REVIEW | Ren – “Sick Sick Soul (Vol. 1)” EP: A Cinematic Journey Through Storytelling, Struggle & Unity
- Kathrin Waschke
- 15 hours ago
- 7 min read
Being a Ren fan this year meant having more content than ever imaginable. Smashing his performance on Fire in the Booth, releasing another drop of his own clothing line, collaborating with artists like Token, presenting another tale called Vincent's Tale alongside the existing Tales of Jenny and Screech as well as busking in Brighton and playing shows with the band The Big Push that he’s part of. Ren is an outspoken person, advocating for lyme disease, mental health and all the struggles that come with both. For example he spoke out about support groups and organisations like Men Tribe who support men's mental health. With a surprise for all Ren fans came the news that ‘Sick Boi’ is back on all streaming services. A song that had a huge impact on Ren and his community as there has been a huge law fight with another artist, which as a result birthed the song ‘KUJO BEAT DOWN’ in September 2024. On September 3rd 2025 Ren first spoke out about his upcoming EP ‚Sick Sick Soul vol 1‘ before announcing a weekly song release over the course of six weeks with music videos for the EP. We’ll dive into the songs and what stories they tell.
With the EP opener named ‚So The Story Goes‘ on October 9th, the first collab song between Ren and The Skinner Brothers was out in the open. A song that has such a unique flow, a hip-hop story telling with a mix of spoken and sung lyrics. The video was shot by Joshua Stiles and Kai Lacey, just as all the others that are part of this EP. The music video starts with an alarm clock going off at 7:16am before a scene of fighting a boyfriend after infidelity starts. In the end Ren is saved with the help of the The Skinner Brothers, who pulls up in a car and drives off with him. While the music video and part of the lyrics show a few drug and sex innuendos, the song itself is also filled with references to another topic. The chorus “I’m on track to be the best one ever. Fuck a label man, we’re killing it, we’re doing it better” as well as “Angels sleep where the devils lie. Devils weep when the angels soar” are both examples to the artists indepence, as both are not signed to any labels and still making names for themselves in the music industry.
On October 16th the second song between the two was published. ’CTRL ALT DELETE‘ starts with an alarm clock going off at 10:37am. The same car that Ren and The Skinner Brothers took to escape the jealous boyfriend in ‘So The Story Goes’ now pulls into a parking lot of a small shop. Now it’s clear that the whole EP is taking us through a day of the protagonists Ren and The Skinner Brothers. The video is a slow motion one-shot with 90’s style rewinds built in. It follows the few minutes that The Skinner Brothers aka Soul Boy spends in a shop to buy basics for him and Ren. The harmony with Soul Boys voice and the female background vocals from Scarlett Fea Fletcher give this song an extra layer, that’s softer than expected. Ren sings about having "Lost myself inside the spaces between heaven and hell”, possibly referring to his battles with his mental health, but goes on to say “I played the cards that I was dealt” and if you “Turn a bad thing around, it make you feel great”. The lyrics “Man I wanna CTRL-ALT-ALT-DELETE” might be a reference to suicide or a deep wish to start fresh. Because the combination ctrl+alt+delete is the shortcut to close or reboot an app that’s not responding. Sonically the song continues with a 90’s/2010’s vibe with a strong guitar and bass game and trumpets thrown in. Just like when an app or game is glitching the sound is also engraved in the song with glitching and rewinding sounds. Whereas ‘So The Story Goes’ covers the independence of artists, in ‘CTRL ALT DELETE’ the theme is similar with more focus on not giving up, even with all the struggles that you’re given.
‚Truth or Dare‘, published one week after the second song, starts with the same alarm beeping at 3:13pm and The Skinner Brothers walking into a pub. A pub that looks so typical for the UK, with slot machines, a billiard table and a game of darts, with some people sitting at tables to eat and some having a few pints. Sticking out is the unique mix of Reggae, Hip Hop and Drum and Bass. Truly doing wonders to your brain as it tries to catch up with whatever the next few seconds of the song throws at it, but never really knowing what to expect. Just like a whole body experience should be, the eyes are being fed also with this video. Stiles and Lace did a great job, to underline the sentences in the song with corresponding visuals. For example when Ren comes in with a round of shots exactly when he says in the song “Let me come in, let me come in” or when someone is almost hitting a bulls eye in darts right as “Eye for an eye, that’s blow for blow” can be heard. ‘Truth or Dare’ shows the unity that friendship can provide. “I heard sirens. We had our backs to the wall, no fighting. Right-left night on the streets of Brighton” shows that it’s a bond between people who balance their life between the right and wrongs.
