Amsterdam based, Brazilian-born producer and vocalist LYZZA announces forthcoming mixtape ‘MOSQUITO’, out 16th September on Big Dada, the Ninja Tune sub label which relaunched last year as a label run by Black, POC & Minority Ethnic people for Black, POC & Minority Ethnic artists. 

The 10 track alt-pop mixtape is an expression of LYZZA’s experiences as a Black woman within the music industry. Having felt misunderstood and unaccepted in the past, recalling the feeling of “taking up too much space and being too loud” in situations, LYZZA explores the notion of preconceptions, social dynamics and how so many people are misunderstood in their day to day life. “The way you look can bring so many preconceptions that don’t apply but you can end up playing into it without meaning to if someone talks to you in a certain way” she comments.

While exploring this observation, LYZZA found inspiration and affinity in an unlikely muse which the mixtape would eventually take its name from. “To me a mosquito really encapsulates an uncomfortable presence in your surroundings. Although it’s such a small creature,it  has such an effect on the outside world. We all know the common feelings having a mosquito in your space brings, they have a stand out presence which I think plays into the idea of misunderstanding in current society so perfectly; everyone surely feels like the mosquito in the room sometimes” LYZZA explains. “Because I am black and make alternative music, I identify with the disruptive and intrusive nature of a mosquito. The fact that I look the way I look, make the music I make and you know who I am means somehow I've been able to penetrate through the noise and bias.”

In the span of 10 tracks and 38 minutes, LYZZA blazes through avant-garde electronica, alt-pop and reggaeton to face fears of vulnerability in relationships (“For When I Fall Again”), question the true intentions behind people’s motives (“Cheat Code”) and recreate a euphoric trip on hallucinogenic drugs (“Mind 2 Lips”) among other topics. LYZZA also incorporates hand-picked features from around the world including talents from Zambian-Canadian hardcore rapper Backxwash and Spanish trap artist La Zowi while intermingling English, Spanish and Portuguese lyrics to imitate the distinct sound and spread of the prominent insect. 

Leading up to the release, LYZZA will share a five-part vlog series that documents the creation of the mixtape. Watch the first instalment of Mosquito Diaries at https://mosquitomixtape.com/ (password: REPELLANT).

Making waves in the contemporary electronic scene, LYZZA is a force to be reckoned with. Her 2017 EP ‘Powerplay’ made its way onto the runway soundtracks of fashion brands CHROMAT and MUGLER and received a glowing cosign from experimental producer Lotic who said, “This damn EP shows such elegance and range and it’s full of bops. I can’t wait for an album!” in Crack Magazine’s ‘25 Artists Shaping the Future of Music’. 2018 saw LYZZA move on from the shadowy club anthems of her debut record to release the emotionally potent ‘Imposter’ EP. A year later, the ‘Defiance’ EP saw the lyricist at her most vulnerable and proved her chops as a collaborator, as she tapped Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard and Jungle’s Tom McFarland for the record’s single, ‘Neverland’. Beatport hotly tipped her as “one of electronic music’s most promising young avant-pop producers.”

More recently, LYZZA has lent vocals to Amnesia Scanner’s “AS Going” in their 2020 album ‘Tearless’, played the closing night of Nicolás Jaar’s fourteen-week Chapter 2WO residency in Amsterdam and travelled the world supporting Mykki Blanco on multiple tours. LYZZA has made a name for herself as a formidable performer with stand-out shows at high-profile festivals including Sonar, Melt! and Primavera Sound, with Pitchfork recognising her as one of the “Best of Primavera Sound” that year. Earlier this year she played a stand out show at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton and has upcoming shows in the coming months including No Bounds festival in Sheffield and Pitchfork Festival in Berlin. Previous radio highlights include a BBC 6 Interview with Tom Ravenscroft plus support from BBC 1 & Radio 1 and a monthly NTS residency which showcased LYZZA’s eclectic and varied music tastes. 

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