Letter to Yu is the solo debut album by Belgian musician Boris Zeebroek under the name Bolis Pupul. It was released on 8 March 2024, by Soulwax's record label Deewee. Pupul produced the album with Soulwax's Stephen and David Dewaele, recording at their studio in Ghent.
| Letter to Yu | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 March 2024 | |||
| Studio | Deewee, Ghent, Belgium | |||
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| Length | 45:56 | |||
| Label | Deewee | |||
| Producer |
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| Bolis Pupul chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Letter to Yu | ||||
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The album was inspired by Pupul's mother who died in 2008, and by subsequent travels to her native Hong Kong. It centers on a letter Pupul wrote to his late mother. The album mixes electronic dance music, East Asian music, and synthpop, and also includes field recordings from Hong Kong. It was received positively by critics.
Background
editThe album was inspired by Pupul's Hong Kong-born Chinese mother, Yu Wei Wun,[1] who died in a car accident in 2008.[2][3] Pupul took a trip to Hong Kong in 2018, and per a statement, "On the first day I arrived in the city I visited the street where she was born and wrote her a letter. This letter became the centerpiece of my record."[2] After returning from Hong Kong, Pupul read part of the letter to the Dewaele brothers while also showing them demos.[4][5] Their enthusiasm inspired the confidence for Pupul to record the whole letter, ultimately making it "the coat rack on which the entire record was hung."[5]
The album is Pupul's solo debut. He had previously released the album Topical Dancer, a collaboration with Charlotte Adigéry, in 2022.[6]
Recording and release
editPupul recorded the album at Soulwax's Deewee Studios in Ghent, and produced it along with Soulwax's Stephen and David Dewaele.[2][3]
The album was announced on 29 November 2023, with a release date on 8 March 2024, by Soulwax's record label Deewee.[2][3] With the announcement came the lead single, "Completely Half", and a music video shot in Hong Kong by director Bieke Depoorter.[2][3] The album's cover art was derived from the music video shoot.[2] The song has been described as a "simmering slice of slinky synthpop".[2] The album's second single, "Spicy Crab", was released on 19 January 2024.[7] The third single, "Ma Tau Wai Road", was released on 16 February, featuring vocals from Pupul's sister Sarah, credited on the record as Salah Pupul.[5][4][8] It is named after the street in Hong Kong where their mother was born,[1] and inspired by learning that the maternity clinic where she was born had since become a nursing home.[9]
Style
editLetter to Yu is an electronic dance music album which blends East Asian music – most notably Yellow Magic Orchestra – with Western synthpop.[10][11][12] A number of tracks consist of electropop directly inspired by Kowloon.[10] Songs also include instances of field recordings from Hong Kong,[11][12] including the sounds of frogs,[1] the voice of a doctor Pupul visited,[1] and sounds from a train platform on "Completely Half".[12]
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.6/10[13] |
| Metacritic | 82/100[14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [15] |
| The Arts Desk | [16] |
| The Guardian | [17] |
| Loud and Quiet | 7/10[10] |
| MusicOMH | [18] |
| Pitchfork | 8/10[12] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[11] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Letter to Yu received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 8 critic scores.[14] Loud and Quiet's Joe Goggins called Letter to Yu "an endearingly intimate album that captures the thrill of Zeebroek's immersion in his ancestry."[10] PopMatters's Steve Horowitz wrote that "Something is inviting about the Chinese touches on Western dance floor beats. Bolis Pupul belongs to both worlds and invites one to appreciate the connections and juxtapositions between them."[11] De Tijd's Tom Peeters called the album a "remarkably digestible piece of work."[1] The Arts Desk's Joe Muggs called the album "quite a magical record that honestly doesn't need all that much explanation to enjoy hugely."[16] Pitchfork's Eric Torres wrote that "Pupul imbues his songs with personality and soul, unearthing complicated truths about his relationship to his heritage while finding welcome release on the dancefloor."[12] Resident Advisor's Marshall Gu wrote that the album "bops and bangs as [Pupul] explores throbbing Detroit techno and bouncy Kraftwerkian synth pop, overlaying those genres with recordings of his time in Hong Kong to create a deeply spiritual album that fuses traditions, lineages and memories."[19]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Boris Zeebroek; all music is composed by Zeebroek, David Dewaele, and Stephen Dewaele.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Letter to Yu" | 3:01 |
| 2. | "Completely Half" | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Goodnight Mr Yi" | 3:17 |
| 4. | "Frogs" | 4:34 |
| 5. | "Doctor Says" | 4:02 |
| 6. | "Spicy Crab" | 4:46 |
| 7. | "Ma Tau Wei Road" (featuring Salah Pupul) | 3:59 |
| 8. | "Causeway Bae" | 3:55 |
| 9. | "Cantonese" | 4:52 |
| 10. | "Kowloon" | 5:24 |
| 11. | "Cosmic Rendez-Vous" | 3:46 |
| Total length: | 45:56 | |
Personnel
edit- Boris Zeebroek – vocals, production
- Stephen Dewaele – production
- David Dewaele – production
- Frank Merritt – mastering
- Mike Marsh – digital mastering
- Ill Studio – creative direction
- Thomas Le Provost – graphic design
- Bieke Depoorter – photography
- Magnum Photos – photography
- Brian K. Smith – recording, samples (track 3)
- Salah Pupul – vocals (track 7)
- Marvis Chan – vocals (track 8)
- Wei Wun Yu – vocals (track 11)
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] | 9 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Peeters, Tom (6 March 2024). "Catchy musical tribute from Bolis Pupul to his mother". De Tijd (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Pearis, Bill (29 November 2023). "Charlotte Adigéry collaborator Bolis Pupul announces new solo album, shares "Completely Half"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d Minsker, Evan (29 November 2023). "Bolis Pupul Announces Debut Solo Album, Shares Video for New Song "Completely Half"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ a b Beckers, Jurgen (4 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul: "Na de dood van mijn moeder ben ik naar Hongkong gereisd. Ik dacht: shit, dit hadden we samen moeten doen"" [Bolis Pupul: "After my mother's death, I traveled to Hong Kong. I thought: shit, we should have done this together"]. Humo (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Ilegems, Michael (5 March 2024). ""Ik breng de mensen nu eenmaal graag aan het dansen": Bolis Pupul gaat solo" ["I just like to make people dance": Bolis Pupul goes solo]. De Morgen (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ Pilley, Max (4 March 2022). "Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul – Topical Dancer review: a joyous, humorous headrush". NME. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- ^ Willems, Jasper (18 January 2024). "Bolis Pupul Goes Culinary With the Wonky, Whimsical "Spicy Crab"". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ Lankford, Nathan (16 February 2024). "Bolis Pupul Shares "Ma Tau Wai Road" Single". Austin Town Hall. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
- ^ Helfand, Raphael (5 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul's way back". The Fader. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d Goggins, Joe (5 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul – Letter to Yu". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d Horowitz, Steve (6 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul Offers Electronic Fusion for the Dancefloor". PopMatters. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Torres, Eric (9 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul: Letter to Yu Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Letter to Yu by Bolis Pupul reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Letter to Yu by Bolis Pupul Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ Simpson, Paul. "Letter to Yu - Bolis Pupul". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ a b Muggs, Joe (7 March 2024). "Album: Bolis Pupul – Letter to Yu". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (10 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul: Letter to Yu review – delicate melancholy and banging beats". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ Murphy, John (11 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul – Letter to Yu". MusicOMH. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ Gu, Marshall (14 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul – Letter to Yu". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Bolis Pupul – Letter to Yu" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 March 2024.