At 11:11pm we meet the female protagonist of this clip in a night club toilet. After that we follow four friends stumbling through the late night streets of the UK before the female protagonist and Ren meet in the club. The setting for ‚Dream Life‘ is quite simple, mundane and still holds a lot of truth to the youth of UK’s cities. Simply wanting to “Live in a dream life” and escaping the daily grind of bills and chaos. While the first part of the video is underlined by some sort of soft bass and drums and drops, the second the protagonists are in the night club, the music changes. The beats, drops, sounds and general vibe can’t really be put into boxes in this one, a tune that exists outside of rules and norms. Just as Ren and the protagonist leave the club an off-voice starts talking that is capturing on its own. Showing that “In walking life, we walk the narrow corridors of logic (...). But in dreams, we are cast adrift on a sea of symbols (...) And the latent, often discomforting truth”. A true goosebump worthy outro, reminding listeners of being in a dystopian film.
Published on November 6th, 'Twos On A Cigarette‘ was the fifth part of ‘Sick Sick Soul vol 1‘. At 2:02am the audience is led into a party in an apartment, with Ren and the female protagonist from ‘Dream Life’ getting closer. The vibe is immediately more chilled compared to the underground party vibes of the fourth part. This song is the first one on the EP that has another collaboration. The voices of Sahaji sets the tone with the lyrics “But I don’t want no more life. I just want right now”. Ren’s part with “You refine like wine looking so fine. Got my heart rate moving on an incline. Think I don’t wanna sleep till the sun shine” paints a beautiful picture of intimacy. It is a song that is about living in the moment, enjoying time with friends and the connection two people have that lead to late nights that turn into early mornings spent together. Just like all the other songs, this one is also another one shot, showing the talent and work that go into these music videos.
On November 13th ‘Pink Heineken’ was released and marks the final song of the journey that Ren and The Skinner Brothers took the audience on. At 4:54am a melancholy road trip to the beach brings the day-long journey to an end. It conveys the feeling of coming down from a long night out, from mistakes and regrets that can feel heavy in your chest and bones. The Skinner Brothers’s voice is underlined by background vocals when singing “You know he’s never saying nothing. ‘Cause he’ll keep it in his head till the day he dies (...) And then you left me for dead”. In itself every lyric of this song transfers so much meaning. The guitar, drums, violins and trumpets mixed with the voice of Megan Notcheva bring a new layer of grief for oneself and every loss. The chorus “Forget about yesterday. Just hold my gaze and slip away. Truth hurts but angels can sing in blue, green and pink Heineken” might show that some escape into alcohol and drugs, therefore being their only possibility to speak about their feelings or to shut them out completely. Musically it’s a song that focuses heavily on the lyrics and the sorrow vibe that the video creates. The calm voice of Ren that sings “I watched the blood run red as an angel's breath, brushed gentle down my side. I was left cold in my room to die” let’s the audience feel the heaviness and hopelessness right through the screens and headphones.
What can be said except both visually and musically ‘Sick Sick Soul vol 1’ is top tier story telling, taking the audience through a circle of experiences and emotions that feel all too familiar for so many people: the adrenaline rush of doing something forbidden; the loyalty and bond that friendships give, to be there through highs and lows and the mundane; the faith in your own powers to push through all obstacles; the escape into drugs and alcohol, music and dance; the regret of your own mistakes; the loss of loved ones, of missed opportunities and the life long question of ‘what if?’.
What the future will hold for Ren and The Skinner Brothers is just as open as it is for anyone else. One thing is for sure - with their individual talent and ability to connect with other artists on such a deep level - nothing can stop them from changing the course of music. All while an audience of thousands of fans are hanging on their every word and feeling their music and lyrics in their hearts.
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Words by Kathrin Waschke