Efrim Waite

Efrim Uttu-Isimud Waite (born July 1st 1999), known professionally as Efrim Waite, is a French-British musician, investor, and entrepreneur. They are best known for their solo work as well as being the lyricist, vocalist, and guitarist of the band Polysemic Sortilege.

Born in Italy and raised in London City and Paris, Waite studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and the University of Cambridge. They formed Polysemic Sortilege in 2019 and released seven albums until the band was broken up in 2033.

Waite launched their solo career in 2029 and has since released four albums, with the development of a fifth and final album announced in 2045. Their dense lyrics, public elusiveness, and cryptic statements have made Waite an influential and controversial figure in the music industry.

On October 4th 2049, Waite was found comatose in Tunisia after being reported missing in Spain by their executive protection team. They are currently receiving care in a private clinic.

Early life and educationPermalink

Efrim Waite was born Efrim Uttu-Isimud Waite in Aquileia, Italy on July 1st 1999. Their father is Abdel Talbot Waite, a British bioengineer of Syrian descent, and their mother is Marguerite LeNormand, a French physicist. Waite’s childhood was spent between London City and Paris. They began playing music at an early age and released their first EP in 2009, going on to create over fifty projects before the age of fifteen.

In 2016, Waite enrolled at the Conservatoire de Paris, but dropped out before completing the first semester. In 2017, they began studying at the University of Cambridge, graduating with a Master’s degree in Physics and completing their PhD at Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory.

Polysemic SortilegePermalink

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During their brief time at the Conservatoire de Paris in 2016, Waite met drummer/singer Nadira Bentoumi, bassist Imran Djebarri, and violinist Rokaya Toussaint. Upon Waite’s departure for Cambridge, the four were determined to work on something together and ultimately formed Polysemic Sortilege in October 2019 after a “life-changing experience that had nothing to do with music, or so we thought.” ^[1]

As part of Polysemic Sortilege, Waite released seven albums. Their lyrics were often highlighted as one of the band’s strong points, but it wasn’t until the 2028 release of The Opening, the band’s final album, that they gained international and commercial acclaim. Polysemic Sortilege went on hiatus in 2031 and officially disbanded in 2033 following the disappearance and death of Djebarri. ^[2]

Solo careerPermalink

In 2029, Waite released their solo debut, For That Which Howls In Multiples. Although the album was considered a commercial failure, it was met with critical acclaim. Waite’s second album, Of Altars & Graves & Sacrifices, was released in 2033. Following the death of Djebarri in August 2033 and investigations into Waite’s involvement, Of Altars & Graves & Sacrifices was removed from all major distribution platforms, which has made it into one of the most widely pirated albums of all time.

In 2036, Waite released their third album, Slumber ’Til The Miasma Calls My Name, to universal acclaim. After disappearing from the public eye for over two years, Waite returned to music in 2039 with a double-album called Epiphylogenesis: Unbecoming Machine / Becoming Other, which was praised for “weaving a unique, historical, and monstrous tapestry of the complexities created by our interactions with technology.”

Waite’s fifth album, Wandering The Squirming Multiplicities: A Farewell, A Fluctuating Hatching, An Ending A Venir, was first announced in 2045 but has yet to be released. Waite described it as their “magnum opus, which shall take the time it takes and the forms it will.” Waite has also suggested it would be their final album.

ControversyPermalink

Death of Imran DjebarriPermalink

Waite was the primary suspect in a murder investigation after the death of Djebarri, who disappeared on August 1st 2033 after landing in Tunisia. On August 3rd 2033, Djebarri’s remains were found in a hotel room in Tunis, with the cause of death established as hypovolemic shock due to multiple thoracic wounds.

Djebarri’s body was found placed on a pile of animal remains and the words THE SONG-WEAVER BEHELD US were painted on a nearby wall using Djebarri’s blood. The handwriting was shown to match Waite’s. Additionally, hotel logs revealed that Waite had spent a night in the same hotel room precisely a year before Djebarri’s death.

Numerous lyrics from Of Altars & Graves & Sacrifices seem to reference and foreshadow Djebarri’s final days, including the location of his body and injuries sustained. The other members of Polysemic Sortilege never commented on the events. Many fans and critics believe that Djebarri’s death, Waite’s lyrics, and their erratic behaviour over the years led to the band’s separation in November 2033. ^[3]

Death of Nadira BentoumiPermalink

On October 4th 2049, Bentoumi was found murdered in their Paris apartment, with the cause of death established as hypovolemic shock due to wounds identical to those inflicted on Djebarri. Despite the similarities between their deaths, French authorities have ruled out Waite as a suspect, as they were hospitalised in Tunisia at the time. ^[4]

DisappearancePermalink

On October 2nd 2049, Waite was reported missing by their executive protection team. They were last seen on October 1st 2049 while boarding a ferry in Spain, but did not disembark in Morocco. On October 4th 2049, Waite was found comatose and in critical condition in the area of Chott el Djerid in Tunisia. Their exact location was not publicly disclosed and Tunisian authorities have declined to offer details, citing “an ongoing investigation.” ^[5]

At 05:32 local time, Waite was transported to La Rabta Hospital in Tunis and admitted to intensive care, and subsequently transferred to the neurology department of the Carthagene private clinic. The head of the department has stated that Waite’s vital signs are “stable and within normal range,” that they are awake and conscious, and that they have yet to speak or communicate. ^[6]

Personal lifePermalink

Although Waite has given numerous interviews over the years, they have steadily refused to discuss their private life, preferring to talk about “the matter that matters.” Their elusiveness and cryptic statements have added to what some have described as the “Waite mystique,” but also led to criticism from fans and critics. The origin of Waite’s iconic tress of white hair has been the subject of rabid speculation, with fans having determined from photographic material that they must have acquired it before or in October 2019. ^[7]

Waite has worn numerous religious garments throughout their career, including veils, dresses, tassels, robes, kaunakes, sheepskin skirts, tufts, and kalasiris. Their style has been described as “a puzzling mélange of ancient and pre-historic imagery, little of which could be called fashionable or even aesthetically pleasing.” ^[8]

See alsoPermalink

• Polysemic Sortilege

ReferencesPermalink