teasing their upcoming debut Anxxxious (A.S.O.V), due to be released for free on July 30 – PressPLAY has had the privilege of listening to the album in its entirety, and we’d happily pay good money for something this slick. Hell, we haven’t heard a first effort this polished since the Weeknd’s House of Balloons.

In our brief chat with the secretive outfit, it’s clear that their concept album has indeed been influenced by artistes like Abel Tesfaye, How to Dress Well, JMSN, and James Blake – certainly their sound reflects this, as Anxxxious (A.S.O.V) is an aching, adult tale of love and heartbreak over some seriously shit-hot beats.

We’ll save most of our analysis for our upcoming album review, but we’ve managed to get an exclusive premiere of the LOFT’s sound to introduce to the world: Blissful Youth is the opening track to the album, the perfect taste for what’s to come, which we dare you not to be enthralled by within the first minute. Thank us later (and maybe send us a cake while you’re at it, all this foraging us makes us very hungry.) - Press Play Ok

I first picked up on Miami outfit The LOFT a few months back, with the release of their debut single, Need.Love.The.Works. Despite not writing about it at the time, their talent was more than clear, and it’s potential that’s been fulfilled on their debut LP Anxxxious. Slicker vocals, better production and just oozing with sex appeal, to tell the truth, it’s even more than I’d expected from the duo (Cristian Gomez and Jose Machin). Whilst the influences are worn proudly on their sleeves, the likes of Frank Ocean, How To Dress Well, and of course Justin Timberlake, it’s the impeccable songwriting that serve to make it such a compelling listen. - Crack In the Road

I was followed by these guys on Twitter and they are legit sick as fuck. Real experimental R&B along the lines of The Weeknd, JMSN and How To Dress Well. Don’t sleep, this is banging music. - Mad Good Music

"I think everyone takes us seriously now. The respect is there." It's rare that people who @ me on Twitter with their music are actually any good... last week I was followed by a duo called The LOFT and curiosity lead me to their Soundcloud page. What I heard surprised me; polished sounding alternative R&B. They'be been getting a lot of praise online, so naturally had to get an exclusive interview with them! Read on to introduce yourselves to The LOFT. You won't regret it.


