People like to throw around the “’80s” tag all willy-nilly when talking or writing about more electronically based pop acts (M83 and The Juan MacLean come immediately to mind), but here’s one that truly sounds as if it had been born of and imported from that neon era. Brooklyn’s Light Asylum is the duo of singer Shannon Funchess and producer Bruno Coviello, who together write desolate pop songs that simultaneously evoke Kate Bush, Grace Jones, and the early days of New Order. This demo of the song “A Certain Person” showcases Funchess’ low-register voice subdued beneath an array of vintage synth tones, classic drum-machine sounds, and an oddly fitting sample of a braying horse—making the moments when she breaks through the mix especially ear-catching. (via FADER)

A Certain Person