Swedish producer Oli XL’s long-awaited debut for Warp Records, Lick the Lens — Pt. 1, is a meticulously crafted mini-album. It delivers glitchy, pop-infused electronic music that feels both introspective and surprisingly social.

The release follows a six-year gap since his last project, a period marked by what the artist called “contract hell” with the label. The music itself exists in a tense, compelling space. It has the glossy sheen of communal pop but communicates through rhythmic uncertainty and antsy sound design, often leaving big emotions intriguingly half-resolved.

The sound and style is a glitchym but social, world. Oli XL operates in a zone where headphone-focused detail and party-ready energy meet. His vocal presence is frank and understated, acting more as another texture than a dominant lead. He seamlessly trades lines with featured artists like Ecco2k.

The tracks prioritize rhythmic tricks and uneasy sound selection over traditional pop structures. The closest thing to a catchy chorus, on “LOVE & POP,” keeps its catharsis diffuse. The album places Oli XL within a lineage of Warp artists like Prefuse 73 and Flying Lotus, who use experimental sound design to create their own slanted versions of pop.

With five features across 25 minutes, the project has a social, collaborative vibe. It feels like music made by and for a specific community that “gets it.”

The biggest stand-outs include HOODIE MUSIC; A self-described “shy” track built on delirious chords, completely foregoing percussion. LOVE & POP (feat. Chanel Beads)The mini-album’s highlight, offers spunky vocal hooks buried behind impish, detailed beat-work. NOSEBLEED MELODY (feat. Ecco2k): Features seamless, pixie-like vocal trade-offs over a brooding hip-hop loop.

Lick the Lens — Pt. 1 succeeds in building a vibrant, self-contained mini-world. It’s the work of a dedicated tinkerer whose technical sugar-rush and collaborative spirit ultimately drown out any apprehension. While the glossy surface sometimes masks a lack of clear direction, the album carves out a unique and lively space that promises to resonate within its niche for years to come.