Sarz SINYM EP Review an eclectic and exciting mix

He kicked off his career as a producer officially in 2007, but it wasn't until 2010 when he was able to make an impactful impression working with Jah Bless on his hit single, 'Joo Or.'

The success of the single opened the doors as many came in search of that distinct sound of his which led to other early records including Reminisce's 'Kako Be Chicken' and his first ever single, 'Beat of Life' with Wizkid.

While a lot of producers have come and faded off the scene, Sarz has been here, growing, evolving, helping younger producers find their feet and being futuristic in his sound.

On a yearly basis, his signature sound comes attached to a number of hit songs and it's 2019 that he finally delivers his long-awaited debut offering, one that is experimentally novel not just in the sound but in its title as he boldly declares ''Sarz Is Not Your Mate.''

The 6-track project, which he says was put together in two weeks sees Sarz uniquely take a trippy and eclectic yet electrifying left-field adventure inspired by the 'Riddim' sound [A Jamaican adaptation of the word Rhythm].

Riddims culturally have to do with dub-steps and dance sounds with an infusion of instrumental backgrounds of a number of compositions from reggae, EDM, dancehall and whatever works to make the final product an eventful listening.

Sarz says this is not an album just a project he has always wanted to make [Instagram Sarz] Pulse Nigeria

In his words, ''This isn't an album. This project is something I've always wanted to do cos I wanted to push new ideas in this scene.''

From the project's opener 'Good Morning Riddim', which sees a mix of drums, light keys and funky bass sound, Sarz asks his neighbors if they are ''feeling ok.''

'Inbox Riddim' takes a more local approach with the chopped vocals of Wizkid and Lil Kesh who was re-echoing the slang, ''Gbese'' giving it that street edge, while 'Spiritual Riddim' creates a synth vibe of fairly subdued and calming harmonic drops.

The tape's only pre-released single, 'Hello Africa Riddim' takes a nostalgic journey down Dr Alban's 90's classic with his signed artist, Flash's supporting vocals adding an infectious flare that is near impossible to resist.

Lil Kesh's vocals again work on 'Celetronic Riddim' which has a killer drop with the tape coming to a close with 'Legwork Riddim.'

The landscape of music production has shifted globally and Sarz understands that to stay relevant in the game, being unpredictable is one asset that he has to be armed with.

SINYM is a prodigious 23 minutes long ride that takes listeners on a groovy and hyper-rhythmic trip, which, depending on your taste can get predictable and insipid at some point, especially on this side of the world where we love our vocals and fusion and EDM is still relatively grey.

His trademark love for drums is not lost in this exciting shift in style, and with the chopped vocals infiltrating the beats at timely intervals, SINYM attains a broad degree of success .

All in all, Sarz confirms that he is genre-flexible beat-maker and while his pop hits are testament of his magical keys, he is not a producer trapped in that world as he can as well usher you onto the dance-floor without the support of the hooks or verses.

Rating: 3.5/5

Ratings

1-Dull

2-Boring

2.5-Average

3-Worth Checking Out

3.5-Hot

4-Smoking Hot

4.5-Amazing

5-Perfection