‘Like An Oyster’ is the new single from Swedish avant-pop producer and vocalist Maria Ria. It’s a cut that finds a place between minimalism and maximalism. On one hand, the track’s texture is almost exclusively made up of sub-bass, distant synth drones and her jazz-trained voice, but every sound in use is pushed to its limit – her voice is acrobatic and refuses to settle, while the deep sub-bass develops an intense, pulsating and overblown quality. “This is the moment when you are strapped into the roller coaster and you know it is about to start.” Maria states of the single. “You know the G-forces and the free fall are coming. It is exciting, but also frightening, and for a second you need a moment to yourself. There is vulnerability in that moment too: like an open oyster revealing something precious inside, yet flinching at the slightest touch.” Keep an eye out for Maria’s upcoming album, An Angel Turning Red, when it drops in 2027.