Future Utopia & Lava La Rue – The Pleasure Trap

Grammy-winning producer Fraser T. Smith’s musical project Future Utopia has joined forces with Lava La Rue for their latest single, “The Pleasure Trap” – a deliciously ironic examination of how our basic human drives get exploited in modern life.

The collaboration emerged from an intriguing first meeting where Smith shared the concept of “the pleasure trap” – how our primitive desires for comfort, safety, and reproduction still control us, and how corporations cleverly manipulate these instincts to sell us stuff we honestly don’t need.

“I’m always trying to weave social commentary into songs that still work for casual listeners,” explains La Rue, whose approach complements Smith’s production vision perfectly. Smith, who had long admired La Rue and the Nine8 collective, specifically wanted vocals that balanced minimalism with impact – a goal spectacularly achieved through La Rue’s dreamy melodic contributions and thought-provoking lyrics.

The single previews Future Utopia’s upcoming EP “Memory Boy,” scheduled for release later in 2025, following Smith’s acclaimed 2024 album “Django’s High.” As a creative endeavour, Future Utopia represents Smith’s musical playground, featuring revolving collaborators and seamlessly shifting between genres – from pop to R&B to afrobeats – all united by an infectious enthusiasm for musical creation.

Smith’s impressive production résumé includes work with industry giants like Adele (earning him a Grammy for contributions to her album “21”), Stormzy, Gorillaz, Dave, and Sam Smith. He also recently produced and co-wrote Kae Tempest’s single “Statue In The Square,” released last month as Tempest’s first work since 2022’s “I Saw Light.”