When we first clicked play on ‘Mystery’ by Ava Lake we were thrown by the haphazard nature of this off-kilter dance pop tune. It’s also why we had to cover this track, it’s brilliantly unpredictable. As the description on Ava’s SoundCloud states “life is too short to be bored”, and by the same token songs are too short to be boring. The thumping production, alternating tempos, synth oddities and Ava Lake’s in-your-face vocal performance is strange and endearing. It’s campy and cool. It’s dancefloor ready and we’re ready to move our feet. This Chicago-born artist pulls influences 2000s glitch-pop, 80s vaporware and contemporary lo-fi bedroom pop to make her own distinctive beat-driven style. ‘Mystery’ is also the first taste from Ava Lake’s upcoming six-track EP, The Rise, out on October 18th. - Hannah Thacker   [Photo credit: Val Kilborn]