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For more than a decade, Michael Uzowuru has been shaping some of the most acclaimed albums in music from behind the scenes. The producer and songwriter started his career around 2009, collaborating with Odd Future, Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, and Vince Staples. Since then, he’s produced for musicians including SZA, Rosalía, FKA twigs, Beyoncé, and Donald Glover, and has become one of the most in-demand collaborators for artists looking to elevate their sound. Now, @michaeluzowuru is putting his own name first. His debut album, ‘Total Effort,’ is ten ambient tracks that draw on Ryuichi Sakamoto and Aphex Twin. It arrives on his new website (totaleffort.com) alongside merchandise and a book collecting his photos, notes, and phone screenshots. Speaking with WYouth, he shared, “When I work with other artists, I’m perceiving their emotions and trying to fill in the cracks. With myself, I’m simply trying to express myself.” He also shared some advice: “Romanticize being bad at things. Fall in love with doing hard things and struggling. Be willing to lose some steps, go backward, and keep going.”