Generationwhy has been one of the most awaited albums of 2016 and it is nothing short of a stunning debut from the mystery producer Steven ZHU who has been surprising us ever since he broke out into the dance music scene with his much famed hit “Faded ”. This album contains the unique yet typical, mid-tempo electronic pop sounds of ZHU which in our opinion is the perfect sound for the night.
The album’s intro track “Neon City” starts off with a saxophone piece which straight away draws our attention, which the mystery producer has been able to do every time he comes out with something new. The intro gives out a very strong point about the strength of human spirit. The sample verse of a Maya Angelou poem called “And Still I Rise” which has been used in the intro is an apt pick. The intro has a soothing, soulful, catchy jazz melody blending gently with the sounds of subway cars and cop sirens.
The next track “Cold Blooded” blends the dance music sounds with the sounds of Jazz. This track showcases his style of dark lounge music. It is one of the standout tracks from the album.
After “Cold Blooded” is “In The Morning” which slightly resembles one of his previous releases “Faded”. Piano and tribal-like percussion syncopate to an instinctive heartbeat, tripping out into a blissed-out track that will fill dance floors everywhere.
“Secret Weapon” encapsulates a similar feel to ZHU’s first Genesis Series single “Automatic”.
The next track “Electrify Me” features nostalgic synth work that is somewhat similar to Disclosure’s “Settle”.
Throughout the next few songs, ZHU continues building up the album’s sound and story by portraying a cold one-night stand, a lust-filled fantasy, and a dangerously passionate night, but then at the halfway point, the mood completely shifts with “Palm Of My Hand”. The mesmerizing six-minute song contains police sirens, guitar and piano solos, and a long verse spoken in French.
“Money” shifts focus to the vocals, perhaps hard to swallow with the relatively plain nature of the instrumentation and song writing.
The next track “Reaching” is a housy club record which is one of the standout tracks from the album for us.
For the avant-garde fusion between house and hip-hop that ZHU usually puts out, “Hometown Girl” makes for an unexpected departure. The easygoing guitar licks and lighthearted lyrics fit it for radio except for a more experimental, dance-y section at the very end.
The keystone single “Generationwhy” is the perfect closure for the album. This track epitomizes the theme and feel of the album to a tee. The powerful synth chords create a flow on the track that other elements work into. The guitar and synthesized sax chime in with small melodic ideas whilst high range vocals compliment the whole mix.
Overall this album has been a solid stunning debut from Steven ZHU and is surely one of the best albums which have come out in 2016 so far. With “Generationwhy”, ZHU has gotten the elements of jazz, blues, disco and his signature sound of dark lounge music to the dance music scene and we are sure he will continue to bring us more and more quality music in future.
