The Dallas-born, LA-based singer Liv.e landed on our best albums of 2023 list with Girl In The Half Pearl, an album that steered R&B and neo-soul sounds in experimental, often electronic directions. But nothing on that LP prepared us for the direction Liv.e would go on her new release out today.

Thursday afternoon, Liv.e tweeted, “remember when I did hoop dreams? I made that hoe in 24hrs- no label? yea I’m bout to do that kinda thing again..tomorrow #synthwave.” The tweet referenced her quickie 2018 release
:​:​hoopdreams​:​: and foretold another fast-gestating project. Within hours, PAST FUTUR.e had materialized online. As teased in Liv.e’s message, it’s a lo-fi synthwave collection spanning seven tracks, with Liv.e bellowing like a dancehall toaster and shouting hallucinatory narration like she’s auditioning for Gang Gang Dance over hard, fuzzy synthesizer loops.

Is it an EP? An album? A mixtape? However you categorize it, PAST FUTUR.e is a fascinating listen from an artist who can’t be pinned down. Listen below.