Black Lotus steps into a strange, beautifully unsettled space with Dreams of Snakes, the first release from the forthcoming concept EP In a Room Full of Dreams. Rather than treating electronic pop as a clean, predictable format, the project uses it as a doorway into something darker and more tactile. The result feels carefully constructed without losing its sense of mystery, balancing melody, shadowy textures and an atmosphere that seems to shift whenever you think you have found its centre.
The rhythmic language is one of the release’s most compelling elements. The beats do not simply provide momentum; they establish a particular kind of tension, leaving enough space around the pulse for the electronic details to breathe. There is a controlled, almost nocturnal movement to the production, with percussion working alongside the synth layers rather than overpowering them. That restraint gives Dreams of Snakes a distinctive physical quality, as if the tracks are moving through a dimly lit room rather than playing directly in front of the listener.
Synthesizers naturally occupy an important position in this world. Their tones help define the emotional temperature, moving between warmer electronic colours and colder, more spectral passages. Instead of using synths merely as decoration, Black Lotus makes them part of the storytelling. This is especially fitting for a project built around altered perception and synesthesia, where sound is imagined almost as something visible. The electronic palette therefore feels less like a backdrop and more like another character within the narrative.
The collaboration with Belgian musician Geert Coppens adds another layer to the record’s identity. His connection to the minimal wave, darkwave and coldwave traditions of Belgium brings a sense of lineage to the project, while Thai’s background in dance, photography, video, installation and performance pushes the music towards a broader audiovisual dimension. These different artistic histories meet naturally here. Dreams of Snakes never feels trapped inside the conventions of a conventional band release; its ideas seem to extend beyond the speakers.
Atmosphere, ultimately, is where the EP leaves its strongest impression. There is something dreamlike in the way the electronic textures, vocals and rhythms coexist, but the mood is not simply soft or ethereal. A darker undercurrent keeps returning, giving the music an uneasy edge. The imagery surrounding the project—records glowing, telephones ringing, clocks forgetting themselves—matches the sonic experience surprisingly well. Time feels elastic, and familiar electronic sounds acquire a slightly unfamiliar shape.
That connection between sound and image is central to Black Lotus’s appeal. Dreams of Snakes comes from an artistic world in which music, film, photography and performance are allowed to overlap, and that openness can be heard throughout the release. The concept of synesthesia becomes more than an intellectual reference: it informs the way the material seems to move between sensations, suggesting colours, textures and physical spaces without spelling everything out.
The careful pacing also prevents the concept from becoming too heavy, allowing individual details to surface gradually. That balance between accessibility and experimentation gives the release a lasting quality, rewarding listeners who return to its darker corners again later.
As the first chapter of In a Room Full of Dreams, Dreams of Snakes succeeds in creating curiosity rather than simply delivering a collection of songs. Its rhythmic control, expressive synth work and noir-tinged atmosphere make it an engaging listen, while the conceptual framework gives the music an identity that extends beyond genre. Black Lotus has created a release that feels intimate yet cinematic, familiar yet slightly displaced. It is a high-quality piece of electronic pop, and one we are genuinely happy to host on Parkett.
