Watch: Moves by Roman Around

Having recently graced BlackPlastic.co.uk with his presence already in 2024 and, before that, in 2022, Roman Around (real name Roman Rivera) is back with another slice of beautiful, artful pop.

Where The Thanks was a luxuriously lackadaisical performance, Moves moves with excitement. Percussion slaps like flip-flops running down the sidewalk, the fizzy energy of late-night summer fireworks and evenings on beaches.

There is a deliberate nostalgic feel to Moves, as Roman Around looks to explore and encapsulate pivotal moments from their youth. Having lost their best friend at a young age, Rivera went on to witness those around them getting into difficult situations, and becoming parents too soon. Describing his former years, Roman says:

‘These experiences pushed me to surround myself with positive influences. My boundaries with love have been continually tested, such as being unable to contact my brother, watching old friends struggle with addiction, and being abruptly cut off by friends without explanation.’

The need to find some positivity comes through strongly on Moves, as it races along with a sense of ramshackle determination. This is both the hope and terror of being young — at the mercy of things beyond your control, yet with the advantage of time on your side.

Watch: The Thanks by Roman Around

The Thanks is the latest single from Roman Around, the musical vehicle for Roman Rivera, and it swims in loose guitars, slow and off kilter bass and a spectral vocal that gives the song a distinctive, sun dazed aesthetic. It follows on from the hazy track DNT, as featured on BlackPlastic.co.uk back in 2022.

There are traces of Animal Collective, Phoenix, and Kindness on display on The Thanks, all wound up in a tight little art-pop package. The song conveys a growing desperation in Roman’s heavy vocal performance, a sense of lethargy coming through as the performance depicts the complexities that exist within unconditional love.

In addition to the song’s general aesthetic, which shimmers with a distinctive sense of emotive style, the song playfully experiments with rhythm, with distinctive stops, starts, and fills. The result is surprising, particularly given the song’s short run-time, yet it never risks derailing the overall performance. The result is playful, yet emotive.

Growing up as a multi-racial artist in Fresno, California, where they currently serve as a music educator, Roman Rivera has looked to create a safe space for themselves, and others, in the LGBTQ+ and POC music, and general, communities. Bringing together complex rhythms and hazy textures, Rivera takes inspiration from shoegaze, drone, and chillwave outfits like the Cocteau Twins, DIIV, and Toro Y Moi.

Check the video for The Thanks below:

Watch: DNT — Roman Around

Based in Fresno, California, Roman Around is an American rock band and outfit for the songs of Roman Rivera. Identifying as non-binary and pansexual, Rivera is a proud supporter of the LGBTQ community.

Of both Mexican and Native American heritage, Rivera grew up surrounded by music and spirituality, initially honing their skills as a drummer before becoming a multi-instrumentalist. In their late teenage years, Rivera began touring as a drummer for a variety of brands, before working on their own music.

With a sound that blends genres and styles, there is a loose and funky feeling to DNT. Tight, clipped percussion and afropop melodies come together to create a muted, dubby and introspective atmosphere. The result has a groove, but also an emotional intensity. The song itself came together through experimentation, but wouldn’t have got to completion with some encouragement, as Rivera describes:

“DNT started as a demo in April of 2021. I was using it as a project to design synth sounds and create random drum loops. It wasn’t intended to go anywhere, but when some friends heard it, they became attached to the creation and encouraged me to finish it.”

The song depicts the depression and abuse, with the song’s central falsetto refrain, “Yeah, I don’t wanna feel this way,” becoming somewhat of a mantra for Rivera as they were living within an abusive relationship. That tension is audible in the song itself, with a drop that shines a tense light on an argument.

Alongside Rivera, who performs vocals and guitar, the group consists of Justin Vogal (bass, keys, and vocals), Chevas Vandel (keys, and vocals) and Luke Schafer (drums). Take a look at the video for DNT below: