Buzz Sound: a.s.o.

Artist: a.s.o., the duo of vocalist and songwriter Alia Seror-O’Neill and producer Lewie Day

Location: Berlin, Germany

Buzz: As a new generation’s exploration of dream-pop textures reaches a natural tipping point and these younger artists begin to reach for the genre’s tangents in revisiting the trip-hop influences which similarly followed suit in the ’90s, a.s.o. already display a full understanding of the assignment, though they also don’t seem keen on replicating past templates within their sonic mood board. This is because year’s self-titled debut full-length — which still very much sets a certain tone of mystery and immersive subconscious effects — resides within an expanded space that’s curated for a wider screen sensory experience than just temporal TikTok serotonin hits. Alia Seror-O’Neill’s voice, kindred in its own singularity within the lush halos of that of Elizabeth Frasser, Beth Gibbons, Julee Cruise, and Victoria Legrand rather than awash in the mix, floats along paths of dark pop, gothic psychedelia, and dubbed electronica helmed by Lewie Day’s precisive hand. Their diverse exploration of the sound as well as careful detail of it makes for one of the year’s most promising entries to anticipate in evolving the scene’s new wave forward.

Sound: Slow motion, lusty heartbreak club bangers for anyone already tired of the shoegaze revival and is in a much needed fashion update for sleeker styles and maturity in their amber mystique.

Recommended: “Go On”, “My Baby’s Got It Out For Me”, “Falling Under” off this year’s debut full-length, a.s.o.

a.s.o.’s a.s.o. is available now on Low Lying Records.