Whats up and welcome to Mad Good Music! Who are you and where are you from?
We are Cristian Gomez, and Jose Machin; I’m Chilean and Jose is Cuban, but we’ve spent enough time in Miami to call this place home.
Are you guys a standard singer/producer duo? Tell us how you came to meet and how you create songs together.
We started a band back in High school, a post-hardcore group. Jose tried out for us for keys back then cause he was friends with my guitar player at the time. First practice, he was in. Jose was actually the only member to quit the band and shortly after he left the rest of us had an altercation about new members and split up. We were very good friends, so we hung out a lot, and that led to us fucking around with music. We had a lot of different sounds at first because we weren’t serious. But two years ago, we actually began writing. The writing process is usually Jose making the beat, alone at home or with me sitting next to him and as soon as I hear something to vibe on, I begin freestyling vocals to come up with melodies and flows. Then after deciding what song that’s going to be, what concept it fits, I add the lyrics which are already written before hand.
Your music is labelled as “experimental R&B”, a genre which has risen to prominence recently with artists like The Weeknd, JMSN, Miguel etc. What sets you apart from these guys, as comparisons will be inevitable?
Well, we’ve made a few songs we feel that these guys wouldn’t really do. The album’s opening tracks aren’t their vibe. Maybe Miguel but definitely not the other two. I mean we’re huge fans of these guys and The Weeknd is our favorite artist, but we feel we’re a lot different. One thing that sets us apart is that we don’t sample. We made all of the sounds and I guess the lyrical content is similar to JMSN’s but not all too much to The Weeknd, because we’re not where he is and we’re different people living different lives. We’ve gotten The Weeknd comparison a number of times, but it’s totally expected when making music within a genre. People look towards the face of the movement and right now that’s The Weeknd. Not many people make the JMSN comparison, because he’s not as well known. What we get the most is Justin Timberlake meets The Weeknd and that to us is an amazing comparison. It’s nice being put together with names like that.
R&B was also considered a bit of a joke for quite a while. How do you feel about the 90’s/early 00’s R&B and has it changed now for the better?
In the 90’s R&B was popping! Ginuwine, R. Kelly, Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, Jagged Edge, Dru Hill, the smooth cats like Boyz II Men, and Blackstreet and even a little bit before that was Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, Arethra and Michael Jackson, all wonderful soul artists that paved the way for what the sound is now. Yeah, in the 2000’s we lost R&B a bit. There were still some solid R&B songs throughout those years, but after Usher’s Confessions I feel shit just went downward. We saw Usher hop on club beats with Pitbull and all singers follow the trend. You couldn’t get R&B vocals without a cheesy EDM beat. That’s why I flipped out in 2011, when all of this began happening. Modern R&B, Alt R&B, Indie R&B, PBR&B whatever the fuck you want to call it, is a very good thing for soul music. It has changed for the better.
You’ve just released your new mixtape Anxxxious. Tell us a bit about the creative process behind it and how it came to fruition. What’s the story behind it?
Album. Initially we wanted to call it a mixtape but then realized it’s all original content. We were actually going to throw away this whole album at one point. It was worked on over a year, we just wrote a song and began fitting them to the concept I wanted the album to be. “Blissful Youth” is the oldest song on there. It was written in 2011, I think, and then we just added tracks and re-wrote the old ones. I made a song back then about someone, so I changed the person it was about to fit my current life. This is a concept album based on my (Cris’s) old relationship, a tormented love story if you will.
From tracks 1 to 14, we’re introduced to the love, we witness the doubts, we’re there when things begin to go sour, when the love is gone, when the love turns to hate, when that hate is let go and to not caring about the woman anymore and being in the process of getting over all that she did.
What song are you most proud of on there? Break it down a little bit for us. I think our personal fave at MGM is “SIX”.. or maybe “Demon Woman”.
Jose’s personal favorite is “Goodbyes & Cloudy Skies” because it went from being an okay beat, to then getting re-worked and becoming an amazing mood track. Also what he did with the time measurements, the jazz chords and the way the sounds mesh in the chorus of the track is fucking nuts. My proudest song…. It’s hard to say. I feel “Truth” is one I really dig because it sounds exactly as it should. It’s the sad song and it has that emotion. I feel like I sound in pain, torn; there’s this feel behind the vocals that came out dope. But as a song, “Want”. I love the vibe behind that, but also I’m one of those artists that falls in love with his art, so right now hard for me to say. I love this entire album. We’re both extremely proud of it, it honestly came out so much better than we ever thought it would.
The whole project is 100% just you guys. Was this an intentional decision to showcase what you can do on your own?
Yeah, we kind of disconnected ourselves from everyone. Most people we knew didn’t even think we were still making music. The only person who knew what we were doing was our studio engineer, the producer; not the beatsmith but the actual producer. This was a two man thing throughout the pre-production and then when we went to the studio the project adopted a new man. But besides that, it was secretive until the days we started releasing our video teasers. People tripped. I think everyone takes us seriously now. The respect is there.
In the future if you could collaborate with anyone, would you? If so, who? (could be another artist and/or another producer.)
We would. Having Jose link up with producers like Shlohmo, Clams Casino and Illangelo would be nuts. As an artist Jose’s down to work with Waka Flocka Flame. For me, any other talented singer. I’d love to one day meet and work with Justin Timberlake, Drake, Usher, The Weeknd, JMSN and James Blake. The list goes on and on, I’d be very interested in working with people and me as a singer maybe vibing over a SBTRKT beat. Something from Kanye would be dope. Timbaland? I’m open to many collaborations.
What kind of music inspires you? And what are you listening to in general at the moment?
Any kind of music really. My vocals obviously derive themselves from R&B/soul styles, but we find ourselves listening to UK electronic music. The whole electronic soul movement, alternative R&B, hip-hop and some indie. Everything really…Too many names to mention.
What’s next for The Loft in the near future? Working on a new project or will you be promoting Anxxxious more first?
We have two more albums with 13 tracks each I believe. The second one is already done and we should be heading to the studio to begin tracking that in a few months. We’re almost done with the third album, instrumentally. We write a lot of music. But yes, for now the focus is Anxxxious. We didn’t expect as much attention as we’re getting so now with this taste of potential, we need to do everything in our power to get this album heard by the world and hopefully we can build our name up to great levels with this first release.
Speaking of the future, where do you plan to be in 5 years time?
I see myself in my city penthouse or loft, returning home from a long day in the studio with a very attractive woman, pouring two glasses of Remy Martin XO and offering a full plate of sliced Brie cheese, turning on my amazing stereo system to bump something vibe like “Holy Other” and then… doing things, sensual things.. (Laughs). On a serious note, we just want to keep writing music. We see ourselves making this our career and being able to enjoy the blessing that is having people allow you to do what you love.
Anything else you’d like to say to Mad Good Music and the UK?
Thanks for the love and thanks for the support. We expect to establish a more solid relationship with you and all of the other friendly English people that dig what we’re doing. We love the UK. It’s funny because you guys have been showing the most love, so thanks.
Thanks for your time. Really hope we can link up again, I predict big things from you guys! Don’t forget Mad Good for any new releases!
Heard, we won’t homie thanks. Greetings to all from Cristian and Jose; The LOFT. Love ya’ll.
FOLLOW THE LOFT ON TWITTER: @ThatLOFTMusic
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST THE LOFT PROJECT: Here. - Mad Good Music

