Not much is known about UK singer and producer Tev’n but this I can tell you – if you like the R&B electronica tones of SBTRKT paired with the dulcet honey tones of his collaborator Sampha then you’ll be a fan of this short 17-minute 8-songs mixtape.
It’s a debut mixtape so it does feel like an incomplete collection of ideas but what is there is pretty stellar. ‘Falling Away’ features sweet R&B melodies, ‘Chasing Away’ goes for heavy bass and twisted vocal samples with Tev’n impressing with his vocal timbre, while percussive hits dominate ‘Primal’.
‘Callous Heart’ builds upon that percussive rhythm with a soulful vocal turn and chopped and screwed style. Despite its short one-minute length ‘These Virtues’ is a Shabazz Palaces-style track with vocals that pitch up and down wonderfully. If Tev’n doesn’t make a track out of it, I hope someone does.
The EP might only be 17 minutes but it seriously marks out this fellah as one to watch next year. The mixtape is a free download at his site.
Thanks to Disco Naivete for the tip.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
