Just Jaded
“Syryn Records Vol. 1"
Written by: Zaylee Bell
In an industry with underrepresented groups such as women and gender fluid artists, Syryn Records is working to change that. Syryn Records is a non-profit label that operates under the Amplify Arts project and is run by interns aged 15 to 22, guided by music industry professionals.
On Friday, November 18, Syryn released their first compilation album titled “Syryn Records Vol. 1.” Featuring 11 original tracks by 11 different female identifying artists, with all different genres ranging from spoken word to 2000s pop rock, and everything in between.
Accompanying the album is a 12-inch limited edition vinyl with sleeve art designed by Syryn’s interns. The vinyl is available for preorder on the Bandcamp website. Along with the vinyl, there is a mixtape NFT, and what’s even better is the purchase benefits Syryn's artists and program!
Some of my personal favorites from the compilation include the first track, “Make A Million” by Salome Agbaroji; “Botfly Larvae” by Bugz R Beautiful, and “Someday” by Reiyn. All three of these tracks are extremely different from one another and demonstrate how diverse all 11 tracks are.
“Make A Million” by Salome Agbaroji is the only spoken-word track on the album, and it is beautiful. The 1:17 track is a powerful statement on women's rights, ending with the striking line, “We are women and we are shining, do you see us?”. Salome’s strong voice is perfect on this track and gives off the feeling of urgency.
Within the first few seconds of listening to Bugz R Beautiful’s track “Botfly Larvae,” I was reminded of “Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. From the slow vocals, strong sound of the electric guitar, and use of the bass, the track had a similar feeling to the Nirvana favorite. The 90s grunge style is underappreciated in today’s music, and I am so happy to hear it in this compilation.
In stark contrast to the rest of the tracks I have listed is “Someday” by Reiyn. Reiyn tells the story of wanting to be the standard of perfection set by society. The slow track has a strong soundscape created with her voice backed by piano, drums, and a few different types of horns. The only issue I have with this track is how short it feels; even if it is 4 minutes long, I’m left wanting so much more.
To hear more from the compilation album's 11 great artists and to support Syryn Records, you can listen to the album on Soundcloud and purchase the NFT and album with the links provided below.
