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In Eastern mysticism, there's an idea that two flowers growing next to each other can resist the urge to become entangled in – and eventually strangle – one another. Instead, they can exist in harmony, remain independent, and retain their individual identities. That sentiment – of a partnership having the potential to either nourish and support or constrict and threaten – lies at the heart of N2KY (Nice to Know Ya), the debut record from Melbourne artist MOSSY. The DIY pop solo project of Jamie Timony, MOSSY channels the sound of the Scandinavian underground. A scene comprising artists that transcend traditional genre conventions, it’s where padding club beats and sparkly ambient textures collide with elements of dance, post-punk and pop. Timony and producer Dean Tuza drew on a range of influences while making N2KY, deploying angelic keys and vast, sweeping pads that sit atop resounding synth basslines and icy 909s. MOSSY’s nuanced and auto-tune-soaked vocal remains front and centre. "We wanted it to sound quite expansive; I’ve always enjoyed bright and sparkling atmospherics,” he says. The glossy sonics align with the narrative MOSSY explores across the record, which was mixed by multi-Grammy winner Stuart White. "I was fascinated by relationships where it appears as though people are strangling each other," he explains. On closing track 'Unfazed', this manifests when one half of a partnership realises the anchor point they'd been holding on to – be it reality, another person, or a god-like source of energy and hope – has fallen away. Over breathy pads and a trickling analog sequencer, MOSSY sings that, by the end all that's left are half-hearted attempts at truth. "You never looked so ordinary … Oh, I lie, I lie for you everyday / I try, I try but I don’t relate." It's strangely uplifting, in a way that simple turns of phrase can be when they're repeated over and over, like a mantra. In his embrace of electronic post-punk, the pop fundamentals from the Scandinavian set and the recent wave of emo trap artists, MOSSY captures the sensation of surrendering to a force – whether spiritual, sonic or both – and N2KY's sparseness belies its optimism and intimacy.