Tag: Psychedelia

REVIEW: Yves Tumor – Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume

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On March 17th, Yves Tumor released the anticipated follow-up to his 2021 EP The Asymptotic World. The full-length album, titled Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds), features singles released over the past year, as well as fresh new tracks that carry Yves’ signature sounds— a mesh of rock, pop, psychedelia, and darkly ambiguous lyrics hinting at Heaven, Hell, and everything in between.

I approached this project with a bit of apprehension; Yves’ 2020 album Heaven to a Tortured Mind reinvented my understanding of genre, combining ethereal vocals with experimental instrumentation to evoke the awe-inducing experience of watching the finale of a firework show. I wondered how— or if— this kind of collage of genres could be improved upon without losing its dazzling freshness. Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume absolutely did not disappoint. Despite dialing down the erratic theatrics of previous albums, Yves Tumor has re-emerged as an artist who is confident in his artistic strengths and knows how to show them off. With the help of Grammy award-winning producer Noah Goldstein (Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy), Yves’ signature sound is smoother than ever.

Praise A Lord notably conforms to genre, or at least a consistent voice, more than any of their previous projects. Yves finds the delicate intersection of theatrical pop and distortion-heavy rock, altering catchy pop melodies with thick and fuzzy guitar, layered instrumentation, and airy vocals that preach existential philosophies and poetic metaphor. The opening track, “God is a Circle”, was released as a single in November and remains my favorite on the album. It opens with a scream and heavy breathing that melts into the melody, establishing a tone of darkness and obsession as Yves drawls “Sometimes, it feels like, there’s places in my mind that I can’t go”. The rest of the tracks fall into a consistent formula; Tumor’s delicate vocals, evocative of Prince’s versatile emotionality, float over sonic atmospheres packed with erratic chord progressions and synths that feel alive. “Meteroa Blues” builds on its drums and guitar slowly, bringing the song to an energetic climax of intense noise. The hazy interlude in “Parody” feels like crossing a liminal space between worlds. “Echolalia” is the most danceable track on the album, with fast-paced drums ushering in a catchy vocal melody. The last track, “Ebony Eye”, reminds me the most of the dramatic crescendo and electronic sparkle of Heaven to a Tortured Mind which initially drew me to his music. Dramatic instrumentation, dreamy synths, and continually layered vocals create a landscape of sparkling colors and excitement. It’s the perfect ending to the album, encapsulating Yves’ willingness to try anything— and everything— at the same time.

Although Praise a Lord isn’t my favorite album (Heaven to a Tortured Mind always takes the cake), Yves has proven his maturity as an experimental artist. The album carries his ambiguous voice and imaginative style, but contains it within a more palatable (and radio-playable) format, balancing pop and rock song structures with contemporary instrumentation. Each track feels alive, having a mind of its own, almost always ending in a completely different spot and with a different attitude than where it started. It’s truly an immersive listening experience that is worth the time. Even if his unique approach isn’t something you are drawn to, it sparks thought about what genre is— or what it can be in the future, and what the pioneers of contemporary genres will sound like. Yves Tumor has, in my opinion, cemented his spot as a trailblazer of the future.

Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume is available on popular streaming platforms. Yves Tumor is coming to the Majestic Theatre in Detroit on May 10th. Get your tickets while they’re still available for a unique live music experience.

Review: Stamps Series Presents Joseph Keckler in “I, as an Opera”

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The Michigan Theater hosts a Penny Stamps Lecture Series every Thursday at 5:10pm, open to the public. This past Thursday, the series replaced the lecture with a performance by Art and Design school alumni Joseph Keckler. Keckler performed segments of “I, as an Opera”, a multimedia opera performance. Keckler’s performance felt particularly personal, he began with a humorous conversational anecdote which served as seamless transition directly into the performance. What followed was a kaleidoscopic exploration into Keckler’s life, mind, and soul.

I admit I have no prior experience watching opera, but since Thursday I have scoured the internet for more information and feel safe to say Keckler’s presentation was quite original and innovative.

(A quick digression—I’ve never been interested in opera, nor did I ever expect to be, the fact that I have since googled opera speaks volumes about how creative and immersive this performance was.)

TL:DR, “I, as an Opera” is a humorous retelling of a really bad shrooms trip. I can not confirm or deny
On one hand, the tone of the piece was really funny, because the experiences Keckler sang about were so absurd, and hearing about a bad drug experience via opera singing is probably something I will never get to see again. At the same time, the story was quite disturbing—at one point Keckler tells about his drug-induced sensation of demonic possession.

I felt the inherently humorous concept of presenting a drug story through the conventions of opera is an incredibly bold idea, one that would probably never work in a traditional operatic performance. This is why Keckler’s unique spin on the opera worked so well. Rather than fill the stage with an elaborate set and a large cast, he used a projector to present a variety of visuals to the audience—a lightshow while talking about the positive aspects of the mushroom experience, a silent reel of his old singing teacher while recounting memories from the past induced by the psychedelics. This unique style both accentuated the personal nature of the narrative and successfully demonstrated the mind-warping nature of the story.

There was one other person on stage for about 5 minutes—a man dressed up as a minotaur near the end. Other than that, Keckler performed on stage alone. The one man show style created an intimate connection between lone performer and audience. Keckler also interacted directly with his projections. The audience saw the most important visual representations of the experience—absolutely no extraneous details. This performance, from start to finish, focused entirely on one man on a lot of drugs, and his disjointed journey through his own mind.

The visual details we did see gave us a greater insight into the psychedelic, introspective nature of the experience. Keckler projected images of strobing, colorful lights to illustrate his warped visions during the experience. Much of his performance also delved into memories of his teenage years, time spent learning singing. During this part of the performance, Keckler exhibited a silent film featuring a talking head of his singing teacher. She broke into a series of tangents about Keckler’s personality and habits. Whether this was her opinion or Keckler’s projection of his self-image is unclear. Regardless, this scene illustrated a psychedelic exploration of the self.

Keckler’s performance was a compelling introduction to opera. His performance focused on subject matter that is relevant and entertaining to today’s youth, but he told his story using an archaic style. This marriage between modern themes and classical storytelling made for a refreshing experience.

Watch Joseph Keckler‘s video short based on the opera here