Sylo ‘Dreamt That I Was’ With His New Album
Today, alt-R&B savant Sylo releases his much anticipated new album Dreamt that I Was via The Orchard. Loungey, sultry, and all around experimental, Sylo’s newest offering, executive produced by David Tanton (Afternoon Bike Ride), unfolds around the listener. Thoughtfully plucking all the beauty from the mundane, Sylo wields a voice with the viscosity of honey, leaving his fingerprint of intimate care on every second of his music.
Beginning with a “half-letter to a past self,” Sylo opens the album with “Slow Down For A Minute.” He sets an optimistic tone early on expressing the sentiment of this too shall pass. On one of today’s standout tracks, “Alaska,” Sylo said, “The struggle of coping with one’s anxiety can cause you to want to make some last-ditch effort to crawl out of your skin and start over — be the person you always imagined you could be. But does that truly exist?”
Sylo then moves listeners through some of the project’s singles before getting to the hazy, distorted, all-encompassing “Don’t Fight It.” He explains, “This is a story of a drug-induced experience and having a glimpse into the void, whether or not I wanted it. All I had was her body and words to hold onto. The rest was up to God.”
All points culminating at closing track “Abyss,” a building jazz horn section acts as the guide over the edge of oblivion. “I went on a meditation retreat once. My objective was to let go of all things that grounded me,” Sylo shared “This led to the realization that the only way to truly be free is to make the vast uncertainty of life your only home.” A crescendo into an abrupt ending leaves the listener wondering what is on the other side?
Sylo press photo by Lian Benoit
Keeping the Dreamt that I Was momentum going, Sylo will embark on a headline tour this Fall in both North America and Asia. He will hit major markets like New York, his home of Toronto, Los Angeles and more. His Asia dates will officially be announced on July 29. All ticketing information can be found here.
Over the coming months, Sylo’s track “Babyboo” with sonic-globetrotter Nonso Amadi will be featured in an ad campaign for SoundCloud x Hyundai. The campaign will highlight how everyone is on a journey in life, and that journey shapes who you are and what you create; a perfect tie into Dreamt that I Was. Released in June, the Goldchain produced track is an amalgamation of so many different genres, an intersection of both artists’ varying global influences.
Ahead of today’s full release, Sylo shared “Fall Into Me,” “So Familiar” and “Babyboo” featuring Nonso Amadi. For Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, Spotify recognized Sylo on their Jasmine playlist. Another recent highlight is his COLORSxSTUDIOS session of “Mile End.”
Featured Image By: Melissa Reil