“My creative family in LA is so important. It’s a part of who I am when I step outside and how others in LA view me. I love the feeling of community and trying to understand how I can be useful in it.” Teebs (aka Mtendere Mandowa) is a visual artist and eclectic musician with roots in the ‘My Hollow Drum’ collective, Dublab, and Low End Theory. Anicca is his first record in 5 years, the title referring to the impermanence of all being in the Buddhist faith. Family is his primary source of inspiration, though he also cites the American poet David Antin and dadaist Hans Arp as influencing the direction of the album. He’s joined by many friends as well, including Panda Bear, Sudan Archives, MNDSGN, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and more, Teeb’s technicolor productions either grounded or turned up by his collaborators. “Atoms Song” begins the disc with warm analog bleeps and bloops and whisper-quiet shuffling percussion that builds in gossamer-thin layers. "Studie" is the collaboration with Panda Bear, stutter-stop percussion and swirls of synthetic ambience give a more bumping backing to Noah’s iconic vocals. “Mirror Memory” is moody strings and reverberating shaker over head-nodding breaks. Packaged in a sleeve featuring artwork by Teebs himself. “I’m using the two disciplines [music and art] together to explore the worlds of communication and semi abstractions.” The artwork began as an illustration of his mother which evolved into an enamel pin, then a stained glass version, which was photographed and digitally manipulated. “The artwork is so special to me because of all the hands working together to create an idea,” says Mtendere. “The piece went through so much change and landed in a state of constant change being made out of glass with its colors and reflections… no matter how you look at it or what time of day it is, it’s always something different, yet the same... quite like nature works.” This album is pressed on limited edition purple and black swirl colored vinyl. Recommended. 

• purple and black swirl colored vinyl pressing
• reverse board sleeve + printed inner with full credits 
• digital download included
• limited edition
• music label: Brainfeeder 2019

reviewed by PEAK OIL 11/2019