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Yves Tumor, 'Operator'

Yves Tumor is boundless. On their latest album, Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds), they propel the listener into a poetic, divine, saturated soundscape. The album is textured with sounds from angsty '90s past and neo-psychedelic future. It ironically consumes the listener with its nostalgic cybernetic beats, folding to Tumor's ferocity and eccentricity.

"Operator" simulates a metallic new-wave symphony. Tumor is giving goth, glamorous and godly. The track is visceral, atmospheric, high-octane and tenacious — but reveals tender desperation. Tumor converses with the listener on the other line, "Hello? / Are you my lord and savior? / I need a reason to believe / Baby, please never take me home." The pulsing reverbs rumble, commanding higher powers. Tumor's lyrics sinfully fixate on vices, money, religion and lust, resolving with a classic high school cheer, and grapples with the synthetic operator, "Be aggressive / be-be aggressive."

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Pilar Galvan
Pilar Galvan (she/her) is a reporter whose work focuses on the intersections of media and culture. She is passionate about film, music and sports. She recently graduated from Yale University where she double majored in anthropology, specializing in ethnomusicology, and art, concentrating in digital media. She previously worked in digital media at art institutions including MoMA PS1 in Queens, NY, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal.