Kevin Bronson on January 11th, 2017

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Jingle writers Derek Brambles and Eric Johnson launched their foray into dance-pop in 2014 as the King’s English, and now the duo is going next-level under the moniker Topanga. There’s nothing “canyon” about their sound, unless you imagine the chasm on the dancefloor that their EP “Midnight Jungle,” due Feb. 3, might fill. They’ve integrated some of the cosmic effects of psychedelic rock into their alternatingly exuberant and moody synth-pop, aiming to change up the rhythms and textures to reflect the duality of L.A. at night — truly a “Midnight Jungle.” Brambles and Johnson are joined in the project by vocalist Keila Roldan, keyboardist Andrew Levine, guitarist Dylan Robin and drummer Ryan Silver, and their first single “Shadows” is a bright, straight-ahead and almost impossibly elastic banger that belies the sonic breadth of the EP.

||| Stream: “Shadows”