Sywel Nyw's Collaborative Album: 'Deuddeg'
Twelve months, twelve singles, twelve artists. That was the ambitious brief set out by Sywel Nyw in January 2021 - what followed was an ad-hoc amalgamation of mellifluous pop melodies, delivered in waves of joy and melancholy. Bringing together an eclectic mix of musicians, composers and singers, Lewys Wyn’s self-produced melodious pop-catalogue stretches far and wide - from the intoxicating megahouse of ‘Amser Parti’ (ft. Dionne Bennett) to Lauren Morais’ liberating spoken-word in ‘10/10’. In Klust’s first album-review, we take a deeper dive into Sywel Nyw’s collaborative album…
Born in the midst of social disconnect, the first volume of Sywel Nyw’s web issue marked the return of Welsh music icon and generational-giant, Mark Roberts. MR’s signature outcry, layered over Wyn’s trademark lethargic alt-pop beats, proved to be the collection’s first of many unexpected collaborations. Casi eased us into the project as she sparkled her magic in the moving, hip-hop bop ‘Rhwng Dau’, whilst fourth single ‘Pen Yn Y Gofod’ is elegantly carved from the melodic murmurings of Adwaith’s bassist, Gwenllian Anthony.
Rather than conforming to the norm of collaborating exclusively with a pool of lead-vocalists, Wyn set out to orchestrate his unique artistic concept without confining himself to such proximities. Not only is ‘Dyfroedd Melys’, featuring Bangor-born pianist Gwenno Morgan, a radiating electro-jazz groove, but crucially it elevated Sywel Nyw’s opus as an authentic, three dimensional collective and a platform for emerging artists. More importantly, each of Wyn’s collaborators have a unique attitude towards songwriting and a special bond with Welsh culture.
Skipping from the beautifully minimal ‘Bonsai’ (ft. Glyn Rhys-James of Mellt) to Steffan Dafydd’s disco flavoured ‘Y Meddwl Lliwgar Yma’, August was benchmarked by the contagious earworm of ‘Static Box’ (ft. Gwilym). Despite boasting a full house of Welsh music’s established names, album-highlight ‘10/10’ comes in the form of emerging actress, Lauren Morais. Raw, provoking and inexplicably honest - Sywel Nyw’s sixth single is an anomaly in a world of sanitised lyricism. Packed with dreamy melodies and assured beats, summer episodes capture the collection’s overarching umbrella of Welsh accents, dialect and true individuality.
In only revealing the guest-artists as the series unfolded, the project’s initial anticipation was sustained. Tracks featuring Welsh music hero Endaf Emlyn and enigma Iolo Selyf are no exceptions as both exaggerate ‘Deuddeg’s blend of musical ideas whilst the stellar voice of Dionne Bennet takes centre stage on the project’s care-free penultimate ‘Amser Parti’ (along with Kliph Scurlock’s perpetual drumming). Fittingly, Sywel Nyw’s twelfth and final release of the series features none other than Lewys Wyn himself. Collaborating with twelve different artists via his moniker for the entirety of 2021, ‘Machlud’ (accompanied with a heartfelt video on Lŵp) sees Wyn reflect on his year-long odyssey through genre.
Individually distinct and collectively coherent, ‘Deuddeg’ is a peerless representation of Wales’ rich multiplicity in both music and identity. A true musical polymath, what Wyn along with his collaborative contributors leave behind in 2021 is a profound, fluent soundtrack - free of stylistic constraints. Deg allan o ddeg, unarddeg unarddeg.
Released via Lwucs T, ‘Deuddeg’ is now available to stream on all platforms.
