Toby Williams’ technique on the bass guitar shines everytime he performs, including his recently-released cover of Serotonin’s Afro-Soul record, “Venus”. Williams, born Oluwatobi Oyero, maximizes his pace, rhythmic accuracy and melodic improvisation to present a lush revamped experience of the popular record.

Across the song, Williams kicks off with a warm and gentle tone that complements the song’s low-tempo intro. The record ignites mid-way with a higher pitch that Williams’ tempos — mostly warm and mid-tempo — balance to achieve a groovy harmony. The bass’ temperance as a foundational accompaniment hugs Serotonin’s silky low-toned vocals like a bosom friend, piquing the tempos towards an overall sanguine tone, as opposed to the strong dose of melancholia in the original.

Williams’ finger-work, especially his plucks and picks, are timed with a careful precision that elevates the song’s pace and smoothens its transitions. His ample muting improves the pacing as well, with his clean note executions adding glimmer to the song’s simple chord-progressions.

His performance also reflects Williams’ audacious musicality as the musician’s walking lines and funky groove fizzles through the song, adding a highlife/funk feel to the soul record.

The melodic improvisation towards the outro stands out, as Williams’ mesmerizing basslines dips the record in an extra hot sauce of serendipity. Save for the brevity of that particular improvisation, the entire record feels like a warmer experience of the original song and a strong introduction into Toby Williams’ guitarissimo.

Overall, Toby Williams’ neat and charismatic performance neatly drives the song’s impact and leaves a lingering impression on the listener. With more Afrobeats songs in circulation, bassy covers like Williams’ performance remains a potent method to expand lifespans and create multiple evergreen experiences of the records.

Toby Williams is a quintessential Nigerian musician and multi-instrumentalist, with over a decade experience playing the bass guitar and drums. Growing up in a music-loving family, Williams learned how to play the guitar from his father, before joining his church choir as a drummer, in his childhood neighbourhood, in Lagos’ Alagbado suburbs.

Traversing several genres including Jazz, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Blues and Naija Christian Gospel, Toby Williams has performed his bassy tunes alongside other renowned musicians both in Nigeria and in the United Kingdom. He also works as a music director and producer, deepening his versatility and love for music.