Ujico (or, Snail’s House at other times) has long hop-scotched between a hyper-kawaii sound and something a bit more polished, full of intricate piano arrangements. The recently released Dream Castle EP is the finest balance the young producer has stuck yet between the two. The synths on songs such as the title track and “Dream City” remain as candy-bright as ever, but now Ujico focuses on songwriting, and making the most of such color. “Dream Castle” high steps along…until the song falls out from underneath itself, a pleasant but muted melody taking its place for a split second. It ups the tension from an artist who has often gotten by on pure cuteness, but it now finding how to build on that sound. And on the finale of “[Fireworks],” piano meets one of the sturdy beats Ujico has constructed, without losing the dreamy quality of previous work. For fans of Avec Avec, or seeing artists bloom. Get it here, or listen below.