When Sam Lopez started his musical project, lost spaces, he wanted to create a safe place to get away and sort out the mess in his mind. Through lost spaces, Sam began creating music heavily influenced by HalfNoise, Seoul and Toro Y Moi – and from then on, things took off. The music of lost space began speaking to indie and alternative fans leading them to play shows, including as the opening act for Korean indie rock band HYUKOH’s (혁오) KL concert and a set at Good Vibes Festival 2019.
Fast-forward to 2023, lost spaces’ music still lingers in the minds and ears of fans, even more so with the release of their sophomore album, “OCPY” (pronounced ‘occupy’). The 8-track album is one that is heavily anticipated by both fans and music critics, given that Sam took a break from music-making during the pandemic-riddled 2021. The project also marks lost spaces’ first album after signing a deal with major label powerhouse Warner Music Malaysia.
From the first track to the eighth, “OCPY” talks about the story of love – from finding it in the most unexpected way to losing it and wishing it had never left. Sam explained, “I kinda wanted to take the audience on a journey of romance & adventure where the love story slowly unravels into heartbreak and despair, ending the album with the nostalgia-inducing “daydream”.”
Sam also explained the album title, saying it illustrates how he found love and how it still occupies his heart, even after a breakup. The record chronicles the process of getting over a heartbreak by starting off the story with tracks, “TV LOVE” and “fickle.minds”, before moving to “infinity” and “away”. Grown up with pop-punk roots and moving on to discovering electronic house and synthpop, the album really showed Sam’s inspiration as the groovy tracks combined eccentric samples with lush synths, fuzzed guitars and syncopated drum beats.
But don’t let the melodies trick you because behind the funky sound are lyrics that would be more relatable to those going through heartbreaks than a good time. The second half of the album really proves this point, especially with the tracks, “face the dark” and “do you still think (about me?)”. The heartwrenching story moves on to “DOMO (dancing on my own)” and “daydream”, which talks about not wanting to let go of a love one has found – a sentiment many could resonate with.
The last four tracks also feature official visualisers, plus a music video for “DOMO (dancing on my own)”, and are now up on lost spaces’ official YouTube channel. The story behind creating the album is also worth mentioning – because the project started in Sam’s bedroom in his hometown of Ipoh and was completed in his Kelana Jaya home studio. When speaking about the process, Sam said, “I really took it as a challenge to grow as a producer and chart my own path with the soundscapes in my head, and I’m really proud with how it all came together”.
“OCPY” is now available for streaming and download on all music service platforms.
