Introducing: E3 by midwxst

It’s hard to pin down exactly when Indiana-born Edgar Sarratt – better known as midwxst – broke onto the scene, having floated around online music spheres like SoundCloud since 2018. He’s dropped a series of EP’s over the last few years, most notably his “BACK IN ACTION” trilogy, and has collaborated with a number of notable artists, from hyperpop producer ericdoa to trap artist Yeat. In 2023, we were finally given his debut album E3, which experiments with a variety of sounds from hyperpop to hip-hop to rock, succeeding in almost every attempt it makes.

midwxst’s habit for genre-jumping is seen right away with E3’s opener “lost”, which starts out with sombre piano keys and angelic vocals from Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir, but suddenly transforms into a rock anthem on the backend of the track, with heavy guitars, intense drums and blaring vocals.

Edgar demonstrates on this album that he’s not afraid to experiment with his sound, jumping from genre to genre as his lyrics explore themes of romance, family, and self-growth. The album’s lead single, “pretty girls”, is an alt-rock banger with a hyperpop influence that details Edgar’s experience with manipulative relationships. The instrumental contains so many moving parts, from the rich rock guitars to the vibrant synths, all complimenting one another but none taking control of the track, which allows midwxst’s lush, layered vocals to dominate the song's hook.

The scope and variety of styles midwxst is able to adapt to on this record is very impressive. Whether it be his classic hyperpop sound featured on the second single “warning” - characterised by it’s wavy, blaring synths - or the more melodic “heartache blues”, where Edgar reminisces upon a lost relationship over an ethereal instrumental with soaring background vocals.

Two of my favourite tracks come on the second half of the album, the first being "s.f.b.". Edgar’s hook is infectuously catchy; the beat is one of the funkiest the album has to offer; and Denzel Curry’s chants on the bridge and outro make this track the perfect song for a live performance. The second is the album’s finale, “ready for you”, which showcases just how much midwxst has matured in the last five years he’s spent making music. It contains some of my favourite lyrics on the album, as Edgar reflects on his journey to fame as an artist, and the heartfelt voicemail from his grandma that closes it out only adds to the emotional vibe of the song.

E3 is undoubtedly midwxst’s most mature project to date. His lyrics are the best they’ve ever been, the variety of beats form an incredibly rich and resonant soundscape, and the project feels surprisingly focused, packing so much music into just 34 minutes of playtime. His talent is still incredibly raw, but the personality and adaptability he displays on this project more than makes up for it. midwxst’s debut album is definitely worth a listen, and at only 20 years old, I can’t imagine it’ll be long before he drops a project of even more musical maturity.