Kayzo
Courtesy of Circle Talent Agency
Los Angeles is one city where the dubstep dream never dies. That place lives and breathes harsher bass than doctors may readily recommend, so of course it’s been the perfect place for Kayzo to hone his hard-edged craft. Since 2012, he’s been slaughtering speakers with no remorse, and it earned him big thumbs up from Krewella, Zeds Dead, and more. We at Billboard Dance gave him a mention as one of 2017’s best breakouts, but in 2018, he is playing no games and he ain’t taking also-ran as a crown.
Kayzo proudly presents his debut LP OVERLOAD, an 11-track collection of sounds so raw and face-melting, it actually deserves to be written in all-capital letters. “Overload pays tribute to my youth and the musical styles of rock and pop punk that helped get me through my toughest times,” Kayzo tells Billboard. “It’s always been my vision to bring that side of me to the electronic space. It was never meant to be an album but over the year and half of writing what has become overload, it has changed me and the way I look at writing as a whole. The project has a piece of me in it and I’m so thankful I can have the opportunity to share that with everyone.”
This LP is a monstrous scream in the face — literally, the frequent vocal features from Micah Martin, and his band The Zealots are absolute ragers ripped from the bassiest bowels of the old screamo movement. Right from opener “FOLLOW YOU” to closer “WAITING” is an industrial-tinged stomper that could make a T. Rex stumble in its tracks.
That’s not to say there aren’t emotionally compelling windows into Kayzo’s soul. He gives the tracks dimension with dynamics. He turns the energy down just a smidge, lets you get a little introverted, gives you something to hold your lovers’ hand to, but it’s not a make out album by any means. There’s always a new crunchy blow right around the corner.
If you like textured, electrified jungle gyms of noise, you’re really going to enjoy picking OVERLOAD apart. It’s released today in all its mosh-pit inducing glory on LA’s independent label Welcome Records. Listen to it below, but if you faint in the face of its unstoppable forcefulness, don’t say we didn’t warn you.