The greatest upcoming artist you’ve never heard of

The drum and bass scene welcomes bye2 as unignorable fourth album Teeth
Restoration drops.
Simon Craig Oct. 6, 2021 – Article writing assignment.

Introduction
Kendall, better known as bye2 (https://bye2.co.uk) garnered moderate popularity on
Soundcloud and in the quiet online experimental electronic music scene through the success of
their third studio release 霊体ミミズ (GHOST_WORM), quickly cementing them as a talented,
unique artist. This release, in September of 2021, was the first time most people were
introduced to bye2 and their intricate, tasteful, and unpredictable take on breakcore, but this
release wasn’t all they had in store.
Discography
「９時間９人９の動脈瘤」 and bye2 Vs The Vomit Amalgam
The two albums before 霊体ミミズ (GHOST_WORM) Can be most accurately described
as Kendall dipping their toes, so to speak, into making the type of music they would later
perfect.「９時間９人９の動脈瘤」(Nov. 2019) and bye2 Vs The Vomit Amalgam (Mar. 2020) are
wonderfully weird 90’s rave-infused experiences, introducing us to many staples of bye2 which
persist until Teeth Restoration. Groovy breaks layered over glitchy, fun sample manipulation, all
drenched in a charming videogame aesthetic are endlessly chopped, cut, and played with.
While unpredictable and undoubtedly unique and charming in style, it sometimes feels like this
was prioritized over substance. Ideas are picked up and dropped without being fully fleshed
out, some relatively uninteresting ideas are held on to for much too long, and the mixing and
mastering is all over the place. Unbalanced mixes and lop-sided stereo fields aside, these
albums are still definitely worth listening to, as there isn’t much at all similar to it.
霊体ミミズ (GHOST_WORM)
霊体ミミズ (GHOST_WORM) Is a fantastic album. The listener is struck with aggressive
yet playful rave stabs over lightning-fast drums as soon as they start the first song. Immediately
recognizable is the improvement in mixing from the first two projects; everything is so much
clearer and more impactful, making it a much more comfortable listen. Unlike the previous
projects, 霊体ミミズ (GHOST_WORM) feels extremely intricate and carefully constructed to
flow smoothly from idea to idea, while still keeping you on your toes. The melodies of every
single track are memorable enough to be stuck in your head for days. Each track brings so much
energy that it’s impossible not to feel rejuvenated after listening. Sandwiched between a short
intro and outro are 6 massive tracks, each a complete story in and of themselves. The way
Kendall weaves so many elements together seamlessly into a coherent experience is infinitely
fun to witness.
 Teeth Restoration
Teeth Restoration (Aug. 2021) is to 霊体ミミズ (GHOST_WORM) what 霊体ミミズ
(GHOST_WORM) was to Kendall’s first two projects and is one of two perfect 10/10 albums in
existence (the other being Pawn Hearts by Van der Graaf Generator). Coming in at over 57
minutes, this absolutely gigantic project contains 7 of the most breathtaking compositions ever
made, interspersed with beautiful, calming interludes to let you catch your breath. As one of
the most sprawling and diverse albums I've ever listened to, it's astonishing how consistently
fantastic it remains. From the very second you hit play, it’s obvious that this is the real deal. It
sounds professional... like, PROFESSIONAL! Each song is loud, clear, and polished to perfection.
From the mystifying sample manipulation and sound design seen especially on tracks like Kotu
Tavsan and LEARNING2FISH60 to the complex, beautiful, and incredibly memorable melodies of
tracks like Chao Dialysis and Aortic Pressure Valve, Kendall fuses endless inspirations to form a
thoroughly staggering tracklist. Teeth Restoration takes the theatrical nature of some of the
tracks off of 霊体ミミズ (GHOST_WORM) and cranks it up to 11. Most of them breaching the
6-minute mark; every single track is incredibly massive and ambitious in scale. Each tells a
diverse, unpredictable, energetic, yet laser-focused story through their melodic and thematic
motifs. Every track is so memorable and unique that it’s as if you could create an entire genre
based off each one. Teeth Restoration is, in my opinion, the single quintessential hardcore
breaks album. It perfectly balances a mixture of techno, acid, speedgarage, breakcore, and
jungle, all without feeling as if any two elements are pulling in different directions. All of this is
coated in a shiny, slick Y2K aesthetic, blending classic anime and videogames into an extremely
stylish end product.
Conclusion
It’s extremely exciting to discover an artist you love. It’s even more exciting finding your
new favorite artist period. I’ve been listening and cataloging my music journey for years and
discovering bye2 was an absolute landmark for me, and I’m on the edge of my seat for
whatever they have in store next. I urge whoever’s reading this to give their music a listen, if
not to the discography, then at least to Teeth Restoration, as I have done hundreds of times.