On his latest EP, CR4ZY, South African production maverick Mörda attempts to forge a new path in the ever-evolving landscape of electronic music. Self-described as Reactive Music, this five-track offering aspires to elicit instantaneous, almost Pavlovian responses from listeners—a bold claim in an era where genre-bending is the norm.
Mörda’s declaration that this is “music for the feet” rather than the soul suggests a pivot from introspection to extroversion, yet the EP’s execution often feels caught between these two poles. “Feeling Good” opens with a pulsating rhythm that indeed commands movement, its syncopated bassline and glitchy samples working in tandem to create a sense of controlled chaos. It’s a fitting sonic representation of Mörda’s current headspace—grateful, creatively charged, and slightly unhinged. “Life is beautiful, and for someone that comes from where I come from, that is CRAZY,” he explains, infusing the track with a palpable sense of disbelief at his own journey.
Stream “Feeling Good” Here:
However, the EP’s momentum stutters with “Morena,” a track that sees Mörda stepping out from behind the decks to take on vocal duties. While the vulnerability is commendable—”It was me letting people know where I get my blessings from, so I had to sing it myself”—his voice lacks the distinctive character that his production work boasts. The result is a song that feels oddly detached from the EP’s purported mission of physical engagement.
“Where I Belong” and “Blessings” fare better, each offering a different shade of Mörda’s “Reactive” palette. The former employs a hypnotic, almost techno-inspired loop that gradually builds, adding layers until the listener is enveloped in a cocoon of sound. It’s here that Mörda’s claim of immediate reactivity holds water; the track’s progression is so seamless that movement feels less like a choice and more like a biological imperative. “Blessings,” with its chopped samples and polyrhythmic percussion, is equally compelling, though its impact is more cerebral than kinetic.
Collaborations with Brenden Praise and Mpho.Wav add textural variety, but their contributions often feel subsumed by Mörda’s overarching vision. This isn’t necessarily a critique; the cohesion speaks to Mörda’s strength as a curator. He describes his process as “a natural thing to choose the sounds that go into the music, then I leave it to the artists performing on the songs.” This approach yields a consistent sound throughout the EP, yet it also raises questions about the line between curation and collaboration.
Stream “Where I Belong” Here:
The project’s gestation period is nebulous—”I played around with some songs a week after releasing Asante 2. I’m always working so it’s difficult to say”—reflecting an artist who exists in a near-constant state of creation. This fluidity is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, it results in music that feels effortless and immediate; on the other, it leaves some tracks feeling like sketches rather than fully realized compositions.
Mörda’s ambition to pioneer “Reactive Music” is admirable, especially in a cultural context where new genres often emerge as hashtags before solidifying into distinct styles. Yet, in his pursuit of an instantaneous physical response, he occasionally neglects the emotional and intellectual dimensions that make dance music transcendent rather than merely functional.
CR4ZY is very much a transitional work, capturing an artist at the inflection point between introspective soul-searching and extroverted physicality. While not every experiment lands, Mörda’s willingness to venture into uncharted territory is refreshing. While we have to contend with algorithm-driven playlists that threaten to homogenize listening experiences, Mörda’s attempt to recalibrate how we engage with music is, if not entirely successful, undeniably vital. The EP may not revolutionize electronic music overnight, but it does pose an intriguing question: In an age of passive consumption, can sound alone jolt us back into our bodies?
Stream CR4ZY Here:
