“Austere” is one of 13 unconventional beats set to appear on an upcoming mixtape of original productions from NYC artist Quays. A producer who has in the past dropped new tracks via voicemail (allowing listeners to hear the songs by calling a particular phone number), Quays assembles a mix of wonky bells, bouncing rhythms, and sugary synths on “Austere.” Though a bit unusual in its presentation, the tune is still in many ways a very sweet composition, its fizzy melodies likely to stay with listeners after Quays—at least for those wrapped up in the tune’s intoxicating glow—abruptly cuts off his beat just past the two-minute mark.

Austere