There is something so special about simplicity and capturing a solitary moment in time. In new music video for “Rain” by Miami Based experimental R&B duo The Loft, a man stands alone and mourns for a relationship that is not explicitly shown, only described through the visuals and chilling background synths. It feels as though we’ve all been there as he stands underneath the downpour, because sometimes in these situations the world just stops revolving. Your heart sinks and there is nothing left to be had but that contemplation. It’s a dismal, rock bottom moment but there is also a distinct message of hope throughout. The smooth as silk vocals, an interchanging beat that perfectly synchs up with the lightning flashes and torrential rain, we truly believe that it will turn around for him. - EarMilk

Fresh on my radar is a duo from Miami named The LOFT, and their melancholic debut single Rain is one silken, sultry, electronic R&B gem. The slow burning, passionate debut seems to channel some The Weeknd and R&B leaning Ellie Goulding, but with more of an alt pop inflection, ie. a little The Neighbourhood and The 1975 thrown in. It’s one sexy, atmospheric jam fleshed out with deliciously ominous undertones. The LOFT is currently working on an untitled EP for later this year. - I Heart Moosiq

The Loft is a duo consisting of r&b style singer Cristian Gomez and beatsmith Jose Machin. They have been making music for quite some time, but only have come out under the radar as of recent. They come to light under the name of The Loft, sporting styles such as downtempo, ambient, and r&b.

They're making moves to release their debut EP called Anxxxious, which is due to drop soon. However, you can get that leg up on your friends only here at EARMILK. "Lying and Deceiving" is a single off of this EP, which captures the essence of what The Loft is all about. This particular tune is atmospheric without much overbearing effects. Despite the airiness, there is a contradicting weight brought in by passionate vocals. The atmospheric effects and the vocals trade paint and find some sort of equilibrium to balance one another out. There is much to come from this promising duo, so keep a good ear out!

We've all lied and deceived someone in our lives. So dim the lights, and fight the good fight. - EarMilk

It’s getting tense up in here. After their last release ‘Rain’, we’ve been patiently waiting to see what The LOFT would end up doing next. ‘Lying & Deceiving‘ shows the much more helpless side of the duo, moving away from their haunting début. Gentle strings glisten under a vocal of pure despair, recounting a love that does nothing more than cause pain. This is one of those sit by the window whilst its raining with a single tear strolling down your cheek. Or maybe that’s just me. That’s definitely just me. - Bang Tidy

Take a listen to ‘Lying & Deceiving’ by Florida duo The Loft. Linking the aesthetics of contemporaries like The Weeknd and Julian, the track delves into a silky R&B jam with woozy beats spearheaded by soft drums, crisp claps and simmering synths. Not to mention those foggy, plush vocals. Whilst you’re at it, give ‘Rain‘, their debut single a spin too. - Pin Board Blog

Check out the latest single from Miami, Florida outfit The Loft, probably more know for the single ‘The Rain‘ (released earlier this year). My best description would be something different, yet progressively The Weeknd. - Content Dope

The LOFT has released a new single to get the internet buzzing about their upcoming project, an untitled EP set for release later this year. The Miami based duo goes in over eerie synths and ominous drum beats, delivering a strong track. We’re excited to hear what else that have in store for us this year. - TOAN Magazine

The LOFT is a Miami based collaborative duo comprised of Cristían Gomez and Jose Machin; Gomez originally from Chile and Machin from Cuba. They are currently working on their untitled EP which will be later released this year. We love their debut track ‘Rain,’ there is a likeness to The Weeknd. - Fashion Soundtrack

Alt-R&B, eh? One of those fledgling genres that continually causes downtime on our SoundCloud streams, before offering a laidback reminder that evoking heartbreak doesn’t always have to sound so audibly depressing. On ‘Rain’, Miami based duo The Loft – comprised of Cristían Gomez and Jose Machin – veil themselves with an aura of mystery, yet it’s their vocal themes that emit the clearest image; drenching down-tempo synths with vocals succumbing to the struggles of a relationship. Sad, maybe. But with a warped drum beat pumping your heart back into action, it’s hard to feel down about much at all. You can take a listen to ‘Rain’ below: - Planet Notion

The LOFT is a powerful alternative/experimental R&B collaboration. The duo comprises of Cristían Gomez originally from Chile and Jose Machin hailing from Cuba.

