Dwson’s new EP Hezekiah is propelled by atmospheric tech that takes it right onto the dancefloor – and exposes the recent explorations into sound from one of brightest stars out of South Africa’s house scene.
Released on October 16th via the UK-based Atjazz Record Company, Hezekiah is built around four tracks that balance Dwson’s desire to keep experimenting with the signature sound he’s been creating since 2016.
EP opener “Frigid Wetland” is straight tech, built around synths and a bass-heavy feel while “Hezekiah” brings a darker sound to the mix. “Medusa” uses subtle elements and plenty of synth to drive a poly tech track that’s aimed straight at the dancefloor and then “Somewhere In Toronto” brings home the atmospheric tech underpinning the EP.
For Dwson, the evocative and hypnotic sound on Hezekiah is a reflection of the near-spiritual way he makes music. “There’s a state I go into most of the time – like a meditation – and, through it, I allow the production session to just flow naturally. It’s as if I’m subconsciously creating the music – a semi out-of-body experience that allows everything to come together organically. The music is made on a certain frequency and it gets absorbed in a similar way. That’s what puts people into a deep state.”
One of the most arresting moments on Hezekiah comes just over midway through the Simeon collaboration, “Somewhere in Toronto” when a Drake spoken word piece appears, drawn from an interview he did about the leaking of “God’s Plan”.
“Working on ‘Somewhere In Toronto’ was a fun time, even better when working on something with someone who genuinely connects with you like Simeon,” says Dwson.
“It was one of those session where we kept adding and carving certain sounds, carefully picking certain drums, soft synths, humming melodies and then laying them down, coming up with percussion patterns and adding them in the track. The spoken word in the track was taken from an interview with Drake and he speaks about a higher power guiding him. That’s how I always feel: no matter what state I’m creating the music, conscious or subconscious, I always feel like there’s a force way stronger that helps with the music – and that’s God!”
The Hezekiah EP is the latest in a string of releases from Dwson in 2020 including the seven-plus minute Deep House track “WTYSL”, featuring vocalist IDEH, and the EP Griqua.
“Music has been my way of balancing and keeping me sane during these times and I’m sure it’s the same for many others,” says Dwson of his prolific run during a year marked by a global pandemic. “Music has its own way of healing and keeping things positive. It’s so important to listen to good music during these times.”
Listen to Hezekiah EP here orcd.co/arc192sd
