Gothenburg electro-pop quartet Little Dragon just released their second album Machine Dreams in Europe (it’ll hit the States in October). The focus of each track tends to be soulful Swedish-Japanese vocalist Yukimi Nagano, who wades through the icy soundscapes into dance-floor diva territory. (It’s not the female-fronted Swedish electro darkness of Fever Ray or the Knife. You’ll find more of an aesthetic overlap with hometown electro duo the Tough Alliance, only less colorful and much chillier.) If you’re unfamiliar, get a quick catchup course via album tracks “Feather” and “Looking Glass.” The latter oddly enough made me think of Was (Not Was) for the first time in eons.

• Little Dragon – “Feather”Download

• Little Dragon – “Looking Glass”Download

The video for fellow Machine Dreams track was created by Yusuke Nagano, Yukimi’s father.

Machine Dreams is out in Europe via Peacefrog. It’ll show up in the US 10/20 via Caroline/EMI.

[Band photo by Evelina Hultquist]