Their debut single, “Rain” was recently released, surprising listeners with its mellow yet evocative rhythms. The first words you hear are, “when it rains, it pours”, sets the tone for the rest of the song, captivating listeners by the undeniably vulnerable vocals.

“Rain” unveils itself as a multi-layered track with a drum beats that keeps you in the sway of the melancholic tone and story-telling element embedded within the track.

If more material resembling ‘Rain’ is to be produced, then fans will be highly anticipating their forthcoming EP that they are currently working on, set to be released later on this year.

Have a listen for yourself, it’s also free to download, - Musicumpire

"When it rains it pours." Those are the first words we hear from The Loft in their latest single 'Rain'. With an opening line like that the tone is pretty much set for the rest of the track.

Rain, in general, carries with it connotations of darkness, dullness and sadness but it can also create feelings of hope and safety as the water washes away any bad feelings. The reason I am saying all this is because it relates so much to this track. The Loft immediately create a downcast feeling with those vulnerable lyrics and slow, melancholic beats in the background but there is a sense of hopefulness in there and a feeling that even though it may be pouring rain now, all is not lost. The rain has to clear at some point right?

Cristían Gomez and Jose Machin have succeeded in creating a multi-layered track overflowing with interpretations and emotions. There is so much to this creation that is deserves more than just one listen so do not waste any time in pressing play on 'Rain' below. - DropOut UK

I’m not entirely sure why you would name yourself after an area of storage found under a roof, but I’m not here to be throwing speculative answers or even question it. You see, new track ‘Rain‘ from the Miami-based duo, comprised of Chilean Cristían Gomez and Cuban Jose Machin (best names ever for new GTA characters #justsaying [oh God, I've just hash-tagged]), is a moody little number that haunts as much as it soothes. Layering smooth vocals over a track that would probably give your Nan a heartache, especially if played on Halloween, ‘Rain’ acts as an insight into the more melancholic side of the sunny party place that is Miami. - Bang Tidy

Introducing The LOFT, an experimental R&B duo coming out of Miami.

“Rain” is the first release I’ve heard from Cristían Gomez and Jose Machin, and it’s commanded my full attention. There’s something about the minimalistic, hard-hitting chorus that refuses to leave the caverns of my dome. It’s sleek, it’s dark, it’s eerie, it’s in a similar vein as The Weeknd, and it’s new age R&B in all it’s glory. - The Chuckness

Florida duo The Loft (Cristían Gomez and Jose Machin) first popped up on the CitR pages back in August of last year, with the release of their debut demo mixtape Anxxxious (A.S.O.V.) which has since disappeared from the web. Having stripped everything back, their starting again from square one, with the release of Rain, a reworked track from the aforementioned release. Part Justin Timberlake, part The Weeknd, it’s sure to build anticipating for whatever is to follow. - Crack In the Road

If you haven’t gotten familiar with the sounds of The Loft, worry not, we got you. Today The Loft is back with another extremely dope offering for our ears to devour, a smooth cut called “Rain”. The track is a melodic driven, EDM inspired cut that finds The Loft showing off a unique sound, an infectious vibe, and giving us something incredibly smooth to rock with. - Stupid DOPE

The track is pushed by something addictive, that is highly contagious, from the melodies to the drum work, to the vocal performance, the track will catch you instantly. As the cut progresses, we get a ton of reasons to become fans of The Loft. Check out the track above and speak your mind on it down below. Stay tuned for more from The Loft coming soon! - Face 2 Face Magazine

Our Introducing... series focuses on artists who we think are worth shouting about. Here we have Miami-based R&B twosome, The Loft.
Here at Bearded we aim to shed light on acts who don't necessarily have giant labels or muscley budgets waving banners behind them. This Introducing series will focus on artists who we think are great, regardless of how much hype surrounds them or where their origin story lays.

Bio
Name: The Loft
Location: Miami, Florida
Genre: R&B
Similar Artists: The Weeknd, Drake
Contact: Twitter
Events: Debut single 'Rain' available now.

