Exclusive Stream: T.ill APES Start a Party on ‘Lift Off’

With all six members of Bengaluru neo-soul/hip-hop band T.ill APES aboard their self-proclaimed “Apeship,” the mission on their new song “Lift Off” is to get groovy at full speed. Stream the song exclusively before its release below.

Their eight-track record Lift Off, which releases on May 15th, has been prefaced by big band-leaning songs like “Scissor Salad” as well as “World Domination” and “Tribute to the Illest.” The EP, however, follows a journey of “six apes leaving Earth on their spaceship, intending on finding answers, recklessly waiting until all people evolve slightly,” as guitarist, bassist and vocalist Soorya Praveen sums up.

Unlike their previous singles, the bassist-vocalist says Lift Off as a record is “far more structured and three dimensional.” Bringing together noodly guitar parts, a roaring horn section and stoned-out interludes, the EP pushed T.ill APES into making a finessed studio offering that also dove into sound design elements. On the title track, however, there’s popping basslines and saxophonist Gautam David teaming up with trumpeter Nikhil Gaikwad. Rapper HanuMankind’s opening salvo goes, “Make money, don’t let money make you” as the band rolls into jazz territory as well.

Fully aware that they’re releasing music that they won’t be able to take on the road – which Praveen counts as one of his favorite parts about T.ill APES – there’s a “restricting” feeling but they’re staying positive nevertheless. Praveen adds, “For now, we come in the format of a studio EP, but at the core of T.ill APES, we’d like to say our set is something that must be experienced live.”

Until that happens, the band are lining up collaborations “with some of our favorite singers and songwriters,” although they’re not dropping any names at the moment. Praveen says those songs will be completed this year. “We have plans of recording these live in one take, going back to the T.ill APES aesthetic we had before,” he says, referring to their video performance releases.