$chaff the Prophet burst through the bubblegum pop trend and established his own cosmic bubblegum psych trap niche with his second LP for 2024, PSYCHEDELIC BUBBLEGUM.
The standout single, TELEPHONE, is an electrifying synth-driven kaleidoscopic synthesis of 8Bit, trap, hyperpop, and Owl City-esque electronica. If the viscerally hued sonics of the track don’t ensnare you, $chaff the Prophet’s sticky-sweet approach to painting a neon-lit vignette of a lonely protagonist searching for connection while keeping social life in the palm of her hand hits hard enough to bruise.
The exposition of how easy it is to get “lost in information, pixels and tones” couldn’t hit closer to home now given the hyperconnected nature of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. The artist’s signature arpeggios lend themselves effortlessly well to the playful yet empathy-evoking production, which shows just how far $chaff the Prophet has come since the launch of his debut in 2019. Now 11 LPs deep, his authentic sound has become so cultivated that he deserves to be revered as a pioneer in his own right.
TELEPHONE is now available to stream on Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast