{"title":"Releases - Observation Room","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"observation-room-self-titled","title":"Observation Room \"Self Titled\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrooklyn’s Observation Room unveil their self-titled debut EP, a four-track descent into the stark, shimmering world of moody synth-pop. Drawing on the crystalline melodies of Book of Love, the industrial melancholia of Depeche Mode, and the stark minimalism of early Human League, the duo crafts a sound that is both deeply nostalgic and eerily contemporary.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the pounding, chant-driven pulse of “Workers”—a mechanized anthem built on relentless synth grooves—to the sweeping, operatic sprawl of “Orange Moon Distance,” the EP moves between the mechanical and the cosmic with effortless precision. It’s a record that thrives on tension: sleek yet raw, futuristic yet rooted in Reagan-era unease.\u003cbr\u003eObservation Room began as the solo project of Marina F, whose early demos were crafted in transit from the forests of Maine back to the electrified hum of New York City. The addition of Chloe Olson on bass, synths, and vocals solidified the duo’s sonic vision, deepening their already immersive live performances. Their music channels the past while peering into the future, connecting the dots between decades of electronic innovation and present-day anxieties.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA meticulously crafted introduction to their world, this debut EP cements Observation Room as one of the most compelling new voices in synth-pop. Step inside.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"à La Carte Records","offers":[{"title":"Blue and red splatter 12\"","offer_id":43912102838452,"sku":"ALC-148-12-1","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Natural 12\"","offer_id":43912102871220,"sku":"ALC-148-12-2","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0584\/8331\/0772\/files\/OREP253000xFront.jpg?v=1746052244"},{"product_id":"various-artists-a-la-carte-records-sampler-2025","title":"Various Artists \"ALC Sampler 2025\"","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"95\" data-end=\"461\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"95\" data-end=\"113\"\u003eALC Sampler 2025\u003c\/em\u003e brings together highlights from à La Carte Records’ most exciting releases of the year, offering a snapshot of the label’s dynamic post-punk, shoegaze, and darkwave roster. From the brooding intensity of Anemic to the ethereal textures of Velvet, this compilation captures the range and depth of the artists shaping the contemporary underground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"463\" data-end=\"927\"\u003eThe 14-track collection features standout songs from both longtime favorites and emerging voices: Nuxx, Sunder, Pleasure Pill, Public Circuit, Justice Divine, Feudal, The Shape, Plight, forever ☆, Observation Room, Welcome Strawberry, and the collaborative effort between The True Faith \u0026amp; Sculpture Club. Each track is a carefully curated expression of mood and style, highlighting the label’s commitment to evocative songwriting and boundary-pushing production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"929\" data-end=\"1313\"\u003eWhether exploring the sharp, driving rhythms of post-punk, the shimmering layers of shoegaze, or the haunting undertones of modern darkwave, \u003cem data-start=\"1070\" data-end=\"1088\"\u003eALC Sampler 2025\u003c\/em\u003e serves as both an entry point for newcomers and a celebration for longtime listeners. It’s a year-in-review that underscores à La Carte Records’ role as a hub for innovation, atmosphere, and uncompromising artistic vision.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"à La Carte Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":43977620586676,"sku":"ALC-150-CD-1","price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0584\/8331\/0772\/files\/ALC-150Digital.png?v=1752102713"},{"product_id":"observation-room-superstructure","title":"Observation Room \"Superstructure\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrooklyn synth duo Observation Room — Marina F and Chloe Olson — step out of the long shadow of their self-titled EP with \"Superstructure,\" their debut full-length for à La Carte Records. It's the sound of a band figuring out how to make cold music feel warm: the cinematic synth-pop reach of Depeche Mode and Book of Love woven through the locked grooves of krautrock, the chromium pulse of late-'70s experimental synth, and the widescreen drift of Tangerine Dream. Deep and dreamy where their earlier work was brittle and hypnotic, the record builds out a small, repeatable system and lets every weird color inside it breathe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe title points two ways at once — an architectural noun and a Marxist one, and Observation Room let those readings rub up against each other for the entire LP. Lyrics zoom from intimate first-person paranoia out to the political machinery that shapes it and back again, often inside a single song; the watcher and the watched keep collapsing into the same person. Dissonance, mechanical bloops, and field recordings give the record its grain, while vocal harmonies sharpened over a year of live shows give it its center. \"Running Lights\" works a relentless headlight-after-headlight groove until the chorus opens up; \"Lens\" sprawls into a slow zoom from claustrophobia to something close to transcendence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProduced and mixed by Marina F in Brooklyn and mastered by Sharon Aiza Engel at Punctum Stains, \"Superstructure\" is the first time Observation Room have committed to the idea that synth-pop doesn't have to mean dark. The Reagan-era unease they grew up with is still there, but the brightness is the point. Pressed on two limited 12\" variants — olive-in-green and apple red — with layout by Marina F, logos by Nat Cherry, and photography by Tim O'Connell.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"à La Carte Records","offers":[{"title":"Olive-in-clear 12\"","offer_id":44227670868148,"sku":"ALC-165-LP-1","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Apple red 12\"","offer_id":44227670900916,"sku":"ALC-165-LP-2","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0584\/8331\/0772\/files\/ALC-165-LPDigital.png?v=1779113150"}],"url":"https:\/\/alacarterecords.com\/collections\/releases-observation-room.oembed","provider":"à La Carte Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}