TOKiMONSTA Oasis Nocturno

Over the last decade, the Los Angeles producer and Young Art label boss, TOKiMONSTA has helped define the sound of modern dance and beat music. In the process, she has received the co-signs of the biggest names in electronic and repped for the West Coast underground at the Grammys -- all without sacrificing the purity of her vision or relying on exploding glowstick bombast. The secret is that there is no secret, other than the compositional genius and futuristic melodies embedded into the gleaming, technicolor mandalas of hip-hop instrumentalism, pop, R&B-soul, house, and IDM that encompass the TOKiMONSTA sound.

Her career has been so dynamic and versatile that it's difficult to even know where to begin. We can focus on the current moment, where breathless anticipation abounds for her fourth full-length, Oasis Nocturno, a nocturnal opus that might be the best thing the producer born Jennifer Lee has ever done. Visualize a neon-lit, till-the-break-of-dawn journey filled with weightless grooves and propulsive funk, featuring assists from Bibi Bourelly, EARTHGANG, Dumbfoundead, and more.

The quote references TOKiMONSTA'S triumphant battle against Moyamoya (Japanese for a "puff of smoke"), a rare neurological condition in which certain arteries in the brain are constricted. It easily could have proven fatal or destroyed her career, but instead she summoned extraordinary strength, energy, and rhythm to make some of the most powerful and cathartic electronic music of the last ten years -- complete with epic comeback performances at SXSW and Coachella.

Then with her artistic livelihood and actual life in peril, TOKi defied the odds and created a masterpiece that cemented her stature as one of the best producers in dance music. For any other artist, it would've been a career pinnacle, but somehow, she's topped that with her opus, Oasis Nocturno. The Spanish words for "midnight oasis," it's a testament to TOKI's ability to find refuge in the night, as a place of serenity after the chaos of the day or to let loose what's hidden beneath the guise that darkness lends itself to. It's an album that instantiates the liminal odyssey from dusk to dawn, from beginning to end, from the dance floor to self-reflection and rest.

The hypnotic lead single "Love That Never" features a dazzling animated video depicting a heroine running at night amidst the technicolor swirling sands of time. Its beat and ghostly chopped vocals conjure a feeling of dangerous unsettled beauty. This is soulful dance music to mirror the confusion of the world, another chapter from a continuously evolving artist who supplies intense heart in her music, movement in her live show and gorgeous imagery in all of the artwork and videos.

Oasis Nocturno marks yet another left turn in a career that's been replete with them. An album to offer both reprieve and revelry, one that aspires can help listeners grapple with complicated feelings and discover peace. This is yet another transportive work of adventure from a masterful producer who continues to find new portals to immerse the listener and offer them a beachhead to momentarily and seamlessly disappear.

Photo credit: Maria Govea