Miami denizens and collaborateurs Cristían Gomez (from Chile) and Jose Machin (from Cuba) are The Loft. Together, they spout emotive noir&B like geysers spewing Cristal laced with benzos. Offerings so far are scant, but coverage is bountiful – the twosome have siphoned plenty of attention their way, and rightly so.
'Rain', so far the only ditty available on The Loft's Soundcloud page, is a masterclass on modern nu-wave R&B. Sparse, far-reaching beats echo through the shadows of soft, sinister bass pulses; the midnight-hued synth pads/hooks are similarly brittle. The vocals, from Gomez, are utterly sodden with gasping, asphyxiated emotion. As he croons, slipping into falsettos and roughly-hewn sample blurts, he unveils an ode to hope. The song, though brazenly dark in its demeanour, is poised to the light, and deals with overcoming mortal wounds in relationships.

We've not seen much from The Loft, but given the amount of jaws they've blown clean off with 'Rain', not to mention their upcoming as-yet-untitled EP, it's looking increasingly likely that we'll bear witness to a meteoric rise from the Floridean duo. - Bearded Magazine

It feels so good to see a band doing their thing, and keeping true to their sound. The Miami-based duo have already made my heart cry with 'Realize'/'Satisfy' from their debut album Anxxxious (A.S.O.V.), and they've got me again with 'Rain'. Shout out to the 405's Larry Day for reminding me about these two. Lovely! - The 405

Miami electronic-RnB duo The Loft make their debut with the sensual “Rain.” The song features a dark atmosphere, an ominous drum beat, and airy, heartbroken melodies. The sparse texture brings out the singer’s confessional performance about trying to find hope in a failing relationship. To match the minimalist track, the music video is a static shot of a man standing in the rain. As cars pass by and the rain pours down, the man stays still, letting life pass him by. It may be simple, but the video is incredibly effective in bringing out the desperation of the song. I only hope he doesn’t catch a cold!

You can download “Rain” right from the band’s Soundcloud page. - Absolute Magazine

After the success of their mixtape, The LOFT have been slowly taking all their tracks off the internet, in an attempt to relaunch themselves. It begins with “Rain”, their first single. With a simple yet effective video, this is a pretty desperate-sounding song – but it’s bloody lovely. In case anyone forgot, we interviewed The LOFT way back last year. - Mad Good Music

TheLOFT are a Miami based alt-RnB duo comprised of Cristian Gomez and Jose Machin, and the pair prepare to release their as of yet untitled debut EP later this year on Sandy Ent (also home to the alluring songstress SLK). Giving us a taste of what we can expect from the boys' debut EP is 'Rain', a melancholdy RnB track built around eerie synths and sinister drum beats, the half-sung/half-spoken vocals offering a contemplative view on relationship struggles. Watch the video for 'Rain' below: - The Shirker

The Music Ninja premiered and features The LOFT's latest single 'Survive' from their 'Hell Lives Here' EP - The Music Ninja

Niko Javan talks taking his own path away from trap music and collaborating on The LOFT for his new, ambient project. Trench. - The Miami New Times

Daily Chiefers speaks about new single 'Glass Walls' a collaborative effort between the official 'Underachievers' producer Nick Leon and The LOFT. - Daily Chiefers

Premiere of collaborative single between Miami creatives, Nick Leon & The LOFT. - Bluntiq

Feature from CitrusRap on 'Glass Walls' - CitrusRap

Forward thinking heavyweight 'IDOL' magazine speaks on The LOFT's first single from their forthcoming 'Brickell' EP. - IDOL Magazine

Miami soundscapes collide in the first track off the highly anticipated 'Brickell EP'. Room With A View brings forth sensual vibes on top of 80's rhythms. - BEAT Magazine

The LOFT is interviewed by Music Fest News - Music Fest News

World premiere of The LOFT's debut 'Anxxxious''' EP - Complex UK

The two artists speak on their beautifully crafted collaborative effort. - The New Times - Broward

Rain from The LOFT is placed on amongst a great list of music. - Thought Catalogue

FAME discovers the music of The LOFT. - FAME Magazine

Bang Tidy is going absolutely mad with the release of three new songs on the Anxxxious EP. - Bang Tidy

Bang Tidy talks Demon Woman, the third single from the Anxxxious EP. - Bang Tidy

UK's premiere music writers Pin Board talks The LOFT's 'Demon Woman' - Pin Board

The second single from 'Brickell' Streets sees the light of day through Artistic Manifesto. - Artistic Manifesto