umzi‘s first EP comes after three singles. The four-song EP is the first extended introduction to umzi and could be the first time many people hear her music. The R&B and soul foundation, led by umzi’s vocals, is combined with arrangements that pull from electronic and synth. It’s a showcase of umzi’s composition skills and she makes the blending natural.
The opening track, “into(intro),” carries my same opinion of short introduction tracks – I don’t really care for them. It does lead right into “hopline.” The repetitive pulse in the first verses supports umzi until the song opens up. This isn’t one of the EP’s singles, but I actually found this song more interesting than the remaining songs. It’s a fusion of electronic and R&B with a future-pop tone. I also like how the song has distinct chapters. It’s only a few BPM short of a club song.
“Neutral” is more of a standard R&B track. It’s a great showcase of umzi’s composition and arrangement talents, especially with the rhythm manipulation after the song’s introduction. But as much as I like the technical highlights, “Neutral” is an apt description for the song, especially after “hopline” and its almost chaotic style.
Ahn Jaepil features on “A priori.” It’s an interesting decision to put him at the front of the track instead of at the bridge, where most features live. “A priori” is kind of an R&B, pop, and ballad track that blends styles like a cascading stack. Verses roll on top of one another to create a rolling melody. Again, technical and impressive, but the end result falls in comparison to “hopline.”
Maybe “hopline” should have closed to the.. The track was definitely the highlight both technically and sonically. “Neutral” and “A priori” both highlight umzi’s production skills while falling right into R&B. It’s a strong and solid EP that’s skewed with one early song.
Instagram | YouTube | Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music
Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.