Till Apes’ New Song ‘Yuh’ Rides the Wave of Jazz-Hop

Bengaluru band Till Apes pull together a crisp jazz-informed hip-hop offering with the release of their latest song “Yuh.”

The six-member act – comprising rapper Hanumankind, guitarist-producer Doc.Awes aka Amrith Raghunathan, bassist-composer Soorya Praveen, drummer Sange Wangchuk, keyboardist Philip John and saxophonist Gautam David – have been performing the song right since their early days in 2019. That was before they released their first single “Scissor Salad” in 2020, introducing Bengaluru and the Indian indie circuit at large to an in-the-pocket blend of hip-hop, jazz, soul and more.

Their first release of the year, “Yuh” is all about the focus that Till Apes put into playing in that pocket of grooves, rhythms and melodies. There are ominous piano parts, a soaring saxophone and Hanumankind’s freewheeling bars. In a way, it captures the Till Apes better than ever right now.

Raghunathan says in a statement about the song, “All in all, it’s been one of the most fun songs to record because of its simplicity, there is absolutely no musical wankery, just pure logical rhythms playing with each other.” Saxophonist Gautam David adds, “‘Yuh’ has a special place towards the beginning of our set, and it’s always fun to see audiences light up when the saxophone and guitar hooks come into play and completely sink themselves into whatever ears are nearby, setting precedent for the rest of our high energy set.”

While there’s a sonic focus that’s very much honed in, lyrically, “Yuh” keeps moving from one topic to another, with Hanumankind rapping about everything from his home state Kerala to weed to backstabbers, democracy, plus love and hate.

“Yuh” follows previous Till Apes singles like “Whoa There Nelly” from 2023 and their 2022 beat tape, Ill Tapes, Vol. 1. The band says fans can expect “a whole roster of singles and an EP to follow very shortly.”

Listen to “Yuh” below.