With Oli Ng and his latest release, "Steadfast," I found myself suddenly transported away from my cluttered desk and into a passenger seat, watching telephone wires loop and dip against a setting sun. You know that specific physical sensation when you stop checking the speedometer because you trust the driver with your life? This track bottles that. It’s the sonic equivalent of finally unclenched...

The first encounter with Asta Bria’s new single, “Dragonfly,” is a calculated disorientation. For an artist who once cozied up to funk’s leisurely sway, this is a sharp turn onto a rain-slicked digital highway. The song’s intent for the dance floor is immediately apparent; a commanding, four-to-the-floor beat acts as a gravitational field, pinning you to the present moment. But hovering just above it...