Soda Plains - Rouveau Niche (2026)

Enigmatic producer Soda Plains returns with his first solo set in four years; 'Rouveau Niche' is a mixed bag, a handful of saturated beatless themes and taut, trancey dancefloor workouts that the London-based producer disturbs with powdery distortion.

Last time we heard from Alexis Chan, he was working side-by-side with young singer/producer Rachel Lu, aka LVRA, designing instruments and re-imagining pop forms on 2025's 'Fortress'. And not long before that, he'd launched his New Triple Gold imprint with 'Living With Elvis', a brief rave diversion that recycled all yer classic '92 aesthetics and treated 'em to a fresh lick of paint. He's back on firmer ground with 'Rouveau Niche' though, wading through murkier waters before he even trips over a beat. Opener 'Dirge' is fittingly titled, crushing its shrill notes with industrial-grade distortion before 'New Job' plays like a discarded witch house memory.

It's only when we hit 'Blister' that Chan's slippery, precision-engineered rhythms make an appearance, rasping past Koreless-style risers and soft focus bass. And on 'If the Red Stops Redding', although the kicks and hats disappear, there's an outline of grime beneath the acidic squelches, brassy womps and overpowering Metal Zone crunchiness. In fact, Chan doesn't attempt to throw any more percussion in until the final track, 'Gawain's Gaiwan', a slow medieval romp that pairs its videogame-strength FM string fanfare with a rattling, bitcrushed march to the chopping block.