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Music

Check the Video For Mzwètwo's Latest Track “Horror”

The Kiwi performer says his music is for those over trap, DJ Mustard and that "soundcloud-internet shit”.

Mzwètwo says that in his performance of “Horror” he was trying to “get his Puff Daddy meets Michael Jackson on”. He’s done a good job. Apparently the young Auckland musician and producer is also a fan of Joy Division and The Smiths so he could have easily got his Ian Curtis and Moz thing on.

Directed by SZA Hands Digital and Mzwètwo (pronounced Mez-way-too), the video has him performing at various grimy Auckand locales.

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There’s not a whole lot of information out there on the guy. He was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and moved to New Zealand at age six where he started istening to Michael Jackson and Jimi Hendrix. What is known by the vidoe for "Horror" is that Mzwètwo is doing his own thing when it comes to soul, hip hop and R&B.

We caught up with him to talk about the video and his upcoming plans.

Noisey: The video takes on quite a grimy, urban aesthetic. How does the video location speak to the themes of the song?

Mzwètwo: The locations don't speak to themes but the shots do. I don't want to over explain but I'm the only character in the video because the songs deal with loneliness and my trust issues. There's a bunch of simple ideas like that all over the video.

What does ‘horror’ mean?

It's just a great looking and sounding word that ambiguously encapsulates the theme of the song.

You speak about needing, "something real right now". What is that in reference to?

Well at that point in my life, I was so angry at how people in the game operate. I’m a genuine person, I’ll tell you no straight up. But in general, a lot rap music is so fake. Niggas will speak of killing you and your mother' then going back to selling crack or something, all with no emotional response. And with the Internet we are all so good at pretending so it becomes very rare when you meet someone who is cool on the Internet and in real life. It’s got me feeling like Neo from the Matrix.

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You usually do your own production but you've chosen to use Taste Nasa for additional guitars here.

I hate making the beats and producing all of my own music but do it at the moment out of necessity. But in collabs, I just look for something that's outside of my perspective. In most of my music, you are hearing a wide dynamic of ideas being pulled together for even the first time in rap and that is due to the different perspectives I’m able to draw on from my collaborators and friends.

What’s next?

I've finished a track “Gallantino 2” so we'll have that out soon. If you've had enough of that trap shit, DJ Mustard shit, that soundcloud-internet shit with the side chain and abuse of reverb, well this is for you. I call it modern rock and roll. Back to the future shit.

Hear more of Mzwètwo here.