Released in November 2018, NOIR is the sophomore studio album by St. Louis artist
Traditional noir uses high-contrast lighting and rain-slicked streets. Smino’s sonic noir uses detuned bass, warbled vocal samples, and minor ninth chords borrowed from Robert Glasper-esque jazz. The “Zip” here functions as a sonic filter: tracks like “Pizza Man” begin with bright, organic guitar plucks, but a low-pass filter (a “zip” downward in frequency) darkens the timbre, simulating dusk. smino noir zip
The term "Noir" is crucial here. It refers to the dark, moody, yet soulful visual palette Smino adopted during this period. The hoodie typically features: Released in November 2018, NOIR is the sophomore
Inside the studio, the air was warm and smelled like stale coffee and creativity. Leo didn't take the zip-off. It was his uniform. As the producer looped a soulful, stuttering beat, Leo sat on the velvet couch, the "Noir" fabric absorbing the neon purple light of the recording booth. “The interior is too dark; hard to find