In the final minute of Drake’s “Weston Road Flows,” the drums fade out and Aubrey goes in, multiplying the intensity of his bars. It’s the most potent section of a deeply nostalgic song on a deeply nostalgic album; as if to acknowledge that, the production contracts and chords blur together in a clear evocation of the production on the Toronto rapper’s early projects.
The deft effect was contributed by the 24-year-old producer STWO (pronounced Stu), a Parisian who moved to Drake’s hometown in early 2015. STWO, whose real name is Steven Vidal, is worth seeking out if, like Drake, you’re a vocalist looking to flex your abilities. On his new EP, D.T.S.N.T., he makes room for a globally sourced array of collaborators, giving Rotterdam’s Sevdaliza, Sydney’s MK Grands and the Peruvian-born A. Chal, among many others, a chance to show off their voices.
These names may not be familiar to you—they certainly weren’t to me before D.T.S.N.T. But all of them represent the aesthetic offspring of artists like the Weeknd and James Blake. STWO’s collaborators thrive over the kinds of beats that producers like Noah “40” Shebib, Clams Casino, and Shlohmo mastered long ago. The drums are programmed and flat, the mix is smoky and these beautiful voices float atop it all, creating a drugged-out haze that will be exhaustingly familiar to anyone who’s kept an eye on the colliding continents of R&B and (so-called) alt-R&B in the last five years.
The E.P. is almost long enough to be considered an album, as Vidal acknowledged shortly before finishing it up in March, and is chock-full of impressive vocal takes, testifying to the young producer’s ear for talent. The L.A.-based singer Brent Faiyaz dominates one of the stronger offerings, “Insecure,” showcasing range and power as he sings about his trust issues. Daniel Caesar, a Toronto vocalist who at times sounds a little like Frank Ocean and Amir Obe, a Detroit native whose flow is reminiscent of Drake’s, perform their respective impressions to great effect on “Fill the Void.”
STWO shares a manager with the Montreal-based producer Kaytranada, whose collaborator-filled debut LP from earlier this year shares some qualities with D.T.S.N.T. But Vidal’s approach is significantly different from that of his friend: Where Kaytranada’s beats bear a clear signature, it’s difficult to pick out a calling card that distinguishes Vidal from the producers who have influenced him. His immaculately produced soundscapes do a great service to his vocalists, and Vidal has talked about how it’s a priority for him to make them sound their best. But he’s lowered his own voice to a whisper.
This disappearing act is evident on the record’s strongest songs. The appropriately-named single “Haunted,” owes much of its character to Sevdaliza, her torrid alto atop synth and bass, condensing the potential energy of the beat into a full-on quiet storm. The beat on “Angeles,” another standout, starts with an explosion of synths accompanying MK Grand’s falsetto. But the production attends the needs of the vocals too closely to make any mark at all.
The record also suffers from a lack of lyrical focus, an element that Vidal has explicitly admitted that he is not interested in (which is fair, given that he only started speaking English fluently within the last several years). That inattention robs D.T.S.N.T. of any kind of narrative build. One song flows smoothly into the next with few surprises and no developments, save for an abrupt change in sound on the last track, “Blue Sky.” STWO told The Fader that the record’s title stands for “Down To Say Nice Things,” though when the project was first announced it was called Distant. Both names are apt: they communicate the blandness that plagues an otherwise solid project.
STWO wasn’t credited for his work on “Weston Road Flows” when VIEWS came out. Drake was so convinced that 40 had made the final part of the beat that the rapper was able to convince his faithful producer that the work was his own. That’s indicative of just how voiceless STWO’s production has been to this point. The overriding skill he demonstrates on D.T.S.N.T. is an ability to reflect his collaborators’ shine back onto them. That’s an enviable talent for a background player. But if STWO aspires to stardom, he’ll need to be a little more selfish.
Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly identified singer Brent Faiyaz as being from Charlotte. He lives in L.A.
