Ya No makes a multi-faceted musical comeback with his debut solo release Mesearch — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
With his genre-defying, head-turning release, Montreal musical mastermind Edward Lam — formerly of electro pop duo Hexes & Ohs — redefines his artistry and sound after a decade-long hiatus and re-emerges as Ya No. Mesearch takes the lid off a melting pot of genres, blending indie pop with alternative R&B and rap influences like Mac Miller, Toro y Moi and Frank Ocean. The album embraces musical diversity with its tracks making leaps from electro grooves to smooth soulful R&B to syncopated rap rhythms.
Alongside Mesearch, the bedroom electro artist released a music video for his single Too Much. Inspired by ’90s magazines and fashion ads, the video pairs the synth-pop single with complementing visuals. Lam teamed up with video director Fedya Vinkovetsky to produce the ingenious video, which features an all-Asian cast in celebration of Montreal’s vibrant Asian creative community.
The nine-track Mesearch was a project nearly two years in the making. It began during the pandemic as a venture to cure boredom and explore what new sound could come of making music again. The album was produced, written, and recorded entirely by Lam. “(I’m) very happy I found a new voice with the best music I’ve ever made,” he says. The name Ya No originates from counterintuitive Canadian lingo, in which “yeah no” means no and “no yeah” means yes.
Mesearch was a success even before its release — the artist presented it to a few contacts in the industry and ultimately started a bidding war between publishers.
Watch the video for Too Much above, check out the rest of Mesearch below, and find Ya No on his website and Instagram.
