yeule Displays Her Still-beating Android Heart on 'glitch princess'
Photo: Ethan Lai
The singularity is a hypothetical point in the future where technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, where AI surpasses the limits of its human creators, allowing for it to define its own set of morals and carve out its own purpose outside of any rigid code. At the focal point of the singularity exists yeule, or at least that's the impression given by their impressive experimental sophomore album glitch princess.
yeule, the London-based artist, livestreamer, and cyborg creates with a sense of reckless abandon that seems to care little for typical pop conventions or even the ideas of genre and time itself. Bridging emotionally confessional left-field pop with patchwork electronic-infused production, the world of yeule's creation feels equal parts ego death and deeply introspective affair.
For those unfamiliar with the London artist, glitch princess sees them opening their project with a self-introduction of sorts. "My Name is Nat Cmiel" (Cmiel being the birth name of yeule) plays out like an AI trying to sparse together a corrupted diary entry - akin to the uncanny valley that arises when coming across the discarded remains of an android in NieR: Automata. Touching on ideas of drug abuse, sexual intimacy, dissociation, and the seemingly mundane against a sparsely furnished soundscape, it perfectly sets the tone for what's to come as a surreal, unflinching look into yeule's psyche.
This peek into yeule's coding sets us down a path that sees us exploring cathartic, swelling highs accented by crescendos of production heavenly vocals one moment only to delve into minimalistic caverns adorned by hushed whispers and siren-like calls the next. It's a project that rarely falls into one lane or grows stale, exploring genuinely moving indie rock on tracks like "Don't Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty," screeching, adrenaline-pumping hyperpop on "Bites on My Neck," and complete production and emotional breakdowns on "Mandy."
Altogether, glitch princess is a deeply beautiful, if at times unsettling, project. One that sees the London artist clawing away at their very sense of self to show all those who will listen how every line of code, every experience has shaped them into who they are today.
Listen to glitch princess below:
