GENRE; Rap

LABEL; Surf Gang

RATING; 3/5

⭐️⭐️⭐️

On amnesia, Jawnino’s whispery, sofa-slouched delivery finds a perfect foil in SURF GANG’s hazy, breakbeat-tinged production. The nine short tracks (about 18 minutes total) read like a sequence of afterparty postcards: rain-slicked streets, half-remembered conversations, and the soft glow of a phone at 3 a.m. — all rendered in a lacquer of reverb and skittering percussion. 

Recorded in London but born from a transatlantic rapport, the project leans into cloud-rap textures and club-trap rhythms while occasionally flirting with brighter melodic moments. That London specificity — from local pub references to the mood of post-club ennui — gives the EP a strong sense of place even as the production remains diffuse and ephemeral. 

Highlights are compact but effective. “alise,” which features Che Richards, is one of the record’s clearest statements: tighter drums and a hooky cadence that briefly slice through the prevailing languor. Other cuts like “40pageant” and “bored of the uk” rely on texture and atmosphere rather than traditional verse-chorus payoff, which makes the record feel more like a mood board than a fully fleshed-out narrative. Fans of loopable, re-listenable short tracks will enjoy the replayability; listeners craving lyrical density or sonic climaxes may find some songs intentionally undercooked. 

Sonically, SURF GANG’s beats are both cosy and slightly skeletal — inviting you to sink into them while leaving room for Jawnino’s voice to drift as an instrument rather than the dominant focal point. amnesia works best as a late-night companion: imperfect, fragmentary, and oddly comforting in its drifting aimlessness. It’s less a declaration than a diary entry — small, specific, and sticky in the head long after it ends.