Few artists have carved out a sonic identity quite as strange and hypnotic as LA Priest. Born Sam Eastgate in England, the musician first emerged as the frontman of the eccentric electronic rock band Late of the Pier before embarking on a solo career that would allow his imagination to run completely free. As LA Priest, Eastgate has spent the better part of a decade blurring the boundaries between psychedelic pop, funk, disco, synth-pop and experimental electronics, creating music that feels simultaneously nostalgic and otherworldly. His sound is often playful and colorful, but there is always something slightly off-kilter beneath the surface: warped synths, unusual rhythms, homemade instruments and melodies that seem to float somewhere between the familiar and the surreal.
That eccentricity has become the defining character of LA Priest, making his music feel less like something manufactured and more like a strange world discovered. With his latest project, Into The Sky, Eastgate once again dives into that world, this time pushing his psychedelic electronic palette toward something bigger, more physical and decidedly dance-oriented.
The album opens with “Rayon,” easing listeners into Into The Sky with a mellow, almost dreamlike introduction before gradually revealing the infectious energy lurking underneath. As the track develops, shimmering synths and pulsating electronic production begin to take center stage, immediately establishing the album’s retro-futuristic character. There is a distinct nod to the dance music of the 1980s in its glossy textures and rhythmic momentum, yet LA Priest’s eccentric production keeps the track from feeling like a simple throwback. Instead, Eastgate reshapes those familiar sounds into something distinctly his own, balancing nostalgia with a strange, futuristic quality. The result is an inviting opening that feels both warm and synthetic, setting the tone for an album that continually finds the human emotion hidden within its electronic machinery.
“Voices” quickly emerges as one of the album’s standout moments, showcasing another side of LA Priest’s eccentric electronic sound. Eastgate’s vocals take center stage here, moving effortlessly through catchy melodies and vocal moments that give the track a surprisingly expressive and human quality. Beneath them, shimmering synths and glossy electronic textures create a distinctly synthwave-inspired atmosphere, evoking the glittering, neon-lit aesthetic of 1980s dance music. The production feels polished without losing the quirky character that has become synonymous with LA Priest, with each layer adding to the song’s hypnotic momentum. There is something effortlessly infectious about “Voices,” making it one of those tracks that manages to linger long after it ends while perfectly capturing the album’s nostalgic yet futuristic spirit.
With Into The Sky, LA Priest continues to prove that his greatest strength lies in his ability to make the unconventional feel completely natural. Sam Eastgate’s eccentric approach to electronic music remains at the heart of the project, blending nostalgic synths, infectious rhythms and psychedelic textures with a futuristic edge that feels entirely his own. Rather than simply recreating the sounds of the past, Eastgate draws inspiration from decades of electronic and dance music, reshaping them into something colorful, unpredictable, and distinctly modern. Into The Sky is ultimately a celebration of experimentation, movement and individuality, cementing LA Priest as an artist who refuses to stay within the boundaries of any one genre while continuing to build a sound that is unmistakably his.
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