Live Review: Zikomo gives a scarily good rework to Childish Gambino's 'Terrified'

CHILDISH GAMBINO's stunning third LP "Awaken, My Love!" was a genre-bending, out-of-body listening experience that cemented the multi-talented Donald Glover's status as a musician to be reckoned with. One of the standouts of the record is the slinking, ominous 'Terrified', carried by scorching guitar riffs, a strutting bass line and haunting synths taken straight out of Stranger Things. Now, the smooth soul track has copped a fantastic house rework, courtesy of American producer ZIKOMO, and let me tell you - it is a bop.

While the original was brooding and creepy, ZIKOMO's funky remix is light, bouncy and washes the otherwise midnight tune in a refreshing coat of sunshine. With the addition of shimmering chimes and a summery pitch of Gambino's originally dark vocals, ZIKOMO has truly turned 'Terrified' into a track of his own by completely uprooting the context in which we listen to it. Instead of being an irresistibly unsettling part of Childish Gambino's third LP, it has become a cruising jam that can soundtrack your 10am road trip or your 2am club trip just fine.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about ZIKOMO's remix is that he hasn't done Gambino a disservice and has managed to keep the elements of the original that made it so infectious. In between the chimes and the "la la la la la" hooks, you still cop an earful of that sliding guitar riff. As the entire song bounces along, that bass line still slithers its way through only adding to the overall groove of this brilliant rework. Making a song fresh while still respecting the original artist can be a mighty task for any producer, but ZIKOMO has pulled it off with the finesse, precision and style that Gambino deserves.

Childish Gambino's "Awaken, My Love!" is out now via Glassnote Records. Stream or buy here.

Words by JACKSON LANGFORD

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