Local Review: Camzilla and GURTGOD40 — The Big Boom

Camzilla and GURTGOD40
The Big Boom
Self-Released
Street: 04.04.2025
Camzilla + GURTGOD40 = Hip-hop / Noise / Experimental

With only twelve minutes, The Big Boom is a brief introduction and split debut EP from Camzilla and GURTGOD40. Both artists show a very different stage of style definition, while at the same time sharing an appetite for Lo-Fi experimentation.

Camzilla opens with “APRIL FOOLS,” and the first seconds give a clear orientation towards a flicker of cold Krautrock-adjacent synthesis, but this stops without warning and becomes something rawer and difficult to digest. The bass overwhelms the mix, burying the vocals, and the composition loses coherence at a certain moment. Whether that’s a premeditated choice or a production blind spot is hard to say. There is a not well-defined bridge between the noise/power electronics aggression and the lo-fi hip-hop that Camzilla tries to reach for.

The third track, “Shave it,” follows a similar pattern to “APRIL FOOLS.” It leans more into the category of noise or power electronics territory before shifting toward lo-fi hip-hop — again, without cohesion or a clear final destination. Screams, distorted voices, and unexpectedly comical melodic fragments build a dense wall that is hard to enjoy or appreciate. Beyond all this, you can perceive a restless creative energy in Camzilla’s contribution. Camzilla is willing to break things and see what happens with no fear, but they would benefit by developing a better direction to their style. Camzilla’s identity is still forming, and that is fine. Actually, that’s the core idea of a debut.

On the other side of the split, GURTGOD40 operates very differently and has a noticeably clearer sense of direction. Their first track, “TRASH PICKUP” is under two minutes and makes every second count. The keyboard composition settles into a genuine chill ambience, building atmospheric textures that sound and feel natural rather than planned. This is a short track but it deserves another play because it ends so soon and leaves you wanting more. “SUMMER21” opens with a recognizable very well-known sample before switching the song’s composition entirely. Here GURTGOD40 uses slow electronic drum patterns, heavy bass, and an eerie loop of produced voices that fades out naturally and smoothly at the end of the song. This track is pacing and a little hypnotic; the use of repetitive resources feels intentional.

The composition of “NUK3TOWN” stands out from the rest of the songs. The samples are used wisely, the lyrics convey confidence and the composition is cohesive in a way that made me feel that the other tracks were a warm-up. It is the EP’s pivotal point, where GURTGOD40’s voice and sensibility flows seamlessly. Here the artist begins to show us what he is capable of creating. The bonus track “BANGXPASTA” is maybe the best thing by far in this EP. The sample choice is powerful, the melodies are direct and memorable. With this final track, GURTUGOD40 sounds like someone who knows the kind of artist they want to be.

The Big Boom will not change your week, but it documents and serves as a proof of something worth paying attention to: two new artists arise in very different ways. GURTGOD40 arrives with a songwriting sensibility that goes in the right direction. Camzilla, on the other hand, arrives with energy, and a willingness to experiment in search of something genuine that eventually will shape their style. This split EP is an introduction for both artists. Just give them time, and they will surely surprise us. —Guillermo Pino Cruz

Read more music reviews by Guillermo Pino Cruz:
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