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...

Listening to Loup Miracle’s new EP, “Back To You”, feels a bit like trying to navigate by stars through a suddenly unfamiliar city. The French outfit, steered by Vincent Leservoisier alongside Paul Douvier and Miguel Romero Sulbaran (with input here from Pierre Szabo and Issara), crafts art rock that’s simultaneously groovy and deeply unsettling. These three songs thrum with the push-and-pull of modern existence...