“Cloud Ocean”, is a debut record, from Hafnarfjörður in Iceland with its young artist Guzo who is changing the parameters of hip-hop and storytelling.
The release of an extraordinary album at eighteen by the producer, writer, vocalist, rapper, and audio engineer Guzo perfectly reflects his maturity, inspires and brings people up to him in new forms.
Drawing from such influences as Quadeca, Frank Ocean, Tyler The Creator, Kendrick Lamar and JPEGMAFIA, Guzo has found a way to create a sound that is both inward and countless. Cloud Ocean is a trip, somewhat like Tyler, The Creator’s IGOR, and a sequence of tracks linked by a story.
The album’s story opens with “PasserBy,” the first track wherein an unrequited love story is being told. Guzo’s subtle choice of voice gives real energy to the protagonist’s quest, the need to find some courage to meet an elusive crush. The more the album proceeds, the more it rejects the euphoria occurring in the unity of a beginner relationship, one of first love’s rollercoaster.
“That Day” is the climax of the album; the most blissful moment, when for a while it seems that love places the entire universe in its orbit. But this peace is short-lived and is quickly striking the shackles of the unravelling narrative of a breakup in the next few tracks. Guzo skillfully unravels this involvement, exposing its traumatic underpinnings.
It is followed by the ‘ acceptance’ that signals a major turning point, a song of being able to move on from the times and accept the reality of the relationship coming to an end.
The album ends with the song “Good Ending” a song where the point of view changes, the story relates through the girl’s eyes. This song is notable for its relaxed piano intro juxtaposed with the laid-back yet throbbing hip-hop beat mixture and translates Guzo’s ability to switch between genres and emotional depths that do not sacrifice the integrity of the work at hand.
Yet, he did not focus all his talent on “Cloud Ocean”, refining it until achieving a cohesive, moving, and cognitive constellation—no, he invested his elite intelligence into a well-rounded and empathic piece.
His first album is much more than a series of songs; it is an escape into the story behind it. The fact that Guzo is a template of progressive sound and narrative makes him viable to content the music industry in the future.
It all boils down to how Guzo has managed to win the hearts of his fans through musical prowess while navigating the journey of “Cloud Ocean”. His first song is a strong declaration of his potential, an entrance into what appears to be a brilliant shining career in the ever-changing industry of music.
