FELICITA - '(>'.')>#' [EP download]

Our first exposure to FELICITA came through the poised rave vibes of jing back in September. Today he’s shared a free EP, with the emoticon title of ‘(>’.’)>#’ (or ‘bracket- greater-than -apostrophe-fullstop-apostrophe-bracket-greater-than-hashtag’, if you insist on saying it aloud).

The EP moves into more abstract territory than jing, and at points its disjointedness feels a bit like what getting trapped inside a Sega MegaDrive could sound like. always maestoso moves with James Ferraro-style eccentrics, with blasts of gunshot fighting against fanfare synths. This sugar-high energy then passes into the unsettled title track, and through to brash closer welcome home la. But slavs wi sparkley eyes is the most welcome surprise: with its samples of Eastern drumming patterns and voice becoming unexpectedly stirring, especially compared to all the video game-laden excitement otherwise on show. Stream it below, or cop a free download here.