Primer

Primer creates a soundscape that feels both immaculately polished and intensely intimate. It is the sound of modern isolation wrapped in 1980s nostalgia, but filtered through a 21st-century digital lens. The synths are icy and sharp, yet they carry a warmth that feels like a neon sign humming in the dark. It is music for the moments when you feel most connected to your own thoughts and most disconnected from the physical world around you.

What sets Alyssa Midcalf apart is the way she treats her vocals as a textural element. Her voice doesn't just sit on top of the tracks; it weaves through the arpeggios like a ghost in the machine. There is a precise, mathematical beauty to the production that contrasts with the vulnerability of the lyrics. It’s the kind of electronic music that values the 'pop' in synth-pop, focusing on hooks that linger long after the beat stops.

Start with the album 'Incubator' to hear the project at its most realized. It captures a specific sense of claustrophobia and release that defines the project's current era. If you find yourself drawn to the more expansive, club-leaning side of her sound, the early singles provide a bridge to the project's more dance-oriented roots.