7.) SyKi The Mind, Soul & Higher Self: 2023

***2023: The EPs "Step.0", "Slytherin House", "SoSo", "Foreign Feel"***


**Step.0**

On January 4th, 2023, SyKi released an EP titled "Step.0". It was deemed a remixes project by the artist, consisting of 3 songs:
•"BlackMotion vs. Nirvana"
SyKi sang lyrics from the iconic grunge song, "Smells Like A Teen Spirit" By Nirvana, delivering the lyrical selections over the melodic intro section of deep-house duo, Black Motion's song "It's You" featuring Miss P, which is in itself a remix or rendition of "Videogames" by Lana Del Ray.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/blackmotion-vs-nirvana

•"Underground Kings Remix"
SyKi wrote and sang his own melodic, progressive & alternative vocals over the instrumental of Drake's "Underground Kings", approaching the music in a very different way than the original song.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/2undergroundkings

•"Halo vs. BetweenMemories"
SyKi sang the lyrics of "Between Memories" by Flying Lotus & Nikki Randa, his performance of the vocals recorded over the instrumental, dark EDM song, "Halo" by Vakhtang.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/halo-vs-betweenmemories

It is rumored that SyKi had planned of the project consisting of 4 songs, but couldn't release it this way due to copyright policies regarding one of the songs said to include content from the Black Eyed Peas which could not be cleared for release and had to be excluded from the Step.0 EP.



**Slytherin House**
On February 4th, 2023, SyKi released an EP titled Slytherin House, named after the group of sorcerers featured in the highly acclaimed Harry Potter franchise. The cover art of Slytherin House involved imagery of a slythering snake. Appearing on the cover, the words "SyKi So Slytherin House", with the "S" characters of the words being formed by the curves of the snake's body. The EP brought a return of production by RUDY, bringing through it a melodic, alternative hip-hop sound. Slytherin House consisted of 4 songs; 
•"To Be Free"
Revealed to be a song written years prior to being recorded, SyKi preferred to mask his vocals on the song in delay and distortion effects, as the song is supposedly about having a deathwish, to end experiences which caused SyKi manic-depressive psychological and emotional torment, "dying to be free". As SyKi didn't want to spread this kind of message and created the song more for his own self-expression and creative fulfillment, he decided it was satisfying enough if he was the only one who knew all the lyrics of the song, thus disguising his vocals in effects.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/to-be-free

•"My Shit Becomes"
SyKi wrote the repetitive song, to be catchy, easy to remember and simple enough to enjoy. Having come up with a set of phrases, SyKi rapped and chanted the phrases throughout the song. Lyrics from My Shit Becomes include expressions success being inevitable, creative authenticity & also finding power and personal reinvention through sobriety: encouraging others to overcome old habits of "running" from, or not facing personal problems by resorting to substance abuse.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/my-shit-becomes

•"The Night"
A melodic-rap song, with lyrics including themes such as thriving in night life, some expressions which can be considered misogynistic, typical experiences associated with being a rapper and also destiny & metaphysical powers. The song also contained lyrical references to SyKi's previous album ANDiTGo & the EP, Sleepwalking, as SyKi quoted lines from the song "I'mNotHereForTheCulture" before and after rapping the fresher lyrical content.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/the-night

•"Bullshit"
Originally the song was apparently written and created as a house single which was never released. SyKi declined to provide more commentary on the details of the original song. Refusing to "waste a good song", SyKi selected an instrumental produced by RUDY, as the song's "new home". The brings through an alternative hip-hop, melodic sound, the lyrics telling a story about a romantic hookup at a club.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/song/bullshit


**SoSo**
The 4 song EP, titled "SoSo", produced by RUDY, was released on February 17th 2023. The cover of the project containing an image of the chinese yin-yang symbol, which SyKi perceived to spell SoSo, one of the artist's aliases. Supporting the yin-yang concept, SoSo consisted of 2 "yin songs" and 2 "yang songs", according to SyKi.
"Architecture" & "Vegas Lights" conveyed SyKi's darker and more egotistic side, widely known to fans as the sub persona, SyKi The Mind. The songs lyrically depicted life as a rapper, hustling, "mobbing", night-life, substance abuse, stardom, representing the city of Johannesburg & sexual involvement with women yet also expressing metaphysical & spiritual elements.
"Pyro Mode" & "Somewhere Else" were love songs showing SyKi's more emotional side, widely known to fans as the sub persona, SyKi The Soul.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/album/soso


**Foreign Feel**
The 3 song EP, titled "Foreign Feel" was SyKi's final musical project of 2023. It was released on July 9th and included production from producers SyKi had not worked with before. Though only spanning 3 songs, the project emphasizes SyKi's variety, with SyKi singing on the melodic hip-hop song, "Foreign Feel", displaying his rapping ability on "Crush It" and finally more diversity on the afro-pop love song, "YYY". The leading song "Foreign Feel" is said to be inspired by the Coldplay song "Viva La Vida". SyKi also revealed that the cover art for the EP was inspired by Coldplay's cover art for their album of the same title.
https://audiomack.com/syki-1/album/foreign-feel-1

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