The thing with Wayne Snow is that he totally defies the meaning of his name. There is nothing cold about the Nigerian-born neo-soul artist, in fact, the Berlin-based artist ensures that he brings the light with everything he touches, and his new album ‘Figurine’ showcases exactly this.
Four years in the making, ‘Figurine’ is a conceptual, personal body of work that embellished the depth and reflection of someone who has critically evaluated humanity’s obsession with masks, and our creation of avatars. It is this that makes Wayne such a talented artist. It’s one thing to create music that sounds good, but to delve so deep into human concepts and embody them into a piece of art is so very special.
Much of ‘Figurine’ was inspired by the works of social psychologist Erich Fromm and is an invitation to think, to probe, and to sink into Snow’s bright, storied music. It is a record based around the simple question — “Who is the real you?” — leading Snow to dive headfirst into rebirth, individuality, love, and our increasing sense of alienation, all whilst intertwining Snow’s Nigerian heritage and the deep sense of pride he feels towards his country of birth.
Working closely with Roche Musique combined with highly acclaimed collaborations with FKJ, Folamour, Darius, Max Graef, and Glenn Astro, ‘Figurine’ is Wayne Snow’s most ambitious project to date, but when you dare to dream, you often achieve the highest of accolades, and Snow has certainly accomplished this.
Across the ten tracks that ‘Figurine’ has to offer, the album surfs between neo-soul, alternative pop, R&B, soultronica, blended with hints of jazz in between, and in return, it offers an honest and entrancing listening experience. Snow’s voice is so pure and soulful, and the melodies are so mesmerising that it allows you to drift off into a dreamland, forget everything your surroundings, and immerse yourself entirely into the world of Wayne Snow.
Following a multitude of singles that received mass plaudits from the likes of NPR Music, Vogue, BBC Radio 1 and 6, Clash, Notion, and various others, Wayne Snow was…