June 27, 2025 |
Yeshe is using her cadent beats and breathy vocals to call to attention the truths that make up the diasporic experience. With her unapologetically bold and defiant sound, the Tibetan artist’s debut album Dust acts as a lighthouse for future generations, holding space for the cultures that have, throughout history, been overlooked.
Telling the story of the Tibetan community in exile, the anticipated release comes after her Forbidden Songs performance co-curated by Marina Abramović at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art last September.
Co-produced with a plethora of seasoned artists like Mobilegirl, Plamistry, Asma Maroof, Chino Amibi and more, Dust “bridges different worlds” whilst paying homage to her ancestral voices.
Capturing the vigour and essence of icon Grace Jones, the album’s namesake track channels the ballsy, dramatic sounds of ‘80s synthpop. Whilst the accompanying music video follows a strikingly dressed Yeshe as she dances and takes up space in an idle, dystopian office space. Making it a fierce depiction of “transgression in the face of bureaucratic oppression.”
Track six, Kicked Out of Nirvana, opens with an indescribable eeriness which transforms into a mystical rhythm as Yeshe’s celestial voice guides listeners through to the following song Blade. Contrasting “rage with the transcendent potency of survival”, Blade features US noise veteran Dreamcrusher’s intangible shouts whilst Yeshe rhythmically chants into the ether.
Here, we caught up with the up and coming artist to talk about all things fashion, dream collaborators and being unapologetically glamorous.
1. What three words would you choose to describe Dust?
Blazing, crazing, unbowed.
2. What emotions came to the surface for you when creating Dust?
A blended mix of excitement, anger, strength, grief, gratitude, disorientation, joy.
3. You are part of the Tibetan community in exile, how has this experience impacted your art?
Living in diaspora means constantly shifting between languages, expectations, and versions of home. My music holds that tension – clarity and chaos, power and fear, hope and loss. I’m drawn to unapologetic glamour, where every gesture says: “I’ve come a long way. I know who I am. I’m not asking”.
4. What’s the best thing about NYC?
The collision and coincidence of accents, rhythms, sounds and roots – NYC taught me to listen closely and own my voice.
5. What’s the best thing about Zurich?
The tap water, the lake and that everything ‘runs on time’. It seems like even the clocks are afraid to be late.
6. You’ve been involved in fashion, providing vocals for Miu Miu FW24 and walking for Collina Strada, Peter Do and Ottolinger, what is it about fashion that draws you to it?
Fashion lets me shapeshift. It’s storytelling without words – like music for the eyes. I’m drawn to the drama, the play, the chance to embody different versions of myself.
7. What’s one standout memory from creating this album?
What stands out to me is how, once the tracks were finished – recorded and produced – they already felt like they were out there, doing their own thing, even though they hadn’t been released yet. I like that feeling – like the songs are breaking loose.
8. Dust is filled with ’80s-inspired beats, do you have a favourite artist from the ’80s?
9. If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
10. What’s coming up in the future for you?
More presence. Singing through walls. Loud and unbowed.
Photography courtesy of Yeshe.
