Fairy Egg might be, in its immediate appeal and slick beats, primarily a pop work – but its primary attraction is its textures. Beyond the record’s fizzling trap high-hats, propulsive synths and e5’s head-spinning fondness for a mid-song shift-change, it’s the rich background grains of Fairy Egg that give the work such depth and, vitally, enable it to thrive even when the pace drops. While one wouldn’t want to be reductive of Fairy Egg’s beats, melodies and rest, it’s the very feel of the work that leave the most prominent impression. Even the vocals of the enigmatic e5 – which range from breathy rapping to lofty singing and are, in general, typical of hyperpop’s ethereal otherworldliness – pliably contribute to the work’s marvellous textural appeal.

Listen to “SPIRAL” below.