Loya is a project by French producer Sébastien Lejeune, which allows him to research his own cultural heritage, as a native of La Réunion island, as well other tribes, bands and singers originating from the Indian Ocean. Growing up in the great melting pot of La Reunion, Loya was exposed to a number of cultures and rhythms that fueled his curiosity. Walking in the footsteps of Ti Fock and other pioneers of electric maloya, he was quick to tap into the rough materials of his native island, from tamarind wood to corrugated iron, to bring out a myriad of sounds. Settling in metropolitan France in the mid-90s, Loya’s first encounter with electronic music happened upon discovering acts such as Autechre, Plaid and Boards of Canada. Soon, Loya was drawing from Intelligent Dance Music and bleep techno to build complex rhythm arrangements and ethereal melodies. Throughout this research, Loya gradually managed to tame the erratic nature of his machines to summon states of trance that reminded him of the music he grew up listening to as native of the Mascarene. From this route through the meanders of contemporary electronic music, Loya developed a trademark sound based on triple time beats, pointillist sound design and a taste for experimentation. Such distinctive features can already be heard most notably on his second album “Corail”, released in 2018 on Paris-based record label Mawimbi.