Liberating the concept of pop from the mainstream mould? Not an easy task in times when completely artificial AI acts can drop tracks at any given moment. But Leyya have been mastering the balancing act between art pop and trip-hop, synthesised indie, and dreamy downtempo for around a decade now. The duo from Eferding in Upper Austria initially became a real insider tip for connoisseurs of contemporary pop appeal in the 2010s, which is precisely why it is difficult to categorise them. Marco Kleebauer and Sophie Lindinger create love letters to life cast in sound, thank-you notes for the dark moments that give us humility, and hopefully teach us how to do better. After their last single, “Someone / Fix It”, from 2022, the two musicians appeared to quiet down. But now, they are sending out the intoxicating breakbeat pop of “Half Asleep” as a teaser for a new album.