Bolis Pupul – ‘Letter To Yu’ album review: emotionally-charged electronica
THE SKINNY: Electronic music, in the modern age, is often tied inexplicably to dance music. For decades, the most popular forms of electronica have been concerned with repetitive beats and maximising danceability, leaving little room for self-reflection or the exploration of complex emotions within the music. Letter To Yu, the debut solo album by Bolis Pupul, attempts to change that narrative, creating an emotionally charged record that is simultaneously danceable.
Letter To Yu is as complex and varied as Pupul himself. While, for the most part, the album adopts a distinctly retro sound reminiscent of early synth-pop tracks, there are multiple moments throughout the album which see the musician abandon this aesthetic for a sound more akin to experimental dance music and noise influences. On one hand, these disparate styles between the tracks help to keep the album from ever growing stale or repetitive upon listening. However, Pupul’s darting from one style to another often gives the impression of a disjointed album. Ultimately, Letter To Yu feels more like a compilation of singles rather than a comprehensive album.
Speaking of singles, the tracks that were taken from this album to be released are undoubtedly the least interesting moments within the record. The greatest moments throughout the album come when Pupil abandons this mellow, middle-of-the-road sound prevalent on the album’s lead singles in favour of daring industrial dance music. On tracks like ‘Doctor Says’, the talent that made Pupil a big name working alongside Charlotte Adigéry really shines through. At points on the album, it does feel as though he misses the influence of Adigéry, with whom he created the stunning electronic album Topical Dancer in 2022.
Much like Topical Dancer, Letter To Yu was co-produced by Soulwax. The production of the record is undoubtedly one of the highlights, often turning a fairly uninteresting track into something that sounds big and captivating. Ultimately, though, production quality can only do so much for an album if the songwriting isn’t up to scratch. Although Letter To Yu is a strong debut effort, numerous tracks give the impression of being filler material, with the writing leaving a little to be desired.
Much of the inspiration for the album arises from Pupul’s mixed heritage. Hailing from the Belgian city of Ghent, Pupul’s mother was from Hong Kong. Having lost his mother at a tragically young age, the musician admits that he rarely embraced his Chinese heritage, though Letter To Yu, in tribute to his late mother, showcases a great deal of influences from East Asia. These influences add an interesting angle to the album, though sometimes they can feel a little shoe-horned into a pre-existing track.
For fans of: Spending a weekend in Berlin and then boring your friends with comments about how going to clubs is “a lifestyle”.
A concluding comment from Ben’s cat, Jasper: “Ben says ‘complex’ but I look on in despair. It would seem ‘complex’ now equates to ‘hook-less’. Ben’s changed since joining Far Out.”
Letter To Yu track-by-track:
Release Date: March 8th | Producer: Soulwax and Bolis Pupul | Label: DEEWEE
‘Letter To Yu’: Something of a prologue to the album, the opening offers very little to rave about, predominantly composed of a simplistic beat and a dark, robotic voice. There are certainly worse album openers, but this does feel somewhat lacklustre. [2/5]
‘Completely Half’: The closest Pupul ever gets to a mainstream pop sound, which is perhaps why it was chosen as the album’s lead single. Evoking early synth music, the rising intensity of the song is a promising signifier of what is to come. [3/5]
‘Goodnight Mr Yi’: Showcasing East Asian influences for the first time on the album, this song provides an interesting premise, though it never feels as though it truly hits its groove. It feels predominantly like an extended transition between the previous track and the next. [2.5/5]
‘Frogs’: At this tick-or-twist point in the album, Pupul comes into his own. ‘Frogs’ is a great encapsulation of the eclectic influences of the album, and the heavy bassline is impressively infectious. [3.5/5]
‘Doctor Says’: The indisputable highlight of the album, this song more than makes up for previous feelings of disappointment and then some. Embracing industrial influences and intense danceability, the Soulwax production is wonderfully evident here. [4.5/5]
‘Spicy Crab’: It wins the award for best track title on the album, but the mellow beginnings of the track feel like a steep drop off from the previous track. Granted, the song becomes better as it progresses, but its position within the track listing still seems like a rogue move. [3/5]
‘Ma Tau Wai Road’: Again, Pupul builds the audience up only to cut them back down. The raucous dance of the end of ‘Spicy Crab’ gives way to a largely forgettable, mellow song which does not seem to offer anything of note. [2/5]
‘Causeway Bae’: Pupul delivers another fairly unremarkable track as the album enters its latter stages. It is difficult to tell whether this piece is actually bad or whether it is just difficult to take a son seriously when it has ‘bae’ in the title. [2/5]
‘Cantonese’: Providing an incredibly welcome return to the moody, bass-heavy stylings of previous tracks, ‘Cantonese’ is a late-stage triumph within the album. Again, though, its position within the tracklisting, following two filler tracks, seems flawed. [3.5/5]
‘Kowloon’: Evoking old-school dance music and hip-hop, this track is a slow burner that never fully pays off. It forms one of the more interesting moments of the record but feels disappointingly underdeveloped. [3/5]
‘Cosmic Rendez-Vous’: Closing out the album with an emotional piano-led track to his mother, the song marks a near-complete departure from the sounds heard thus far. Despite the influence of his mother being present throughout the album, this track still feels distinctly out of place on Letter to Yu. [2.5/5]
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