Tilla – Thousand Yrs Mixtape EP Review

Some music takes you back. Well, a lot of music these days, to be honest. Norwegian artist Tilla’s Thousand Yrs Mixtape EP carries that feeling in every groove. These are songs recorded between 2016 and 2018 in her first Oslo apartment, born during long nights with little sleep, and now released as a limited, hand-drawn CD almost a decade later.

There is a texture here that feels unmistakably human. In a time when I now question everything, Tilla’s music carries the rawness of someone who loves music and remains drawn to the nostalgia of CDs.

You can hear it in the haunting mellow groove of Confidence, where her clean, front-facing vocals float over a laid-back beat made for sunglasses and slow afternoons.

That intimacy twists into something darker and more compelling on Ur Envy. Her tone lowers, wrapping you in a pulsating shadow, and you might find yourself moving to its rhythm almost without thought. One standout is the piano-looped “Let’s Pretend,” a soul-hop moment with soft, echoing vocals that begs for a rewind. Then there is Falling, a love song draped in dark red velvet, where the line “I think I’m falling for you…” lingers like smoke over electronic synths.

While we understand this is a mixtape, several tracks create such a compelling mood that you wish they would stretch out, open the loops, and allow the production to breathe into wider dimensions. Tilla’s style is admirable, deliciously dark at times, and with a little more confidence in taking risks, her signature touches could really shine here.

Yet that may be the point. This is not a polished, limitless project. It is a handmade piece, numbered and drawn by the artist herself. A Thousand Yrs Mixtape EP is a personal, passionate and real glimpse into an artist’s world. It’s a real-world experience. In a world increasingly dominated by AI, such thoughtful details remind us of the value of individuality and the beauty of imperfection.