Reviews

Hip-hop, R&B, Singapore Stuart Yong Hip-hop, R&B, Singapore Stuart Yong

Nic Soze : Lost

Contemporary R&B has been stuck at a creative bottleneck for a while now, and Nic Soze’s Lost isn’t doing much to help. Its influences are clear from the start; submerged vocal samples, crooning sing-rap vocals, lyrics about a nondescript romance with a nondescript partner.

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Hip-hop, Singapore, Indonesia Stuart Yong Hip-hop, Singapore, Indonesia Stuart Yong

Kenzo : Glass Box, Vol. 2

Conjuring vivid scenes of manholes and overcoats, Kenzo’s Glassbox Vol. 2 defies the brittle nature of its name. Unabashed and unconcerned with fragility, the project is reminiscent of a grimy city sprawl with streets ruled by crime. Just like the rumble of urban traffic, percussive samples, sirens, crunchy guitars and turntable scratches thrillingly weave in and out of its beatwork.

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R&B, Singapore Isaac Chiew R&B, Singapore Isaac Chiew

nkei : No

Teaming up vocalist Raizel Gonzales (of Woes fame) and producer Ian Lee (AKA eelnai), R&B duo nkei present a tasteful and emotionally potent take on the genre with their heartbreaking debut single, No

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Hip-hop, Singapore Isaac Chiew Hip-hop, Singapore Isaac Chiew

St47ic: Altior Potentia

On their return, St47tic flex witty lyricism and a truculent attitude over woozy trap production. Yet, despite Altior Potentia meaning “Higher Power” in Latin, the track unfortunately doesn’t transcend its more derivative tendencies.

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Electronic, Hip-hop, Ambient, Singapore Oto Sequeira Electronic, Hip-hop, Ambient, Singapore Oto Sequeira

MZA: Balmoral

Balmoral – Yen Disco Soundsystem leader and electronic producer Matt Sekiya’s debut EP as MZA – sounds akin to John Coltrane performing a solo in a Buddhist temple with an analog synthesizer. Traversing worlds of downtempo, ambient, to even drum ‘n’ bass, he conjures an effort that reflects his deep-cut expertise.

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