Roman Toyi – SESSION 001 [EP]

Roman Toyi’s SESSION 001 EP lands with a heavy dose of reality, wrapped in the kind of analog-steeped warmth that only comes from revisiting old memories. It’s the sound of life laid bare, where each note digs into the marrow of memory, pulling out the mix of joy and regret life leaves behind.

With “STONES,” you find yourself in a space that feels worn and lived-in. vny’s chorus loops in the background, a persistent reminder of the things we chase but never quite catch: “Solo I was tryna turn the right stone / Guess you’ll have to wake up with ya eyes closed.” The lo-fi beat, underpinned by vibraphone notes that warble like a worn cassette tape over a rumbling synth bass and buried kicks, drives the track forward. Roman Toyi’s verse doesn’t try to dress up the truth; instead, it speaks with a straightforward and almost deadpan clarity: “Open yo eyes / You see me bleeding / And I drown in tears / I tell no lie.” Obie Iyoha adds a sense of urgency, his quick, clipped delivery cutting through the track like a clean cut, separating truth from filler, with precision: “Everyday I wake up I be feeling like I’m dreaming / My inception misdirected I might end never waking up.”

“BARDO,” featuring Fonny Savant and xain, dives into the murky waters of memory and loss. The beat, pieced together by 8een, opens with the eerie plucking of a Chinese zither, backed by a heavy bass/cello that sets a haunting tone. The drums are syncopated, broken-beat, giving the track an off-kilter rhythm that matches the emotional weight of the lyrics.

Fonny Savant’s choruses directly address the passing of xain‘s grandmother as well as a brother and mutual friend that they lost as a collective – capturing the pain of unspoken words and lost moments. xain stream of consciousness verse dives headfirst into a whirlpool of disjointed thoughts and lingering emotions, leaving nothing untouched. Roman Toyi then steps in, pulling the whole track together as he reflects on the life he’s pieced together, with shadows still looming. There’s a warmth in the way he speaks about life, a recognition of the pain but also of the joy that keep it all together.

SESSION 001 hits you like a blast, life laid out without frills, warmed by memories that breathe and flicker like old film reels. It’s a record that lives its stories, inviting you to pull up a chair, soak in the verses, and maybe catch a glimpse of your own reflection in the hazy mix of beats.

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