Alice Okada’s Chapter one: the beach episode feels like the moment an artist realizes they’ve found their lane, and decides to floor it. Coming out of Portland’s quietly experimental electronic scene, this EP leans into Intelligent Drum N’ Bass with curiosity, patience, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. It’s a debut project, but it doesn’t sound tentative. It sounds like someone testing ideas in real time and trusting their instincts. There’s a clear theme running through the project: movement. Not just fast BPMs, but emotional motion, songs stretching, swelling, and mutating as they go. It’s an EP that rewards full listens with headphones on, late at night, when you’re half-present and open to being pulled somewhere else.
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1. Mice in My Walls: The opener starts small, almost skittish. The beat creeps in like it’s unsure whether it wants to stay, then gradually stacks itself layer by layer. This track sets the tone for the whole EP: evolution over immediacy. Alice lets the sounds breathe, building tension without rushing the payoff. It’s subtle but effective, the kind of intro that tells you to pay attention because nothing here is accidental.
2. Murderer: This is where the EP snaps into focus. Fast-paced, restless, and sharp around the edges, “Murderer” thrives on momentum. The drum work keeps multiplying as the track moves forward, creating that classic jungle rush without sounding like a throwback exercise. It feels intense but controlled, like Alice knows exactly how far to push before pulling back. This one hits hardest on repeat listens.
3. Dancing with the Dead: Wide, danceable, and slightly surreal, “Dancing with the Dead” opens the space up. The track feels bigger than the ones before it, both sonically and emotionally. There’s a hypnotic quality here, something that would work just as well in a dark club as it would on a solo night drive. It’s one of the EP’s most accessible moments, without losing its experimental edge.
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4. Muddied Shoes: This track takes its time. Starting calm and almost meditative, it slowly expands outward, layering textures until the soundscape feels fully immersive. “Muddied Shoes” is about atmosphere more than impact, and that’s where it wins. It’s patient, reflective, and quietly confident, offering a pause in the EP’s pacing without breaking the flow.
5. Watering Dirt: Here’s where Alice leans into mood-building in a more abstract way. “Watering Dirt” feels organic despite its electronic foundation, like something growing rather than being constructed. The rhythms pulse instead of punch, and the track sits comfortably in that in-between space where you’re not quite dancing, not quite drifting. It’s understated, but it sticks.
6. Dreams of Oceans Beyond Eyesight: The closer is the EP’s emotional anchor. Ambient from the jump, this track starts serene before gradually tipping into something more unhinged, in the best way. The sound design here is immersive and transportive, like sinking under water and realizing you’re okay with not coming back up right away. It wraps the project up by fully committing to Alice Okada’s vision: music that’s meant to be felt, not just heard.
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Chapter one: the beach episode doesn’t try to explain itself, and that’s its strength. Alice Okada is clearly experimenting, learning, and trusting her ear, and that energy carries through every track. This EP feels like the start of a longer story, not a finished statement. If this is chapter one, the next chapters are worth waiting for.
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