On their new expedition, “The Pleasure Trap,” Future Utopia and Lava La Rue create a mesmerizing auditory kaleidoscope, both tempting and enlightening, like a trip through a neon dream. This genre-splicing single is taken from Future Utopia’s forthcoming EP, “Memory Boy,” it’s yet another reminder that Fraser T. Smith is a producer and creator of moments that knock you off your feet.
An artist who has made his name by winning Grammys behind the scenes, Fraser’s Future Utopia project has seen him keep pushing the pop, indie, and electronic envelope. “The Pleasure Trap,” recorded in his Utopia studio, oozes psychedelic synths and indie-disco grooves, sucking you into a lush audio environment that’s as cerebral as it’s irresistibly danceable.
The feature from Lava La Rue sets this track alight. Lava, an artist who’s made something of a career out of exploring the myriad facets of creativity and telling it like it is, give and take, contributes an airy yet assertive vocal that winds its way around the beat like smoke with purpose. “The Pleasure Trap” is a philosophical tutorial on how the forces of consumer culture manipulate our primal instincts.
Fraser’s desire for minimal but statement-making vocals comes to life in the track’s dreamy topline, which weaves in and out of the mix like a thought and leaves behind a few echoes that rattle around. It’s the sort of teamwork that sounds right and feels purposeful. On “The Pleasure Trap,” Future Utopia and Lava La Rue want you to dance, think, and question moving in this world. It’s the kind of headfuck you’ll want to experience over and over again and a tantalizing snapshot of what “Memory Boy” might have in store.
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