Yllis - Siamese + Not-Even-Anything Land

Singaporean experimental pop artist Yllis finally drops his album today. His “ISLAND-01 EP” is a deep path into digital experimentation and we are totally digging it! Discover “Siamese” and “Not-Even-Anything Land”, the two last tracks of this effort. “Siamese” is a delicate and modern R&B gem that definitely demonstrates vocal skills of the artist whereas “Not-Even-Anything Land” is amazingly produced. Both tracks are haunting and form a perfect combo!

Yllis was born in Singapore but he is now spending his life between his native city and New York City. His music sometimes reminds us of FKA Twigs. The artist develops an interesting antithetical thematic that mixes both harmony and chaos.

In “Siamese”, the artist sings:

like a baby
at a stranger’s breast
like a cancer
that chews on your regret?

Yllis‘ wistful vocals sit atop a dystopian musical landscape that’s a fusion of precision and chaos, and of East and West—a musical product of this modern age!

As written in the press release:

Yllis explores the claustrophobia and frustrations of growing up in the rigid, capitalist island state as part of a Chinese diaspora marooned from its cultural roots. A city built upon Western colonial influence, yet fundamentally divorced from it. In his debut EP “ISLAND-01”, Yllis finds parallels between this struggle for expression and identity and a learning for unrequited love.

His music is rich in the sense that it is both personal, intimate and also addresses criticisms and deep thoughts on global issues such as cultural hegemony or self-representation in the digital world. He has particularly elaborated on this topic with his concept video for “Parade“.

Listen to “Siamese” and “Not-Even-Anything Land” below:

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“ISLAND-01 EP” also features the previously released “Wiik” and “Parade”. You can now stream and download it via Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and Tidal.