Seramic has just released his awaited second EP – it’s named I Got You after the song that earned him a nomination for a Berlin Music Video Award, for its unique visual including members of the Great British Olympic Synchronised Swimming team. Seramic makes infectious slick pop music with smooth R&B undertones, and the six tracks which feature on the release span multiple genres, from dance music with a house feel, to more refined old-fashioned soul sounds. I Got You features previously released and championed singles ‘Same Mistakes’, ‘I Got You’ and ‘Greg’s Love’. There is also enough fresh material included for you to shake a stick at; the EP includes two mini ‘musical tasters’ in ‘Croque Madame’ and ‘Picante’, and the EP winds down with the stunning ‘Trying’, a slowed down ballad which presents Seramic’s incredible powerful vocal range at its best.
The EP opens with ‘I Got You’; a chilled slick RnB soulful love song, its vibe is fresh and also proves that soul still very much has a place in the 21st Century. Seramic’s sleek vocals slide effortlessly alongside the jazzy synth sounds which brings in the delicious funk vibe to the track, elements which make his music sound so modern, whilst the roots of his music are fully affirmed in the Motown era. The liveliness of I Got You continues with Seramic’s collaboration with the one and only Bootsy Collins on ‘Greg’s Love’. Initially, the track starts with an almost darkly gothic feel conjured from the sound of a choir, but Seramic has you fooled as just like that, the funk kicks into the song creating another upbeat electro-soulful slice of music. You can hear the distinctive influence Bootsy has left on the track – from the bass line which was inspired by Bootsy before he was even asked to feature on the track, to the vocals.
Single ‘Same Mistakes’, track 4 on I Got You, is sandwiched between two short but sweet instrumentals – ‘Croque Madame’ combines angelic ‘ah’s’ with a mellow beat and jazzy piano chords. I also like how the track builds up volume, intensity and excitement as more and more musical elements are added into the mixture, before gently fading out again as the elements faze out one by one. ‘Picante’ is very different from ‘Croque Madame’ – although only 27 seconds long, it has so much character packed into it. ‘Same Mistakes’ itself is arguably the highlight of the whole EP; it is the perfect pop/RnB song, with punching verses and a sweeping chorus exclaiming ‘love, I won’t wait for you’. Seramic isn’t down to play games with the one he loves anyone, and is making a statement in the track, with soaring falsetto vocals passionately singing the striking chorus. Closing track ‘Trying’ provides the most heartfelt and emotional moment in the EP – the stripped back piano setting of the song allows Seramic’s gorgeously smooth dazzling vocal range to shine, and I love the use of a choir as backing. The song is split into two unique and dynamic halves – ‘Trying’ appears to end just before the three minute mark, but there’s a whole other dimension of the track, which I will let you discover for yourself.