Namasenda: Limbo

"In 2020, Naomi Namasenda became the first Black artist signed to PC Music. A.G. Cook's British Isle of misfit toys had, over the better part of a decade, curated a distinctive visual sensibility that was neon, plastic, and predominantly white. Namasenda appeared on the cover of 2021's Unlimited Ammo as a femme fatale straight out of The Matrix, a leather catsuit clinging to her body."

"But the mixtape never fully unloaded its clip -or made a strong case for who this enigmatic, Sweden-born electropop artist was meant to be beyond the latest vehicle for new Cook productions. The bubblegum bass just wasn't banging."

"Not so on Limbo, Namasenda's proper debut, which is coming out on YEAR0001 after she parted ways with PC Music in 2023. Limbo also marks a decisive break from the arch stylings of Cook and his cronies in favor of sounds that feel really good in your chest. Submerged in a molten crucible of trance, Eurodance, and laser-lit rave, Limbo writhes against hyperpop's cellophane coating while plumbing the beating heart inside the Barbie doll."

"The disembodied pirate radio emcee of "Madonna" attests to an early love affair with dance music born in Namasenda's hometown of Veberöd. Limbo's production, handled by Medium-the duo of fellow Swedes Isac Hördegård and Hannes Roovers-is an unspoiled fantasy of the club. The sound is blissed-out and still rips: check the oceanic splash of a beat drop on "Love Island"; when the speaker stacks seems to double in size midway through "Coquette"; the frenetic acid bassline of "Claremont Twins," as irresistibly chewy as Polly Pocket clothes."

In 2020, a Swedish-born Black artist became the first Black artist signed to PC Music. A later mixtape appearance on a PC Music release did not fully establish her identity beyond new productions. Her debut album, Limbo, arrives on YEAR0001 after she left PC Music in 2023. Limbo shifts away from the arch visual and sonic stylings associated with A.G. Cook and instead emphasizes sounds that feel physical and immediate. The album blends trance, Eurodance, and laser-lit rave textures, pushing against hyperpop’s glossy coating. Tracks feature oceanic beat drops, expanding speaker stacks, acid basslines, and playful, toy-like pop energy.

Read at Pitchfork