Electronic Pop from Natasja Lucienne

London-based artist Natasja Lucienne has been forging her fiercely unique creative output within the spaces between cultures. A musician, content creator and co-host on Hoxton Radio, Natasja brings together modern pop, metropolitan storytelling and Indonesian cultural identity, creating music that reflects the experience of moving through different worlds while always remaining tethered to where you come from.

Her sound is driven by electronic stylings but its inputs stretch to include gamelan and dangdut influences drawn from her Southeast Asian heritage. Working from her home studio, Natasja composes, records and produces her own music, giving her releases a strong connection to the everyday observations that inspire them. The context of the city ripples throughout her work, from its social rituals and textures to the small details that become more noticeable when viewed from an outsider’s perspective.

Her Metropolitan Lady project extends into image and content, while her regular performances across London continue to build towards her debut headline show later this year. Last year, she made her official artistic entrance and unveiled her highly original sonic vision with the debut single “To The Max,” returning in April this year with her sophomore outing “Burn the City Down” and now, Natasja Lucienne returns with her new single titled “Pub Girl,” the latest release ahead of her forthcoming debut EP release.

On paper, “Pub Girl” sounds like an unlikely collision of worlds; its origins come from UK garage-inspired drums, while Indonesian gamelan textures glide through the electronic production. It’s precisely this cultural overlap that gives the track its identity however and by not treating heritage as something separate from contemporary life, Natasja allows the two to coalesce into an engaging musical experience that’s energising, infectious and unique all at once. The idea for the track began with an observation about British social culture when after moving to the UK, Natasja noticed how central the pub is to British social life, particularly in comparison with the clubs she was accustomed to.

That contrast became the starting point for the track, turning a familiar British institution into the setting for a meeting between two very different cultural sound worlds. Opened by the stutter of vocal shots, the track slips into a smooth electronic pop scene where the crisp snap of drums and pulse of synth underpins Natasja’s compelling vocal leads. Building with buzzy synth textures and the shuffle of garage-inflected rhythms tinged with gamelan tones, the track rolls with instantly catchy hooks and danceable energy to serve up an epic display of her creativity, performance talent and production flair.

With picture painting lyricism providing a transportive portal to a lively evening out in the UK, “Pub Girl” delivers a playful jam that’s sure to win over listeners all over the world. As Natasja Lucienne continues building towards her upcoming debut EP and first headline show, “Pub Girl” offers a superb snapshot of an artist finding increasingly inventive ways to make her surroundings part of her music. It’s equally modern and deeply connected to heritage, offering a track where London and Indonesia meet somewhere in between the beat and the clink of a glass.

Listen to Pub Girl below

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