Pional’s latest EP, and his first for Counter Records, marks something of a breakthrough for the young Spanish producer. After a productive few years, which have seen him tour with frequent production collaborator John Talabot, which won a slot in Resident Advisor’s coveted Best 20 Live Acts. He also toured with musical like-minds The XX, release an EP with Young Turks. When Love Hurts arrives as not only his most personal work to date, but his best. Inspired by love and loss, this four track collection is the result of Pional finding the confidence to add pop melodies and his own vocals to his deep, compulsive electronics. The result brings to mind New Order reimagined by Zomby, or some of Metronomy’s finest moments. ‘Casualty,’ ‘Of My Mind’ and ‘As Time Was Passing By,’ all vocalled by the young Madrid musician, play out as the anatomy of a breakup. When ‘The Way You Like’ closes out the collection, Empress Of’s featuring vocal provides a startling epilogue to this brilliant EP.