The 52nd project from DMV rapper, singer, producer, and artist Sybyr (real name: Chase Cauthen; formerly known as ‘Syringe’ and/or ‘MacXVII’) sees a variety of soundscapes and bouncy beats–mostly curated by Sybyr himself under the pseudonym ‘Landfill’–acting as a perfect backdrop for his frantic flows, growls, shrieks, screams, chants, and powerful melodies scattered throughout his vocals on this project. He glides through harmonies and flows that evoke nostalgia of both old Travis Scott-esque chirped melodies and Raider Klvn-style grooves on the self-produced track, “Beyond Beyond,” and a manic-demonic flow and vocal inflection that doesn’t miss a beat coming in on the macabre cut, “3 Rings”.
The consistency of quality throughout this project do not betray his tendency to put out material at a machine-gun’s pace: his last release was only two months ago, in late March, with the cleverly-titled six-track EP, Byrrage. While this project lacks a traditional studio album’s lustre, polish, and is certainly rough around the edges, Sybyr is feeling comfortable with himself and what he does in his music. This does not indicate stagnation or lack of effort–the opposite, in fact, as his self-confidence shines and a tangible smile is almost felt at times in the more uptempo cuts. His tight, almost barked lyrics and flow can occasionally invoke memories of last year’s acclaimed album Sound of Irritation 2, in stark contrast to songs like “Glitter W Freestyle” or “Don’t Pick Up,” where he sounds equally skilled but without malice or shock value attached, nor mid-song screws and chops that some fans of his more experimental endeavours may crave. In its place is a tone I had rarely heard until this past year-and-a-half; positivity, joy, the state of being care-free and not careless. A jack of all trades, you’d assume these glittery beats and reverb-drenched vocals were his native territory the same way you might assess him if introduced by way of 3 Rings. He sounds true to himself; freedom of expression and an audience that appreciates his ability to deconstruct and reconstruct the idea of not just a rap song but a song in general.
The Effects of Nine Trillion Degrees isn’t a major stylistic change and shows some evolution in song structure and sound design while remaining true to his artistry, but I would rank this among one of his best works that have come out in the past year, next to Sound of Irritation 2 and Charleyhorse (an amazing tape; check it out if you haven’t!). Sybyr seems inspired, ready to rock when the beat drops on every song he curated; it’s a progression that I hope to see throughout his next projects.
[Over the course of his career, as he veered away from the trap-inspired instrumentals he crafted on his debut album, Anti-World, he began to perfect his craft throughout 2016 and 2017 with his distinctive baritone growl, electronic-influenced avant-garde production, controversial and occasionally humorous lyrical content, and continued growth of his collective’s roster. In 2017, Sybyr (then-known as Syringe) was institutionalized after a live performance in Colorado, an experience that left him with resent and forced him to change his stage name; the police and staff at the hospital treated him like a drug addict due to his stage name and macabre Internet presence. Ever since, his catalogue has grown immensely, releasing projects faster throughout 2018 and 2019 until fresh ‘Sybyr’ projects were coming out at machine-gun speed–monthly or bi-monthly–all pushing the boundaries of the sound he created: a complete deconstruction and reconstruction of hip-hop and/or conventional music structure.]
– Steve Warner / arctic* (@907Arctic)
108 MICS 