In the video for Yves Tumor’s latest single “Secrecy Is Incredibly Important to the Both of Them,” the visionary singer plays multiple roles, ranging from a trapped, panicked punk rocker to a sleek, writhing businessman. and bloodied in the spotlight.
Perhaps these depictions are elements of a larger narrative, or perhaps they refer to the many hats that Sean Bowie, the mastermind behind Yves Tumor, has worn over the years. From innovating on the cold wave scene in the early 2010s under the Teams moniker to producing as Shanti for Ecco2k and Bladee, Bowie has evolved as a one-of-a-kind artist. Since Yves Tumor’s debut in 2015, their upward trajectory has been slow and steady, so the genre-fluid singer’s recent surge in popularity seems deserved, though fans who scream “underrated” still have reason. to do.
Due to Bowie’s past as a vapor wave supernova, Yves Tumor’s 2021 EP The asymptotic world looks like a surreal celebration of glam rock and post-punk through an afrofuturist lens. While comparisons to David Bowie will be made – painfully and obviously – Yves Tumor immediately dropped Throbbing Gristle as a major influence, which makes total sense. Think of this show as an intimate evening with a musical act that will perform on an exponentially larger stage when, or if, they return to St. Louis.
See you soon on the street: To dive into the wormhole of Sean Bowie and their many contemporaries and former collaborators, hit up the r/sadboys subreddit and start digging into those threads like old record store checkouts.
Yves Tumor 8 p.m. Friday, March 25. Old Rock House, 1200 South Seventh Street. $25 to $30. 314-588-0505.