Blue States is a long-running downtempo pop project helmed by multi-instrumentalist Andy Dragazis. While the chilled-out atmosphere, breakbeat-like drumming, and occasional presence of turntable scratching on 2000's Nothing Changes Under the Sun resulted in Blue States' categorization as a trip-hop outfit, much of their subsequent output has incorporated more live instrumentation rather than samples, veering from dreamy indie rock to cinematic ambient pop. The group returned from a hiatus lasting nearly a decade with 2016's Restless Spheres, and the baroque pop-influenced World Contact Day appeared in 2022.