Listen: Ecstasy (If You Want It) by Late Guest At The Party

Following on from two previous releases featured on BlackPlastic, December’s Ramblin’, and January’s In Defense Of Time, European-American electro-dance outfit Late Guest At The Party are back with a hot new single for summer.

In contrast to both Ramblin’’s taut, dubby, shuffling house, and In Defense Of Time’s slower, sun-cracked and electronic balladry, Ecstasy (If You Want It) pursues a more hedonistic sound.

Whilst Ecstasy retains the tight, square bass tones of Ramblin’, it combines them with the kind of looped piano riff that sits somewhere between classic Chicago house and UK rave culture. Punchy drums and emotive, earnest vocals give the overall song a polished sound, whilst knowingly demonstrating music geek chops — Late Guest At The Party know their musical references, and they enjoy showing them off. Once again, they are assisted by Joe Lambert, who has worked with DFA and Animal Collective, and many others.

My favourite moment in Ecstasy is the song’s bridge, which sees a clipped brass sound woven into the song’s mix, as a filter gradually obscures the song’s vocal. Once the drop kicks in, the song briefly basks in its own crisp simplicity for its closing moments. Sunny melodies and heartfelt vibes abound.

Listen: Lighter, Now! by Caleb L’Etoile

Having appeared on BlackPlastic.co.uk just two months ago with his distinctive garage-influenced track, Two More Years, Virginia artist and producer Caleb L’Etoile is back with his latest single.

Where Two More Years was an experimental, grimy slice of melancholic electronic music, Lighter, Now! is something quite different. The lyrics here still deal with darkness, depicting abusive relationships, but in contrast to Two More Years, L’Etoile finds brightness here.

Warm synth tones establish a reflective, hopeful sound as Caleb’s vocals tumble rapidly, a flowing stream-of-consciousness. Painful memories rear their head, and then provide the foundations for the lightness Caleb seeks, as he asks, ‘Why can’t we make it all, a bit lighter?’. The pacing stumbles briefly, and yet it feels almost appropriate, the rush and imperfection of healing and processing._

Lighter, Now is the first single from Caleb L’Etoilre’s upcoming record, You Gathered Friction. Check out Caleb's live video for Lighter, Now! below:

Watch: Backlash by LEOBLU

LEOBLU is the musical pseudonym of Berlin-based artist and producer Julia Carlsson, and she has just unveiled the second release from her forthcoming EP.

Leveraging a vintage 80s synth sound, LEOBLU’s latest single, Backlash is equal parts Chromatics and electroclash, with just a dash of Chvrches. A low-slung bass line opens the song, as Carlsson’s vocal performance creates a soft-focus, ethereal aesthetic.

Backlash’s chorus creates a moment of contrast, however, with an increased sense of momentum, and more of a shoegaze, indie aesthetic. The drums mark out an accelerating sense of pace, matched by Julia’s increased movement in the video. The video itself is a departure for Carlsson, as she describes:

‘I never thought I would dance like this in a music video … I’m so happy that I’ve reached a point where I feel completely comfortable doing this. This video means especially a lot to me since I filmed it with my brother Jonathan. He’s such a talented videographer, and I love collaborating with him in this creative way. The location for the video is also close to my heart, since it’s the local town hall in the small town where I’m from, where my father has worked since forever. The music video became this whole little family project, and I feel so grateful for that. And I feel so, so proud of the result!’

The growing sense of momentum on display in Backlash reflects the song’s message of empowerment. LEOBLU, describing the song’s inspiration, says:

‘This song comes from a place of feeling suppressed and pushed down by someone close to you, someone who claims to love you but constantly keeps you down. Backlash is about finally breaking free and becoming the person they always tried to keep you from becoming … Essentially, you have become their ultimate backlash.’

Check out Backlash below, and look out for the forthcoming EP, Blu Lucid Nightmare, due 26 July 2024.

Listen: Saturn Returns by Derek Simpson

Having already built up over five-million streams and placement within several TV shows, LA-based musician Derek Simpson is rapidly building up a following. Whilst Simpson pursues a singer-songwriter style, as opposed to leveraging acoustic guitars or piano, he assembles his songs like a collage, from samples, and fragments of his own prior unused musical work.

On Saturn Returns, Simpson has created a softly mutating piece of melodic pop. Muted guitar supports hushed vocals, creating a spectral, cosmic atmosphere befitting the song’s title. As the song gradually slides into its chorus, taut, digital bass provides a spacious, elastic feeling. Small melodic details twinkly in the song’s background like stars in the sky. Overall, Derek has created a beautiful, layered and distinctive sounding song that leaves me feeling like I am floating in space.

Saturn Returns is lifted from Derek’s Simpson’s new album, Somehow. Each of the album’s ten songs will be released as consecutive singles, each Thursday for ten weeks, starting with Saturn Returns. Check it out below:

Watch: Better Place by Martin Oh

About this time every year, I generally head to the Côte d’Azur for work purposes. The days are long, working with clients in the day, but fun, with social events in the evening. My favourite soundtrack for those trips is Phoenix, one of my favourite French acts, with the warm, sunny but wistful vibe they create forming the perfect backing for these trips.

As I prep for my eighth such trip, Martin Oh’s Better Place slid into my inbox, and as a French indie artist based in Barcelona, it boasts a sunny European vibe, and more than a (French!) touch of Phoenix’s sound. Production work is handled by established musician and producer SOHN, who has formerly worked with the likes of Banks, and the polish and experience shows.

Straight lined synths, muted guitars, and bruised vocals give this the kind of buoyant, sunny vibe, undershot with a dose of yearning, that Phoenix have perfected over the years. Martin’s vocal shifts gears between the downbeat introspection of the verse and the insistent and determined performance of the chorus. It is almost like moving from talking to himself to speaking to the song’s inspiration, his vocal ever so slightly cracking as he does so. Beneath this, soft electronics gradually wrap around him, additional layers surrounding the central vocal and guitar to create an increasingly emotive climax.

Better Place is just two-and-a-half minutes long, but within that time it packs enough ideas, emotion, and energy for something far longer.