Tony Lio put his EP “Euphoric Illusions” back out on streaming. It’s a short but very unique project. It’s only four tracks, but each one was built in its own sound and space. He worked with different producers across the EP.
“Dove Iris” is the one that caught us first. The guitars do a lot here. It’s heavy, but not just noise. There’s actual shape to it especially in the solo. The vocals sit a bit behind everything kind of dreamy and like they’re floating over it instead of pushing forward. It’s a strong start. Maybe the strongest moment on the whole thing.
Then “Sweet Romantic” shifts things a bit. More direct. The chorus is great here. We kept going back to the guitar parts though, not even the big moments, just the small details in the background. It’s the kind of track that feels simple at first and then… not really.
“Skocean” slows everything down. It’s minimal. Not much going on, at least on the surface. It leans into space and tone more than structure. We get why he mentioned this one in the interview. It’s personal or at least more intentional than it first seems.
“Solar Queen” closes it. Brings the weight back in, plus the female vocals add something new without taking over. The guitars come back strong and Tony sounds more confident. More settled into the track. It ends the EP in a way that feels complete.
What’s interesting is how this was made. Different producers, different studios, different musicians on each track. He treats songwriting like a puzzle, and you can hear that in how each track is shaped differently. Also, bringing in different collaborators for each song could have made things messy, but instead it adds variety without losing direction.
We actually enjoyed this more than expected. The guitars alone carry a lot of weight, but it’s the small details and choices that stay with you a bit longer. Definitely something we’d come back to.
