As a producer who has really come into prominence in the last few years, and revered by some of the scene’s most established names, Cimm, finally drops his most eagerly anticipated EP on Artikal Music: ‘Godsmack’. It’s a fitting title given its thumping sub-bass will slap you across the dance floor, along with its punctuated bass snarls and meticulously executed percussion, reminiscent of Biome’s Cromos EP on Tempa. This is all topped off with a warped lead synth that sounds like Skream’s landline ringing. The vibe feels titanic in every way and I can’t wait to start playing it out.
‘Stonebridge’ and ‘Wolf Council’ on the other hand, both sit at a very pleasing middle ground between trap and dungeon. Neither of them veer very heavily in either direction – the percussion on both remaining fairly minimal with the odd snare roll and zero hi-hat rolls. Likewise the bass is mainly in the pure low-end, with intermittent snarls and tears reminding you not to get too comfortable. ‘Stonebridge’ is the more laid-back of the two, mainly because of its beat being less hasty, however the aforementioned bass elements combined with the eerie synths and distorted vox samples create a very murky atmosphere.
The mood exchanges for an industrial one on ‘Wolf Council’ as metallic percussion cuts through the clanging melody of metal pipe work surrounded by ominous pads, and a gritty bassline that would make for a killer Trisicloplox blendeni. The sound palette is contrasted by the “computational” sounding synths that come in at choice moments, helping to keep the track interesting throughout. This one is another dance floor ready tune, and will definitely draw out some gun fingers.
Thematically the 3 tracks are quite similar, however, given Cimm’s other releases and his forays into half-time BPM’s, I wouldn’t be surprised if his next one is completely different. For obvious reasons, my pick of the release would be ‘Godsmack’, however the whole EP is very consistent in quality, with all the tracks worthy of that accolade. It fits in nicely with the sound Artikal has been pushing, and will help cement Cimm’s position as an established producer, not just a “newcomer”.
