Tensei

Tensei, is a duo which consists of Chicago based musicians Simple X and Midas Wells.

Simple X and Midas Wells were both born and raised in the city of wind. Chris grew up in the suburbs while Midas spent many of his formative years in the south side of Chicago. X recalls his teenage years when MCing was his expression of choice but the day he touched a beat machine that all changed and production became the priority. Midas was drawn to music through summers he would spend in Arkansas visiting his grandmother and her antique piano.

Though his parents were religious, he got introduced to secular music through records played by uncles and brothers. He began dabbling in production with pause tapes and a Casio SK-1.

On separate paths, Midas and Simple X finally met at Southern Illinois University in the late 90’s where they shared a dorm. They were part of a collective of friends who all had hip-hop in common, among them Serengeti of Anticon of and Open Mike Eagle. At the time X and Midas met while cyphering, though neither was ever a serious MC, but nonetheless the two built a natural rapport and friendship. It was in that dorm room that Midas and X would become musical lab partners, experimenting with sound and working within the limited capacity that their resources afforded them in 1998.

Once college ended however, the collective went their own ways and pursued more individual paths, many still involved in music, but X and Midas lost touch for a bit.