Like tomorrow’s weather
I can’t predict
What at my doorstep
You’ll bring
Lacquer, the singular vision of Madrid artist Raquel Torre, casts her spell through cool control and crystalline composition. Known for stints in Berlin and London outfits like Glaas and Retrofuture, Torre’s solo output under the Lacquer banner has steadily shifted from sparse coldwave to sleek, silvered Italo shapes. On Gone, her latest full-length, Torre pulls from the late-night loneliness of Berlin’s last call: loss lingering in drum machines, synths sighing like they’re exhaling regret. Yet there’s propulsion too: a propulsion that suggests motion over mourning.
The lead single “Magic Tricks” slinks along with bubbly Italo-disco drama, nodding off into nostalgic daydreams infused with cabaret glamour. Yet it remains tethered to the brittle beauty of early minimal synth, garnished with a slice of Strawberry Switchblade. It’s pop on the verge of disappearance, glinting briefly before dissolving into memory. Torre doesn’t bury the emotion here; she freezes it, dances through it, then disappears behind the curtain, leaving the echo of a drumbeat and the trace of perfume.
“Magic Tricks” sidesteps sentiment in favour of pop sleight of hand, tracing the twitchy tug-of-war between romantic unpredictability and the craving for clarity. Emotions tilt like tides, and affection arrives dressed in disguise. It’s a love song laced with illusion, where boredom is banished, but certainty never dares show its face. Each line lingers like a held breath, balancing tension on the tip of a grin.
Marta Szewczyk’s Super 8 video for “Magic Tricks” conjures the surreal with a sly grin, channeling the imaginations of Maya Deren, René Magritte. Forks stretch skyward as architecture, mirrors misbehave with intent, and a checkerboard in a park mutates into a makeshift confessional. Time buckles beneath a crystal ball’s unblinking stare; gestures loop, dissolve, reappear; each frame caught between memory and mirage. It’s part parlour trick, part psychic séance, where logic unravels and the heart doubles as both magician and mark. A conjuration of emotion; strange, stubborn, and always slipping just beyond the grasp.
Watch the video for “Magic Tricks” below:
Gone is Lacquer’s latest self-released album, a blend of brand-new tracks and reimagined versions of older ones. This time around, she leaned into a more Italo-disco-inspired sound, teaming up with producer Jonah Falco (Fucked Up) to bring that vision to life.
“The album came together during my final months living in Berlin in 2024 and was mastered after my move to Madrid in 2025,” says Torre. “It marks both a sonic and personal shift. Lyrically, Gone is deeply self-reflective; an attempt to process change and begin a new chapter. While the sound leans more danceable and upbeat compared to previous releases, there remains a consistent thread of melancholy and nostalgia.”
Listen to Magic Tricks below and order Gone here.
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