Lawrence Hart’s ASKING FOR A FRIEND arrives seven months after his debut album, Come in Out of the Rain. Where the London producer’s first full-length leaned into emotion and ambiance in its quest for connection, this sonics-first mixtape is more for movement than reflection. He also invites fellow producers Giulia Tess, Meg Ward, and Mera Bhai to the party. Playing out with the seamlessness of a DJ set, ASKING FOR A FRIEND is looser and sweatier. It opens with “HYPERSTATE” and “LOSE CONTROL,” restless tracks teetering on the edge of unraveling in their climb toward ecstasy. From there, more textures emerge: The classic house of “THEN YOU’LL KNOW” erupts into blown-out techno fuzz, “JUST BELIEVE” channels Burial’s spectral groove, and “TRYING” ascends to a sky-high level of serenity. While moments of melancholy and vulnerability weave throughout the record, the hands-in-the-air euphoria of closing track “LIVING WITHOUT U” is pure release.