I came across Zior Park a little over a week ago when I stumbled upon his b-side, Sleepwalk. I was obsessed with his strange rap tone and vocals that I felt intrigued. Not to mention how catchy the song is (he performs all his songs in English so it's easy for them to get stuck in your head). I didn't know that he had dropped an album not too long after and so I was surprised when I stumbled across his video for the title track to Syndromez, Black Fin. After Experiencing that (yes. It's an experience) I knew I had to dig in immediately.
Syndromez is best described as David Bowie decided to have a strange love child with like Prince (these two also happen to be influences of his) and the love child decided he wanted to rap. Park brings out alternative guitars, funky bass rhythms, toe-tapping beats, and even some horns to make his strange voice stand out. It's such a work of art that begs to be listened to over and over again to understand it.
There are songs that feel straight out of the '70s and '80's alternative scenes like Modern Fox and Homebird. These songs feature some lo-fi guitar grooves and nice piano riffs that play well to his sweet vocals. Speaking of sweet vocals, the opener, Ghost, and closer, 0 Gravity, have these slower grooves and have him singing his heart out. They are nice bookends to this record that really pull you into this strange universe. And of course, there's the title track Black Fin. This song has minimal instrumental with some horns and soft hi-hats that really bring out his strange voice the most. This is where his rap skills shine and where he brings out his weirdness (especially with the accompanying music video). It's a perfect title track and a great introduction to Zior.
Zior Park is strange but in all the best ways and this album certainly won me over. Syndromez appeals to the alternative geek inside me and pulled me in instantly. This album is pure perfection. Needless to say, I'm a fan now.
Check out the music video for Black Fin below and check out the album Syndromez on your preferred streaming service!
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