Dream Pop from Manila: No Rome

The Electric Mississippi flows to the Philippines today, where 17-year-old synthpop prodigy Rome Gomez, aka No Rome, just released the catchiest little critter that I've heard in weeks, "Dance With Me." He began pencilling music at age twelve - five years later, this single is priming to blow up the blogosphere.

To me, this is textbook dreamy dance pop - every element is there, though it in no way feels pre-prepared. You have the off-beat kick to push the piano through. You have the xylophone sitting on top of hi-hat. You have a pre-chorus breakdown to catch your breath. The piano evokes French nu-disco, but the vocals have an echoey effect and a pacing that might even make for a dancefloor singalong. I'm a sucker for innocent, happy pop about dancing - remember "Digital Love"? I'll put this on a playlist with that, for Friday nights when a friend says they're looking for a fling.

No Rome hails from Number Line Records, a Manila-based label with a deep bench of electro and shoegaze well worth delving into (check out Tarsius, "E.S.P.").