Track Listing
Anyway
Fleeting
Body Language (ft. DarkDARK)
Wildheart
Just Friends (ft. Taylor Ravenna)
Jumping into HEYZ’s new 5 track EP, the one question you’ll likely ask is “Who is HEYZ?” For those unaware, HEYZ hails from North Carolina and is is an American record producer and DJ. He’s predominantly known for his bass and dubstep sonic.
Back in 2018 HEYZ was featured on Deadmau5’s widely acclaimed label, Mau5trap, too. There, he released his debut EP ‘Schedule 1.’
Fast forward to 2021 and HEYZ is back with his second EP, featuring five distinctly different and sonically interesting takes on the bass genre.
Kicking things off we have ‘Anyway’, a solid, head-bopping opener with vocal snippets that work really well against the heavy distortion used on the bass. With such a simple hook, HEYZ wisely keeps the track under 3 minutes, which is a really wise move to prevent this out outstaying its welcome.
Completely switching things up, ‘Fleeting’ then introduces a lot more chords and string segments. This track is one of the longest on the EP too, boasting a really solid bridge that builds back into the dubstep sound that preceded it nicely.
‘Body Language’ returns to those teasing vocals that were sprinkled throughout ‘Anyway’. This time though, the track takes on a much more chilled ambience, with subtle echoing bass drums and church bells reinforcing this subdued style.
‘Wildheart’ then moves back into a harder bassline, with pure dubstep head bops and a wicked crescendo that really packs a punch with those bass drums. I can imagine on a club sound system this is the track that would get most bass fans jumping.
Last year’s ‘Just Friends’, featuring the vocal talents of Taylor Ravenna, then closes the album with a much more pop-orientated feel. This one is a personal favourite, boasting some tightly produced vocals that fit perfectly with the instrumental laid underneath.
There’s no question that Who is HEYZ has a unique style and the variations across the bass and dubstep sub-genres can be felt throughout. The harder songs are sandwiched between much lighter and chilled efforts, which gives the album a disorientating pendulum effect.
The EP does feel a little uneven at times because of this, with the tone sporadically jumping in a way that never quite gets you settled.
To be fair, this is more a personal gripe than a detrimental to the EP. There’s certainly a lot of variation here and enough that fans of the genre will enjoy.
Who is HEYZ features some tight production work throughout, and impressive vocals that complement those instrumentals perfectly. It won’t be for everyone but if you’re a fan of bass or dubstep, this is definitely worth checking out.
You can stream Who is HEYZ on Spotify by clicking here!
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Verdict - 7/10
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