There’s something magnetic about a track that feels like it was built for late-night drives and quiet dance floors at the same time. Umanya’s “In the Moment” does exactly that. The title track from the Chicago-based project’s debut EP of the same name drops you straight into a groove that refuses to rush and never quite lets go.
Umanya is the solo project of musician and producer Andrew Umaña. After years spent playing bass in the Bloomington, Indiana scene, he packed up and headed to Chicago to build something more personal. The result is this debut EP, and the lead track makes it clear he wasn’t interested in simply repeating what he already knew. Instead he leaned into a smoother, more atmospheric lane that still keeps the rhythm section front and center.
The foundation is a disco-esque bassline that walks with purpose. Over it sit driving drums that keep everything locked in without ever feeling stiff. Around that core, psychedelic synthscapes bloom and shift, creating the kind of space that makes the whole track feel slightly untethered from the everyday. Soulful vocals glide across the top, never forcing the issue, just riding the current the production has already set. The overall effect is pure psychpop with clear nods to synthpop and indie dance—groovy, slightly hazy, and easy to get lost in.
That combination of elements lands at an interesting moment for the wider psychpop and indie dance scenes. Plenty of artists are exploring the space between lo-fi bedroom textures and more polished, dance-floor-ready production. Umanya’s approach feels like it belongs right in the middle of that conversation: intimate enough to sound personal, yet fully formed enough to fill a room. The Chicago address only adds to the appeal. The city has long been a place where experimental and groove-based music can coexist without anyone batting an eye, and this EP feels like a natural extension of that spirit.
What stands out most is how complete the track already feels for a debut statement. There’s no sense that the artist is still figuring out the language. The bass, drums, synths, and vocals all speak the same dialect, and the result is a short trip to a slightly different headspace—exactly what the project description promises.
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Umanya’s “In the Moment” is the kind of song that rewards a second listen and a third. The groove settles in, the synths open up, and suddenly you’re somewhere else for a few minutes. That’s the whole point. What do you think of this particular brand of psychpop? Drop a comment and let me know if the track stuck with you the same way it did with me.
