NEW ARTIST FINDS: TEP NO
by Prashant Bajpai
8/25/14
If Game of Thrones is up your alley, then you would agree that the Canadians are like the Starks of Winterfell. Every once in a while they raise a Theon Greyjoy (Justin Bieber), but they are largely honorable and talented people. Toronto-based artist Tep No carries the torch for the latter kind of his kin. Thanks to Bitcandy curator Francis for this awesome find!
Tep No’s musical soundscapes are a sensual threesome tango between indie-pop, R&B and electronic tunes. Dreamwave pop is the outcome of the melodic genre orgy. Fortunately, the synth-laden melodies aren’t just inserted as hipster gimmicks stolen from the 80s in the aftermath of Kavinsky and M83 making them hot again. There is a mesmerizing lo-fi element in his production rarely seen in synth-pop that gives it a fresh sound.
It’s a breath of fresh air in a scene where dozens of indie artists are applying the dancey electronica formula to their music as used by the pop and hip-hop industry and praying their edginess out-edges the edginess of their “edgy” compatriots.
Although his recent track “Missing Winter” did enough to get indie pop fans a hard on, Tep No’s single “Promises” will steer you through a series of eargasms and replay button molestations. The effortless authenticity in marrying the dynamic elements of his music is reminiscent of similar acts like Snakehips and Hippie Sabotage. The musical atmosphere never discomforts or disorients, and you always sense a warm connection to beautiful dreamscapes linger on.
TEP NO - PROMISES
The dreamy vibes shine through even in his DJing efforts as evident on his remix of Huntar on "Naked Noises."
In Tep No‘s case, success is more or less an inevitability. But we’ll be eager to see how that inevitability unfolds and stay tuned in for his future projects.