With the release of Hate Island, produced by the collective known as $$$ (colloquially known as Drug Money) & 3x6x* =666 3x1x* =111 3x7x* =777 3x5x* =555 3x9x* =999 3x3x* =333 alongside fellow $$$ member Six†een, Teller has hit a new level. $$$ is ever evolving but consists of production from the aforementioned Six†een, q no rap name, Philth Spector, Killer Kane, ayashi [!] & features contributions from Banks, Rent Money & bub.solutions. Both of these records are among the best of the year and expand the boundaries of what it means to release quality and quantity in the same breath. This seems to be only the continuation of a long run that began with last year's DRUG$$$ and has no signs of speeding down. I truly believe the music to come out of this camp already and what’s to come will define an era of the underground built around collaboration from those performing at its highest level.

Hate Island is a deceptively complex record. Its classic-sounding production and carefully picked sounds help ground the listener in something familiar while Teller’s vocal inflections rapidly change and evolve throughout. Even though these beats seem simplistic on the surface, they carry a lot of detail in the little moments. The team of producers here each gave exactly what was necessary & this restraint and commitment to the project makes it so addictive & infinitely repayable. Besides the amazing branding and marketing the team put on display here, I think ultimately Teller’s ability to create vivid emotions and scenery within his music is what drives this album home. His lyrical ability is rarely matched, but what makes his recent output special is his ability to compliment the best aspects of the collaborators he’s working with.

With all of that being said, Mathematics is a whole other beast. The simplicity that made Hate Island special is lost in an expanse of free-flowing experimentation and otherworldly atmosphere sixteen brings as a solo producer. As wide as Teller’s vocal range was on Hate Island, Mathematics shows a different side of his versatility. Where the former is Teller bending his voice in so many different ways, this project uses post-production as an asset, stretching, shifting and warping his vocals to create these incredibly dense and intoxicating vocal stacks. Even through all this chaos and ever-changing instrumentation, we still find moments like My Cousin or Death Stranding that allow Teller to thrive in a more traditional and 808 heavy sound. Six†een is in rarified air here from a production sense as her multilayered and complex arrangements bend and break with such precision that each moment feels spontaneous yet well explored and thought out. There are things going on here that mystify me even to this day and I really look forward to continuing to unpack this record along with everything else Teller puts out.

We have the opportunity to see a singular artist who deserves the platform that’s finally being given, and I know personally, I’ll be rooting for all of them every step of the way.

Listen To Teller Bank$: tellerbanks.bandcamp.com/ 

Follow Teller Bank$: x.com/Teller_Banks357 

Written By Blank Thought: linktr.ee/b1ankthought