EP REVIEW
DJ Chillz - Adebowale
London, United Kingdom
ARTIST BACKGROUND
London-based DJ and producer and Dash Radio resident, DJ Chillz recently released her EP “Adebowale” on Sonic Continuum. She built a reputation as a renowned club DJ before making her producing debut in 2017. Her passion for blending afrobeat, R&B, and house music inspired her to try her hand at production. Her sound regularly appears and gets support on the airwaves of BBC1 Xtra, Capital Xtra and Reprezent.Radio. "Adebowale" is a body of work that took her 2 years to craft: as part of the LGBT community, she DJ'd at various events such as UK Black Pride and held a residency at Bootylicious London. The EP is thought to resonate and further empower the community in having more visible BAME and LGBT individuals like her.
REVIEW
DJ Chillz's 'Adebowale' EP is a 6-track project that combines a variety of genres from Afrobeat to Pop to EDM and MORE! Opening the project with 'Arrival' this artist has CERTAINLY ARRIVED! 'Arrival' introduces a haunting dark bass synth before bringing in some afro-beat percussion. As the composition develops we hear dark keys bring an extra layer to the mix which enhances the darkness that this track entices in the listener. This is a piece that has no words but manages to sell a story to the listener - It brings a feeling of survival, fight, and determination which I LOVE hearing from female producers. I'm 100% here for it. As the track develops further we hear strings enter the mix that brings an extra dimension to the fight whilst providing a cinematic experience. I loved this opening to the project. Track 2 titled 'Out Of Time' has a completely different feel to it. This track embeds the of afrobeat percussion with the deep melodies of deep house. The vocals are soulful and strong and when accompanied by the occasional deep house vocal chop we hear all sorts of sexiness! As this piece progresses we also hear components of tropical house in its melodies through the use of bell synths. This is a great track! One for your late nights and weekends so make sure that you get it on your playlists in time for Summer! Moving onto the third track of this amazing set, we're given 'Blue Skies' and we're sold that vision through from the first note. A dreamy keys synth welcomes us into the world of dreams alongside the smoothness of jazz-inspired brass tones. What I love about this whole project so far is the perfectly pieced together afrobeat percussions that sit in the mix alongside EDM. It really mixes genres and brings something unique. The vocals on this song are by Rachel Lazier, an artist with a similar sound to Jorja Smith and Lily Allen. 'Young & Free' features the second collaborative artist to the project. 'Iyah' brings a smooth RnB to feel to the project with a hint of Pop. One thing that really stood out to me in this song was the bars that came through. They really switched up the whole thing! Second to last we're given 'Keep Me Safe' a track with the signature afro-beats but also a sad emotive guitar loop which really takes our emotions on a trip. The vocals are drawn out and distant as we're sung the line "Keep Me Safe". The way that the vocals leave the mix towards the end really hits different as it allows a minute to reflect. To close the project we're given 'Outro'. This track isn't the typical outro that you may have heard in the past, this is a whole production in itself lasting the duration of 2:15 minutes. We're left with the message that it's natural to be scared but the only thing we need to be scared of is ourselves. A philosophical ending in the form of a motivational speech lies at the hands of this concluding piece. The second half of this track forms an instrumental that is highly emotive and empowering but on a happier note than the opening track. I was touched by this whole project and I'm really looking forward to following DJ Chillz on her journey and watching as she continues to bring her inner female warrior to the industry.