New Testament is different
Something Happened to Sfarzo in the eight to nine months since his last offering; House of Sgija II. Whatever that was, it drastically changed the way Sfarzo produces, arranges and compiles his music. This EP is not a Sgija EP, but it has elements of Sgija smoothed out by 3 – Step Music. To understand what this EP means for Amapiano as a whole, you will have to go back to the Albums by House Duo Revolutions and the Soul Candi compilations I through III. Compared to House of Sgija this is a much more mature and sophisticated offering from Sfarzo.
It has taken me a while to write this EP review. Mostly because nothing I have written so far, seems adequate enough as a review of this masterpiece in clinical execution.
Side note: The best way to listen to Amapiano is to listen to it with your heart. Take note of how it makes you feel, how it makes your Soul feel deep inside you to feel it, with your whole body and your whole soul. And if you do, if you dare listen to this EP with your heart and Soul, let me say it now, upfront, I am not responsible for how you react. You see, while it is not an emotional EP, it just grabs something in you and does something to you. It almost feels like remembering how you fumbled someone you really loved because you were young and naïve. Now, back to business…
At just 23 years old, you would be forgiven for thinking Sfarzo Rtee is well into his 30s, based on the quality of music he is making lately and the quality of his new EP; New Testament, released mid-February this year, 2024.
The Technicalities of the New Testament EP
Firstly, let’s talk about the clinical execution of this project. Mixing and mastering is pure and clean! Just Beautiful! Whoever did this work on this project definitely deserves at least one drink from everyone who listen to and appreciates this project.
Production wise, this EP show’s a maturity in Sfarzo skill and ability far beyond his years, especially the professional execution of his music. While there are many talented Producers in Amapiano, there are very few who have mastered the technical skill of professional execution/production of commercial grade music from the root up. The individual beat elements are clean, combined beautifully and cleanly on every song.
This EP is a lot like German Football (Soccer); It’s not rich in “Vavavoom or Sexy”, but it is technically brilliant. And because this EP is Technically brilliant; The mixing and mastering, the blended Amapiano, 3-Step and sounds, the composition of each song, each element of each song is pure and clean, and all the elements are mixed beautifully to produce some of the cleanest song executions in Amapiano today.
The trouble with monster hits like Tshwala bami, is that every project that Is not a monster but just as good, gets overshadowed by all the hype and the noise around the monster hit that it is hard for fans to find these and appreciate projects like Sfarzo Rtee’s New Testament.
What Sfarzo Rtee’s offering has done for Amapiano
This six track EP, in its compactness, has ushered in a new type of Amapiano Music Era, the era of Super-Piano. Music that is well produced, well arranged and well compiled from the ground up such that you want to keep repeating every single song so that you hear every element of every note and don’t miss anything because then you feel cheated. This is also the era of Amapiano Music where the giants of production emerge. A Lot like how Hip-hop in the 90s had good producers, great producers and Super Producers? This is where we are headed now with Amapiano. Very soon in Amapiano, within the next 2 years, we will have our own Dr Dre, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Swizzbeats, etc
It’s only when you have listened to this EP two or three times, patiently, that you understand why it’s called the New Testament. Its totality testifies to the beginning of a New Chapter of life, one that is fuller and richer than before. More specifically, it is testimony to Sfarzo’s musical growth. And what a Growth it’s been! All the music together, its message, its composition, the song arrangement, all signal the beginning of a New Era, a New Point in Time, the evolution of a Young Man and a New Way of making music for him. A lot like ShakesxLes’s Funk Series, this EP will go down in history as a cult classic.
The Voices that made all the difference
And then, and then, there’s Makhanj, Raspy, and Nanette, It would be a great injustice for me to even attempt to review what they did on this EP without me first fully immersing myself in their music and understanding who they are. But, Raspy, Raspy, watch out for Raspy! Listening to Makhanj is almost scary because the first thing that jumps out at you whttps://www.instagram.com/itsmakhanj/hen you hear her voice is how much potential, talent, life and maturity there is in her voice. People don’t realize it yet, but what Nanette does on “Leave you 2” is give the world, English speaking musicians, especially Pop musicians, the golden key to Amapiano; that’s how you ride an Amapiano beat properly! Tyla has done it, but Nanette has made it accessible! Jay Sax brings and holds Nanette’s voice and Sfarzo’s beat together like love holding two soulmates together.
If you are an Amapiano Producer, Match this production Quality now!