Ten years of DJ’ing at the forefront of the UK’s Tribal House and UK Funky scene, with a sound he describes as UK Afro House – taking in South African Amapiano along the way – Larizzle is already no stranger to the limelight. Performing in some of the biggest venues in the UK and Europe, providing guest mixes to the likes of BBC Radio 1Xtra, Kiss Fresh, and Capital Xtra, and supporting big names such as Nas, Stormzy, Skepta, and Mark Ronson, might be enough for most people – not to mention twice winning the UK Official Mixtape Awards in 2012 and 2013, of course.
However, Larizzle is definitely not one to rest on his already sizeable laurels. ‘Ama Chill’ is his second personal music release, the follow up to October’s debut ‘Ama Play’, and it bears mention here the second release on his own ‘Larah Records’ label, founded in memory of Larizzle’s late daughter. Chilled yet funky from the first beat, ‘Ama Chill’ kicks in with irresistible afro drum beats and sonorous chants of ‘hey’, before melodic pipes build a repeating ariose mantra intensifying to a thumping drum-and-bassline climax. The whole track develops, piece by piece, into a multi-layered masterstroke, each section augmenting the previous parts whilst all carrying their own individual identities, that central repeated melody sticking in your head long after the final beat has echoed away.
You can check out ‘Ama Chill’ on Larizzle’s website, and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Review by Alex Holmes