With a name like Tei Shi, you’d think this particular artist was an ancient goddess hailing from the far flung misty mountains of Japan. But no, Tei Shi, also known to us normal humans as Valerie Teicher, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, the singer-songwriter and producer has been floating around the music scene since 2013, when she debuted her track M&Ms, encapsulating a unique and eclectic blend R&B, shoe gaze and indie-pop.
Dropping her latest EP Verde today, the Argentine starts off with Can’t Be Sure. The first few beats start out like a dystopian sci-fi thriller; gently and otherworldly, but with a sinister undertone. For this reason alone it conjures up the opening scenes of Ridley Scott’s eponymous film Blade Runner. This quickly segues into a series of disembodied, ethereal voices, oscillating wildly between each headphone before abruptly ending and quickly jumping into Bassically.
The rendition of Bassically could also be called otherworldly, beginning with some excellent synthesised beats and ending with Tei Shi’s voice wailing out a like a beautiful Japanese banshee. Apocalypse meets self-revelation is how I’d describe this number, hovering between the amorphous divide of anger and relish, deceit and realisation.
See Me starts out with what I can only describe as something akin to gunfire, phasing into a rather inquisitive tone, posing melodic questions intermittently, backed up by an understated base, before morphing into an exasperated chorus. Minimalistic and light, yet with a solid bass and guitar rift underlying it, yet bearing the marks of a slow, R&B influence.
However, it’s probably Go Slow that really enthrals me. Tei Shi’s voice flows so beautifully and rhythmically. It’s impossible not to get lost in the fray of her mesmerising vocals, like a vortex of melancholia, ensnaring you in its rapturous chorus.
Get It is perhaps the most alluring, the slowest and sensual of all the tracks. It definitely sounds similar to FKA Twigs and Banks, more proof that this neo-brand of soul-pop-meets-R&B has definitely left an indelible impression on the music scene.
With Bassically notching over 1 million streams on Spotify after a few months, Tei Shi is definitely one to watch in the future. Verde is an astonishing beautiful and intriguing piece of work, succinct and well-defined; something that will let your mind wander, but come crashing back to reality aching for more from this phenomenally talented songstress.
Have a listen to Verde below:
<iframe allowtransparency=”true” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no” src=”http://hypem.com/premiere-embed/tei+shi” style=”width: 100%; height:250px;”></iframe>