Steven Fleet’s new solo project, Dream Bodies, makes its entrance with a spectral incantation. His debut EP ‘Circle of Light’ is a five-track immersion into a shadow-drenched world- equal parts séance, shoegaze, and synth-soaked post-punk. It’s a foggy cathedral of sound where every echo feels haunted, every lyric a doorway to something older and stranger.
Built from the bones of earlier singles- ‘Don’t Look Back’, ‘Eclipse’, and ‘Dream Hangover’- the EP also unveils two new cuts, including its eerie opener ‘Blood Moon’ and the mystical title track. Together, they form a body of work that feels both timeless and completely untethered from the modern world.
‘Circle of Light’ is the clear centrepiece- an incantatory spiral that draws the listener deeper into Dream Bodies’ occult-laced dreamworld. It opens with a hush of atmosphere, lyrics like whispered spells, and a hypnotic progression that feels like it’s guiding you down a corridor lit by flickering candlelight. Fleet’s vocals carry a calm urgency, nestled in a bed of swirling synths and echo-drenched guitar lines that recall the grandiosity of early goth and the intimate psychedelia of ‘80s dream-pop.
The track conjures vivid spiritual symbolism: death and life positioned like opposing guardians, cosmic awakening spiraling up the spine, and a sense of transcendence. It’s esoteric, yes- but grounded in a kind of emotional truth that resonates regardless of belief.
Elsewhere on the EP, ‘Don’t Look Back’ pulses with a haunted rhythm, like a lost transmission from a half-remembered past. ‘Dream Hangover’ lives up to its name, cloaking the listener in smeared melodies and narcotic textures that hang. ‘Eclipse’ is perhaps the most rhythmically direct offering, but even here, Dream Bodies never sacrifices atmosphere for momentum. These songs are less about narrative and more about conjuring memories, moods, ghosts you didn’t know were still there.
What makes ‘Circle of Light’ compelling is its commitment to the liminal. His references are clear- touchstones like Clan of Xymox, Cocteau Twins, and The Cure echo throughout- but Dream Bodies doesn’t feel derivative. Instead, Fleet uses his influences like ritual tools, summoning a sound that’s reverent but distinct, personal yet otherworldly.
Ultimately, ‘Circle of Light’ is less an EP and more an experience- one that invites the listener not to dance or nod along, but to step inside. If you’re drawn to the spaces between dreams and memory, between dusk and dawn, Dream Bodies will meet you there. Don’t expect answers- but if you’re willing to kneel in the dark and listen, you may find something waiting.