Wizzy Wow: The Rise of a Genre-Bending Visionary
On a Thursday afternoon, when I arrive at an enclosed building only to find out that this is where studio spaces are situated, and with the producer I could not wait to meet. The moment I was introduced to Wizzy, a great big smile greeted me, and within the sleek, bright hallway, it was not long until I settled down in his pit of ideas. I walked into Wizzy’s studio, and you can feel an ambience of calmness. You begin to look at the framed paintings hung boldly beside his keyboard. “It is what you get out. So, if there is no passion in it, there is no passion coming out of it — and some people can sense that, and they are just like, I am not with it,” he tells me. Music, he believes, in longevity should be an abundance of passion and consistency. “That is what people buy into — the long term, short term, just like it’s just a quick little buzz.”
Isra Andia-Diumi Lohata, known as Wizzy Wow, has been in music as long as he can remember. He has reached the pinnacle of his creative artistry that many only hope to achieve — Grammy-nominated twice. Quite literally a man of credibility. Producer, sonic painter, quiet visionary, he has been shaping atmospheres in north London long before people realised they were standing inside one. “I feel like once I moved to England, that's where I found my place with music. I lived in Luton for a little bit. Then I went to Kentish Town, Camden, and then I settled in Tottenham.” Now, he has moments to reflect on his years in development, launching himself into a new era that was born out of living experiences. Still polishing each partnership as a vital point of his success: “A friend, a good friend of mine, who was in the same camp as me, Wretch 32. Over the years, I have worked with everyone who is big now. Like Chip lived on the block behind me.” He has rightfully earned his spot at London’s table of Black visionaries. “It was like a brotherhood — I got to know Tiny Tempah before he made ‘Pass Out’. Yes, when he was on like ‘Wifey’ and all of that.”
Though different in sound, Wizzy adapted to his environment from the voices he shared bread with, and he often explores electric bass — raw and intentionally rough around the edges. In 2015, a project graced the underground landscape, formed into a collaborative sequence: Wizzy alongside Wretch 32 and Avelino. Since the ten-year anniversary last year, a deluxe version was released with eight new songs. “I produced Young Fire Old Flame, the intro. And done, Hulk Hogan. So, listening back to that, thinking simple — like I like it. My mum likes that song, she does, yes.”
Photo Credits: Cinamax
We discussed the irritation he feels about working with certain attitudes towards creating. “I do not want to work harder than the artist. Like, I find an artist I really want to work with, and then, the first week, they come in every day, and we achieve so much — and they are like, wow, I can take the back seat. There is no back seat. We are in a two-door car.” There is a bit of a formula to a pop banger and songs that repeat on radio playlists; he implied social media has shifted determination, and there is a lack of it now. Over the years, while Wizzy has produced a wealth of records, guidance has been central throughout — “enjoying the progress” and building possibilities to win. He touched on meaningful memories: “My house would be the place where all my uncles and aunties would come. It was fun. Sneak out, and I am just like, the music is making everyone simply happy,” he said. Wizzy wants to set an example for his family, “my son is getting to an age of understanding and we can have that conversation. So I'm letting him into my world a little bit more.”
While he remains unwavering in his purist direction, he still holds close the memories of where it all began. A few times, the word “community” came up during the conversation, and he seemed humbled by his experiences. There was a lot to talk about, there were a few topics covered that weren’t able to be included, I would describe the interview as one of my brightest yet.
“I do tend to bring different worlds together. I've worked with certain artists and I've now done super duper pop and then I've mixed it with a bit of R&B and then a bit of country and then at the end I've added like a Afrobeat swing tap drums kind of thing.”
I smiled as sound has always been more than a rhythm but a feeling, only a smell can repeat the same sensation, I felt the weight of his words. Wizzy’s interest in production go beyond lyrics and bass, “I'll just watch films all day long or a series, whatever. So when I sit down with an individual, I try to get an understanding of their story and I break them down into series.” As he sat tall on his seat. Over time he’s built more clarity on where he has been positioned and what he cares about in the world that gave him his graces.