Debut track from TELL, the long awaited collaboration between Mantra & Grey Ghost. Produced by Damn Moroda.

Life (Is A Mother Fucker)

Second single from TELL (Mantra & Grey Ghost)
Produced by Damn Moroda

Hip-hop duo TELL drop urgent new single ‘De-Evolution’: a sci-fi anthem for the dystopian present.

‘De-Evolution’, the brand new single from explosive hip-hop duo TELL, marks a seismic return to centre stage for two of Australia’s most legendary emcees. 

Master-lyricist Mantra and multi-talented powerhouse Grey Ghost are back with a fierce new drop, once again holding a microscope to modern society and the madness within it. 

Like the world it was written about, ‘De-Evolution’ is full of contrasts and conflict. The song is a restless, urgent, unrelenting collage of ideas, critiques, protests and pleas. Rapid-fire machine-gun flows are replaced by calm, reflective melodies as the two wordsmiths grapple with their own opinions of society – humanity, even – and their place within it. 

Complex, intricate, multi-layered verses give way to a hook that is laid-back and catchy, all set to a brooding, apocalyptic backdrop courtesy of gun-producer Cam Bluff. Both musically and lyrically, the mission of this crew is clear – to document the end of the world, and make you dance to it.

Ferocious, urgent, yet somehow full of hope, ‘De-Evolution’ embodies what fans and critics have come to love about this collaboration. 

On their first outing together – ‘Mad With It’, taken from Mantra’s debut album, TELL sarcastically quipped “the world’s gone mad. So what you gonna do? Get mad with it”. Now, almost a decade on, the world is madder than ever and TELL are here to reflect that madness, with what might be their finest work yet.

De-Evolution

Just one month after TELL delighted fans with the release of their anthemic, dystopian single ʻDe-Evolutionʼ, the powerhouse duo have given us ʻ32 Wintersʼ, a driving, big-beat smasher that is as provocative as it is catchy.

On their last single, TELL – comprised of legendary emcees Mantra and Grey Ghost – held a magnifying glass up to the madness of our modern world and the increasing volatility of a menacing society. This time around theyʼve turned the mirror on themselves, offering a raw, honest reflection on their own lives as artists and human beings.

Mantra and Grey Ghost leave no stone unturned, addressing issues like drug use, mental health, insecurities and self-doubt. While the subject matter
can be dark, the mood of the track is undeniably uplifting, once again showcasing the contrasts and dynamics TELL have become synonymous with. This is thanks in part to their refined, nuanced understanding of storytelling, but also some seriously infectious production, provided here by iconic beat-maker/producer Dizz1 (Aloe Blacc, Roots Manuva, Georgia Anne Muldrow).

A luscious, percussion-driven drum track sits beneath hot guitar chanks and smoky, filtered soul samples. Mantra and Grey Ghost trade silky smooth bars before erupting into a punchy, melodic hook; simultaneously reflective and energised.

ʻ32 Wintersʼ encapsulates what the TELL project means to its two creators. Itʼs a searing, candid look at lifeʼs dark corners, that feels just as at home on the dancefloor as in your headphones. Voiced with passion and conviction by two master storytellers, this jam invites you to dance with your demons and delve into the darkness head on.

32 Winters

TELLʼs massive new song ʻMass Extinctionʼ is the latest in a string of singles, and theyʼve saved the heaviest ʻtil last. ʻMass Extinctionʼ is an all-out assault that sees legendary hip-hop artists Mantra and Grey Ghost rip the world, the mic, and anything else in their path to shreds. Fed up with waiting for humankind to destroy itself, the dystopian rap duo have decided to take matters into their own hands, inviting the worldʼs key players to stop f**king around and to finally put us all out of our misery.

On one-hand, ʻMass Extinctionʼ plays like a classic dancefloor filler; pounding, synth-laden production courtesy of Suburban Dark sits beneath playful, upbeat party rhymes while a jolting, energised chorus demands our attention. Itʼs only when we listen closely that we hear the true power of the songʼs message. This is TELLʼs take on the cliché party jam and they use all of those clichés to evoke their gritty, hard-hitting and genuinely confronting perspective.

If there was a dance party at the end of the world, TELL would be the closing act and ‘Mass Extinction’ would be their opening track. This is less of a warning about an imminent man-made apocalypse and more of a stomping electro anthem to sing along to while standing in its midst.

ʻMass Extinctionʼ forms part of their hugely anticipated upcoming album Soundtrack To The End Of The World, which will drop on Friday 29 November.

The full record is now available for pre-order/ pre-save on all major digital platforms.

Mass Extinction

TELL is the long awaited collaborative project between Mantra and Grey Ghost, two of Australia's most esteemed Hip-Hop performers. Renowned for their numerous collaborations over the years, this side project has been the subject of much rumour and anticipation for quite some time. A collision of their unique styles, TELL is the perfect balance between Grey Ghost's soulful, reflective musings and Mantra's sharp, incisive flow. A dystopian, poignant picture of the world we live in; delivered over epic, bass-heavy beats.

TELL (Mantra & Grey Ghost)

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