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THE BODY IS A DANCEFLOOR
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Nik Brinkman

Hypnotherapy

Watch: Hypnotherapy by Nik Brinkman

March 11, 2026 in video

Having appeared on BlackPlastic back in December, New Zealand artist Nik Brinkman is mainly focused on guitar-based dream pop, but he is building a reputation on these pages for something a little different. In December, it was a warm and elastic electronic remix of his song Heavy World, but now we have an original dance track, Hypnotherapy, described as a ‘high-energy detour into electronic territory’.

Where Heavy World (Remix) was still ultimately an indie pop song at its core, Hypnotherapy is a full on embrace of the hedonistic experience of losing yourself in both the music and a throng of people dancing. The song itself is inspired by a combination of personal memories—Brinkman’s uncle blasting techno from his car—and the nostalgia of rave filtered through a modern lens, by the likes of Underworld, early Jesus Jones, and System7. Brinkman had previously explored electronic, technicolor soundscapes through his Bright Music artist project, but Hypnotherapy pushes further into the darkness.

The resulting soundscape is a gloriously energising slab of acid tinged tech house. Bass bubbles as tweaking synths squelch, building towards the track’s warm embrace of a drop, ambient pads surrounding a heavily filtered vocal. It is a moment of love before Brinkman pulls you by the hand back into the swirling cacophony inside his own mind. The result is transcendent — the kind of thing Dan Snaith has made a career out of. Just give me a version twice as long, please.

Tags: Nik Brinkman
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Ffogg

Little of Me

Listen: Little of Me by Ffogg

March 10, 2026 in stream

Opening with a hushed vocal and muted guitars, on their latest single Ffogg draw subtle inspiration from The Cure, The Drums and Metronomy and combine in a loose, electronic yet slightly punky and percussive sound. The result is emotionally vulnerable yet propulsive.

Originally written five years ago, Little of Me is a song that has been with Ffogg since the beginning, something to be realised as and when the band reached the right moment. Self-produced, with mixing by Charlie Hugall (who has worked with Florence and the Machine, and CMAT), the sound has a beautiful sense of warmth and nostalgia to it. It switches between a sense of intimacy in the verse, to something more rousing and excited in the chorus. It is an appreciation of connection.

Describing the song, Ffogg’s George Khan says:

‘It’s about when you’re apart from someone you love and how they take a small piece of you with them, the feeling that you’re not quite whole until they return. Sometimes it’s better to stay still for a little bit and enjoy your time together rather than constantly moving. Whether you find the song happy or sad, it’s a bit of a Rorschach test.’

Personally, I think the idea of having a bit of yourself invested in someone else, and getting to enjoy and share that with them when you get together, sounds pretty wonderful.

Tags: Ffogg
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News: BlackPlastic.co.uk, now on your music streaming platform of choice

March 02, 2026 in news, Playlist

BlackPlastic.co.uk has been running for over 20-years now, and in that time, I’ve resisted doing too much to change the formula. This is, first and foremost, a blog focused on describing music I love using written words.

At the same time, the way we all consume music has changed massively in that time. A enduring change is the rise of playlists - something I was embracing back when they were still burnt onto CDs, or recorded onto MiniDiscs (I still miss my MiniDisc player).

I’ve long wanted to have a way to access the music I cover on BlackPlastic in one place, with links that endure longer than Soundcloud embeds often do. With that in mind, I created a playlist, featuring the songs covered on the site, and realised I could also share those with my readers.

I currently have playlists for Apple Music and Spotify - if you enjoy BlackPlastic, please add those playlists to your streaming services of choice, as it actually helps the site. If there is interest in having playlists for other platforms, let me know, and I will potentially look into creating them.

Right now it mostly covers my latest tracks, with a few from last year, but over time I will add anything findable on the relevant streaming services for posts moving forwards. At some point I may remove some older songs, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Tags: apple, spotify
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Glassio

Take a Look at the Flowers feat. Madge

Watch: Take a Look at the Flowers by Glassio Feat. Madge

February 25, 2026 in video

On BlackPlastic.co.uk again following his recent single, Off the Cuff, Glassio is back, and this time he has brought company.

On his new song, Take a Look at the Flowers, Glassio has teamed up with avant-pop artist Madge. The song is resplendently produced, filled with warm colours and soft, layered synths.

As mentioned last time I covered Glassio, his new album, The Imposter, which is released today, is concerned with identity and authenticity. The album has moments of doubt, questioning one’s purpose and sense of self, and Take a Look at the Flowers represents the culmination of the full-length release. As a result, it reflects a softening of the anxiety — a realisation that our sense of self is always there, it is sometimes just a little hidden beneath the surface.

Describing the song, Glassio (real name Sam) says:

‘For a time, I lost my sense of self … I’d been performing roles — for people, for the industry, for an idea of who I thought I was supposed to be. This album was me stripping all that away and finding the real voice underneath.’

For an album about the self, it feels revelatory to end on something so authentically personal. It is a beautiful kaleidoscopic hug of a song, Madge’s vocal performance feels so pure-hearted that I can’t help but find it reassuring.

Check out Take a Look at the Flowers below, and look out for The Imposter, out now.

Tags: Glassio, Madge
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Oleyada

Bad

Listen: Bad by Oleyada

February 23, 2026 in stream

Described as Lily Allen meets The OC soundtrack meets David Lynch, Bad is the latest single from Canadian artist Oleyada.

With distinctive West Coast vibes, Bad was written in Los Angeles with Grammy-nominated product Rodrigo Martins. Whilst the song rides syrupy, laid-back melodies, the sweetness is deceptive, with lyrics that betray LA’s more sinister side. The dreams of celebrity and success may be alluring, but Oleyada hints at something darker, hence those references to The OC and Lynch. The easy-going atmosphere of Bad is what draws me in, but it is the biting lyrics that gives the song some depth.

Recording music in her bedroom studio, the Uruguayan descended artist’s musical craft was self-taught. Rather than pursuing classical theory, Oleyada chases sounds she feels instinctively, even if she can’t fully explain them.

Check out Bad below:

Tags: Oleyada, Rodrigo Martins
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BlackPlastic.co.uk is an alternative music blog focused on sharing the best electronic music.



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Watch: Hypnotherapy by Nik Brinkman
Watch: Hypnotherapy by Nik Brinkman
less than a minute ago
Listen: Little of Me by Ffogg
Listen: Little of Me by Ffogg
about 14 hours ago
News: BlackPlastic.co.uk, now on your music streaming platform of choice
News: BlackPlastic.co.uk, now on your music streaming platform of choice
about a week ago
Watch: Take a Look at the Flowers by Glassio Feat. Madge
Watch: Take a Look at the Flowers by Glassio Feat. Madge
about a week ago
Listen: Bad by Oleyada
Listen: Bad by Oleyada
about 2 weeks ago

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