Having established himself as one to watch with his debut project, an EP titled LUCIDFRVR and HRTBRKGHOST, Johannesburg, South Africa-based Zimbabwean artist and producer Tino returns with the final project to the trilogy titled DRMSTATE, a five-track project that further explores the dark, ethereal sounds that Tino has been known for.
With this latest offering, Tino is looking to fully realize this story and bring people into his world. A tale of heartbreak and loneliness, the chronicles of a powerful being who falls from grace and must learn to regain control of his life in this world. There is much lore behind this music and Tino certainly wants to make a statement. "The world around you is falling apart and it's at that very moment when you've been beaten down when you've lost all hope when you've lost everything. It's at that very moment that you enter the DRMSTATE and regain your power," says Tino when introducing the EP released last Friday the 24th of June.
Growing up, his affinity for singing and dancing expanded as he gained inspiration from acts such as Chris Brown, Usher, and Trey Songz. He spent most of his adolescence honing these skills in the shadows, growing ever more connected to the craft. He then found himself heavily influenced by the influx of new-age R&B artists and surrealism. The result is a self-termed “Lucid R&B” artist, who delivers a fusion of late-night R&B and melodic turn-up rap.
Since 2020 Tino has been focusing most of his releases around a trilogy series
of EPs that he has dubbed “LUCIDFRVR: The Tale of an HRTBRKGHOST That Entered A DRMSTATE”. Beginning with “LUCIDFRVR” (2020), then “HRTBRKGHOST” (2021), and now “DRMSTATE. "After I started this trilogy series in 2020 with my EP "LUCIDFRVR" I have been steadily growing my fanbase as well as receiving praise and collaborating with notable up-and-coming artists such as Bryan Cheru, B1uan, Oshea, and KDence. Now I plan on returning to make an even bigger statement with this release." Tino tells Greedysouth.
Tino upholds the idea of self-empowerment and limitless potential. This is evident in how the self-taught artist sings, writes, and dances all the while doing all the production, mixing and editing. However, on this latest release, he has enlisted Malawian hip hop legend Dominant 1 to oversee the mixing and mastering. With this, Tino is looking to further establish himself as an artist to watch and continue to grow his global fanbase.
Listen to DRMSTATE via Audiomack below or follow this link
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