TEO.x3: The Ambitious Hyper-pop Newcomer

The first time hearing “sprite” by the rising hyper-pop artist TEO.x3 featuring the queer trailblazer Tamta, there was an immediate moment of time travel to the heydays of the UK hit drama series Skins. This TV show depicted the complex lives of Bristol’s youth, and the sound of “sprite” is reminiscent of that glorified reality. TEO.x3’s signature production on his independently released EP, “iDidntMeanToGhostYouButMyWifiCrashedAgain,” evokes the same airy, euphoric sensation, though with deeper, vulnerable undertones.

“I think people are craving something that owns the chaos instead of hiding it,” TEO.x3 comments on the swift rate of “sprite” streams. Elevating his approach to an inward-looking conceptualisation, without censoring his personality, TEO.x3 describes his EP as “a real introduction, not a safe one.”

All within the same emotional universe, the five-track EP “iDidntMeanToGhostYouButMyWifiCrashedAgain” is an extension of TEO.x3, and his creative brainchild, who splits his time between London and Athens, drawing different classes of inspiration from each city.

Introducing the world of TEO.x3 and his new project, including the lead single “sprite,” Noctis chats to him alongside Tamta, pop innovator, fashion icon, and queer trailblazer. She opens up about working with TEO.x3 and how she admires his clear sonic identity. TEOx3 describes their effortless connection as “working with Tamta didn’t feel like a feature, it felt like a shared character.” Both TEO.x3, and Tamta discuss the trending topic of heart tales and how they deal with heartbreak in relation to art.

It’s the producer’s prodigious entry to the scene with the newest hyperpop realm precisely curated by TEO.x3 and his collaborators. Step into the bedroom of bubblegum pop, where bruised egos don’t play a role, and having the guts to say something real is your entry ticket.

If you could only have ten songs on the ever-so nostalgic iPod nano, what would they be?

TEO.x3: Björk’s “Vulnicura” record. I think it’s ten tracks.

What is your top artist discovery of this year?

TEO.x3: If I had to pick one It would definitely be ZEP. It’s distortion, and internet energy done right. Feels very now.

What is your favourite thing about how the EP turned out?

TEO.x3: My favourite thing is how honest it is. Writing this EP with Christian Cherry (co-writer) felt extremely effortless. I didn’t censor it. It sounds like my brain, my humour, my vulnerability, my online life all in one world. It feels like a real introduction, not a safe one.

What criteria did the selected songs have to fit to make the final track list?

TEO.x3: Every song had to feel like it belonged to the same emotional universe. Not just sonically, but psychologically. If it didn’t feel a little too honest, too dramatic, too real, it didn’t make it.

How was it collaborating together on ‘sprite’?

TEO.x3: Listening to the song after our recording session felt so good, like the pieces of the song were finally put together perfectly. She brought both playfulness and a kind of emotional distance that made the concept even stronger. Working with Tamta didn’t feel like just a feature, it felt like a shared character.

Tamta: It felt natural and very current. The track already lived in a unique universe and I enjoyed jumping into that world with Teo.

Tamta, what sets TEO.x3 apart?

Tamta: I guess what I like the most about Teo is that he doesn’t follow trends, he just brings himself into every production. He has a very clear sonic identity and at the same time stays completely open. That balance is rare.

What were the bullet points you gave Tamta for “sprite”?

TEO.x3: I thought of giving her these bullet points: sweet but empty, shiny but broken, digital love, emotional avoidance, bubblegum with a bruise inside. But honestly, I didn’t need to. She is such a pro when it comes to recording, she just knows exactly how to translate music into the right emotion.

Tamta, how do you relate to the backstory of “sprite”?

To me, “sprite” is about the illusion of fulfilment. It’s about mistaking shine for substance — believing that more, newer, prettier will fill a space that only truth can. I’ve seen that contrast in the world around me, and that’s why the song resonates.

What was your reaction to ‘sprite’ gaining so much traction in only a week?

TEO.x3: I was shocked, but also not. I think people are craving something that owns the chaos instead of hiding it. The fact that it connected so fast tells me we were honest about something universal.

When your heart gets broken, what do you do to avoid the pain?

TEO.x3: I run to sound. I overproduce, I overthink, I romanticise the mess. It’s maybe typically unhealthy but it’s also how music happens for me sometimes.

Tamta: It really depends. Sometimes I turn to myself, sometimes I turn to my friends, or drown in work. But I think I agree with Teo in that art can sometimes be found in sadness and heartbreak. It’s that reward that pulls you up to the surface again.

What or who got you into making music?

TEO.x3: I grew up inside music. My dad played the guitar, it always felt natural for me. I studied classical, but at the same time I was obsessed with pop, electronic, weird sounds online. There wasn’t one moment, it was a slow, inevitable addiction.

You’re splitting your time between London and Athens, what would be the main difference in the things you focus on in each city?

TEO.x3: London feeds my experimentation and future-thinking. Athens connects me to emotion, roots and drama. I need both to stay balanced creatively.

With this EP, you want people to hear what’s in your DNA. What would be on the list of things that contribute or make your identity?

TEO.x3: My DNA is half disciplined, half chaotic. Classical music, pop obsession, internet culture, humour and too much caffeine.

As you performed at London’s EGG, Electrowerkz, Dalston Superstore, what is your opinion, on THE place to be in London?

TEO.x3: Dalston / Hackney after midnight.

What are you manifesting for next year?

TEO.x3: I don’t really believe in manifesting in the traditional sense. For me, it’s about putting the work in, following curiosity, and trusting that the next step will reveal itself. I want to create, grow, and let the music guide the way.