I caught this one the other day, while I was prepping last night’s post of il:lo. It’s called “Bushmills” and comes from the eclectic electronic/rock outfit Yppah. Again, it’s another one of those random shuffle selections that just happened to hit the spot. Plus, when I stopped to check it out, I recognized the name from an earlier favorite, titled “R. Mullen,” that once featured heavily in my rotations. I must be going through a period of serendipity, because the cool tunes keep rolling in.
Yppah is the versatile brainchild of Texas-native and current Long Beach resident Joe Corrales, Jr. The name Yppah is actually the word “happy” backwards, and pronounced “yippah.” Not sure if that’s a Texas thing, but I could definitely see how it could be. I’ve heard that Corrales started this endeavor solo, and has since evolved it into a full-fledge band. This track comes from the 2015 album “Tiny Pause,” which seems a little prophetic, since I can’t find much info on Yppah in the years having followed. But I hear he’s got a single that came out last year titled “Tree Ghost.” Guess the pause was more of a lengthy hiatus. And tiny was meant to be ironic.
No matter. “Bushmills” is a great little breakbeat slam of psychedelic soul and ’60s downtempo guitar sizzle. Almost reminds me a little of Chemical Brothers, if they slammed a bit of Bonobo‘s more upbeat trip-hopped jazzier aesthetics with the Texan Thai surf funk that Khruangbin specializes in. Curiously, and coincidentally, Yppah’s performed and toured with both of those latter two acts. I don’t think they’ve rode the Chemical Brothers gauntlet yet, but the influences are apparent.
I’d say if you’re a fan of the organic hues of electronica, where there’s live percussion, bass, and guitars, alongside all the wonders that sequencers, synths, and technology have to offer, then Yppah probably struts comfortably in your wheelhouse. “Bushmills” straddles that fine line and strikes a quirky yet cozy balance, neither feeling overtly electronic, nor explicitly rock, yet coalescing into a transcendent mash-up of synergistic groovy gestalt.
Okay, that’s a lot of big words. But you get the gist of it. Yppah knows how to mix it up and serve it slick with a side of soul-surfing curiosity. It’s clever and surprising stuff, and “Bushmills” is just the tip of it. Although this dates back to 2015, there’s four albums worth of additional offerings to explore … one being that aforementioned personal fav of mind “R. Mullen.”
For now, here’s Yppah’s “Bushmills” for your psychedelic breakbeat pleasure and amusement … Enjoy!
“Bushmills” from the 2015 album “Tiny Pause.”
And because I brought it up twice in this post, here’s “R. Mullen.” I actually included it on one of my catalogue playlists .. Dumb Disco Ideas 2: Sloppy Seconds, which I posted on Thanksgiving of last year. Unsure of why I did that. Maybe the “Sloppy Seconds” having something to do with turkey and stuff … Hmmm …. Anyway, enjoy this second earlier offering from Yppah.
“R. Mullen” from the 2012 album “Eighty One.”