A couple months ago, Nigerian songstress Oyinda struck us with her distinct, soul-enhanced talent on “What Still Remains”, and now she’s got a highly adept electronic act, W/O, breathing new life into one of her more recent pieces entitled “The Devil’s Gonna Keep Me Away”. The original certainly saw Oyinda’s voice as the dominant factor, accompanied by gradual and vehement instrumentation, but what W/O has done is given an entirely fresh character to the piece by ushering in a barrage of shadowy, resounding sounds, and, in turn, engendering an atmosphere that could be described as rather enigmatic, but nevertheless, thoroughly captivating. We always appreciate a producer who refrains from over-editing vocals from a singer we like, and W/O certainly acknowledges Oyinda in this case by focusing on refashioning the backdrop with echoed vocal cuts of the original. The hefty, deeply upholstered bass synths are particular standout elements of the piece simply because they create a sonically overcast drift that glides perfectly with the laser-laced drums and other tinny percussive elements. The remix as a whole is easy to dive into if you’re already a fan of Oyinda, but even if you’re one that merely appreciates bass-infused electronic, know that W/O's additions here are going to be ones that you absolutely love.
Oyinda