EP REVIEW: Saturn Sex – Teri Gender Bender

Originally cutting her teeth with LA BUTCHERETTES, TERI GENDER BENDER soon stepped out and forged an identity all her own. She recently completed her Complexify EP run of 10 releases and has also announced a double-hitter of Saturn Sex and State Of Fear, both EPs due to be released before the year is out. 

The first of those, Saturn Sex, comes out this Friday and provides a four-track exploration of the corners of her world through the lens of eclectic art pop. As much challenging the listener’s ear as she is challenging a sexist, patriarchal society through her provocative nature even down to her stage name (“Gender Bender” so as to bring both male and female together). 

Opener The Get Up is punk energy channelled through a pulsing beat and skittering electronics, while her vocals, initially in Spanish, switch to English and are otherworldly, reverb-drenched melodies. Get Your Money Straight With Me is a shift again, still minimalist electronics but instead soulful vocals sit atop them and swaying, off-kilter drumming. 

What Saturn Sex gets right is in its creativity; these aren’t anthemic songs, instead they explore everything from indie and punk rock to trance and avant-garde art pop. If there’s any direct comparison perhaps, it’s to the equally eclectic UK artist FABLE but even then, there’s so much under the surface. 

From the way the title track gently bubbles and builds to a chill-hop beat to Mind Your Feelings’ that undulates as she sings “So now you know how it feels / It’s just another day / So know you know how it feels / To be used in every way”, a blunt retelling of the sexism she and other femme people in Mexico faced every day. 

At just over 13 minutes long, Saturn Sex is a brief, tantalising glimpse of an artist who might have heard of limits and decided they simply don’t apply to her. Casting such a wide net can be tough to draw everything together, but with only four tracks to work with, it’s meant that each one can explore a different tone or range of soundscapes on its own and not feel overstretched. With another EP and a full-length set for next year, it’ll certainly be fascinating to see where TERI GENDER BENDER goes next. 

Rating: 7/10

Saturn Sex is set for release on October 21st via Clouds Hill.

Follow TERI GENDER BENDER on Instagram.