Biography
Yves Tumor (born Sean Lee Bowie) is an American experimental musician born on November 19, 1989, in Miami, Florida, and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. They use they/them pronouns.[1]
Tumor began making music at sixteen as an escape from dull, conservative surroundings, teaching themself drums, bass, guitar and keyboards. They moved to San Diego at twenty and later to Los Angeles, and after meeting the rapper Mykki Blanco in 2012 toured with them for about two and a half years across Europe and Asia. Early recordings appeared under the name T.E.A.M.S. before the Yves Tumor project launched in 2015.[1]
After self-releasing early work, Tumor signed with PAN in 2016 and with Warp Records in 2017. Their albums include When Man Fails You (2015), Serpent Music (2016), Safe in the Hands of Love (2018), Heaven to a Tortured Mind (2020) and Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) (2023).[1]
Early records drew comparisons to Dean Blunt and James Ferraro, while later work has been likened to Prince and David Bowie. Tumor has cited Throbbing Gristle as a major influence, and critics have linked their ever-changing artistic identity to Genesis P-Orridge.[1][2]
References
- Yves Tumor (Wikipedia) — Biography, aliases, labels and discography
- Paste review of Heaven to a Tortured Mind — Persona and influence of Genesis P-Orridge