Yunè Pinku's Party Playlist Is An Ethereal Pop Fantasia

Going out? Need a playlist? Then NYLON’s NYLON Nights playlist is here for you. Each month we invite a guest artist to curate an exclusive playlist that will keep you going from pre- to post-game. This February 2023, rising electronic musician yunè pinku shares the songs that inspire her cosmic dance tunes.

For London-based producer and singer yunè pinku, her love of the rave began in her bedroom. Though the 20-year-old, born Asha Yunè, grew up hating electronic music, she was opened up to the wide world of dance music during the pandemic, eventually turning to her computer to create her own cosmic, effortlessly chill creations. “Just listening to some other stuff made me realize that there are way more kinds of electronic music than I thought there were,” she told NME.

Fast forward a few years and Pinku has become one of the fastest rising figures in the dance scene, with her songs being featured on BBC Radio 1, and the song-maker hopping on collaborations and remixes with hip Australian DJ Logic1000, the Blessed Madonna, and Charli XCX. Her 2022 standout track “Fai Fighter” highlights the appeal: a strobing yet beautifully melodic song, it sounds like an exhilarating, glittery streak through space, a flashing glimpse at the entrancing universes Pinku is building.

“Fai Fighter” was what Pinku imagined a “Cocteau Twins [song] sped up and put in a Japanese dance machine” would sound like, she tells NYLON, and, below, she exclusively curates a playlist of more of her immediate sonic inspirations. Caroline Polachek and SOPHIE deep cuts sit alongside several of her equally exciting peers on the electronic music scene, like Bicep, Sassy 009, Yaeji, and overmono — a fantasia of strange and ethereal interpretations of pop and dance.

Pinku will bring her creations to the stage this summer in a series of festival and live appearance throughout Europe, but first, she’ll release her second EP, Babylon IX, whose lead single “Night Light” is out now.

Stream Pinku’s playlist below, and read on for her commentary on each of the songs.

“Know Who You Are At Every Age” - Cocteau Twins

I rinsed this song last year, I really love the catharsis and honest tone of it. I thought it’d be a nice song to start with as I think you can hear similar aspects between this and more recent female-led electronic music.

“Flicking Your Switch” - Ladytron

This song definitely informs a lot of my own music. It feels exactly like what an urban night walking feels like and I love the attitude that comes across.

“Mystery Boy” - SASSY 009

SASSY is and has been one of my favorite newer artists. I think she has such a unique, well-produced sound and always reminds me of the feeling of skiing or driving down a hill!

“Go as a Dream” - Caroline Polachek

I’m a sucker for sad-girl songs, or more accurately, tender songs, and this is a great option in that respect. I also love how Caroline’s voice is so pure in this track.

“Is It Cold In The Water?” - SOPHIE

I think SOPHIE was unanimously respected by everyone for her insanely creative production style, but this song was always my favorite of hers. The way it’s always rising and fading was always an interesting sensation sonically and replicates the feeling of looking on to crashing waves.

“Supersoaker” - Eartheater

This is the first of Eartheater’s tracks I’d heard and I was instantly into it. It felt like a sonic spot had been scratched. I love the almost church-like vocal style against the hard hitting electronic instrumentals.

“Make It Up” - TIRZAH, Hackman

This is one of my favorite songs to play in DJ sets, I think it’s such a smart take on an already great song. The build of the song is always super satisfying.

“Castles” - DJ_DAVE

DJ_Dave is another artist who I find really cool. She creates and plays her music through live-coding (having tried that I have huge respect, because I find it so complicated) and her sound is super fun and does make you want to dance.

“Is U” - Overmono

I, like everyone else, am a big fan of Overmono. Something that always stands out to me is the clean, tight feel of their production.

“For Granted” - Yaeji

Yaeji is just super smart in her productions. Every time I listen to her music, there’s always something that surprises me — which is one of my favorite things that I look for in music.

“Water” - Bicep

I knew “Glue” because I am person alive in the 21st century, but only recently it occurred to me to dive deeper into the discography of Bicep and it has quickly become one of my favorites, especially live. Again, a prime example of good dance music (which is harder to find than I thought).

“Noches” - Prince Innocence

Prince Innocence, the name originally grabbed me because I thought it was sick. And for lack of a better explanation, their music kind of embodied girlhood to me in someways, in that dreamy-bedroom dance style of theirs.

“Fai Fighter” - yunè pinku

“Fai Fighter” was a fun song to make so I always like slipping it in! But many of the artists on this playlist inspired this song, and in a strange way a part of me thought, “What would Cocteau Twins sped up and put in a Japanese dance machine sound like?” And that was it.

“Lalala (Want Somebody)” - TDJ remix

TDJ is a really cool artist, I think she blends trance, pop, and techno formulas in a unique way, which I think is great. This track for some reason reminds me of what I thought clubbing in 2008 would feel like, but I was a child then, so I’ll never know.