Most likely raised in Tennessee and maybe named Sean, Yves Tumor (age also unknown) is an experimental musician and producer. Aside from the ambiguity, Tumor has been making music that could only be described as intoxicating, sensual, and menacing since around 2015 (at least under this moniker). As of 2023, they’ve put out numerous projects and albums, the most recent being Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds), released mid-March.
With tracks like “Lovely Sewer,” “Parody,” “Echolalia,” and “Fear Evil Like Fire” with their heavy drumming beats and underlying guitar and basslines, Tumor brings in a shoegaze feel while still emphasizing the more sensory aspects of their music on Praise A Lord: the richness of sound, and a begging feeling; Yves Tumor wants to be known.
Much of Tumor’s artistry comes down to putting on a performance, whether that be through gender expression, sexuality, the line between lust and romance (they’re a sex-god on Heaven to a Tortured Mind), and spirituality, among other things. This performance aspect also ties into the mystery of Yves Tumor as a real-life person and their experience with creativity. In interviews, Tumor has explained that they are self-taught regarding production, guitar, and the keyboard. Growing up, Tumor did what many other noise artists and experimentalists did: use Garageband. “It was pretty nasty,” says Tumor. But, noise seemed to be where Tumor got their start, calling it a “pure” means of gaining notoriety in a pretty intense scene for music. With inspiration coming from a variety of sources, such as 90s grunge, 60s Krautrock, Dean Blunt and ambient soundscapes, Tumor paints a complex figure.
Nowadays, Tumor has decided to explain very little about their personal life. Much of their work is produced in Europe, especially Berlin and Turin, but nothing is ever really confirmed, because for Tumor, it's simply not what matters. The performance, the attitude, and the mystique, is.
Despite being so private, Tumor is known to collaborate with other artists and prominent producers. On their latest album, Alan Moulder, a titan in the production industry who has worked with the likes of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nine Inch Nails, and My Bloody Valentine, is the primary mixer; Noah Goldstein, known for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, The Suburbs, and Blonde, also worked as a producer and engineer. One of Tumor’s more famous tracks, “Kerosene!,” features Diana Gordon. Tumor is also featured on “Reanimator” from Joji’s Nectar, and WILLOW features them on “Perfectly Not Close To Me.”
If you’re interested in Yves Tumor, some of my favorite songs are “Jackie,” “Crushed Velvet,” "Lovely Sewer," “Ebony Eye,” and “Romanticist.”
I like the way that Tumor thinks, the background behind the music and the personal life of the singer does not always need to matter. The way the music makes you feel and how the audience engages with the music is what matters. Tumor is an incredibly creative individual and their own work and collaborations are very interesting!
ReplyDeleteYves Tumor has such a cool story, especially the way that they have totally dropped their identity from their music. Instead of trying to become famous from their work, they are letting their work speak for itself by being mysterious about their origins and process, which to me elevates their level of creativity, beyond being just a pro-C creative by showing the level of intrinsic motivation they have to produce this work and to have it stand on its own.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that Yves Tumor keeps their personal life a secret. Their music is at the forefront, not just themself. This privacy can allow the music to stand out by itself without being judged by how one might see the artist.
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