Simba’s fantastic deput E.P. has just been released on Shadeleaf Music. After being debuted on radio by label head honcho, thatmanmonkz, we thought we’d go through each track and pick apart every subtle detail.
Simba makes an immediate statement of intent with his opening track, Make You Move (Pressure) featuring the talented vocalist J Gordon whose ‘yeah yeah yeah’ introduction is very reminiscent of a young Omar Lye-Fook. The track is elegantly simple; rising and fading piano chords accompany a sharp hand clap drum pattern. Throughout the chorus the piano chords are extended and distorted creating a sense of space in the track before breaking down and calmly ending the song with etheral shimmers underlaying the repeated ‘ain’t no pressure, make your move’ vocal hook.
On the second track, Susan Sorandum, Simba showcases his sampling repetoire. With an interesting skit from the film Willie Dynamite along with an airy vocal sample throughout the track, Simba clearly has a passion for old funk and jazz. This track jumps into an irresistible bassline which will immediately get people grooving. Interestingly, Simba keeps the rhythm of the track quite fragmented with a breakdown featuring occasional crowd samples. He maintains this surreal ambient chording thoughout the song, working together wonderfully with the rising synth scale that begins two and half minutes in. A hazy sub-aquatic breakdown calms the track before getting gearing things back into a groove. Notably some lovely sample choices on this record.
The flip side of this EP starts with a funky deep house cut. Complete features a simple piano key working around a UK Funky esque drum pattern. Bird samples and vague human voices add subtle depth to the track, whilst the windy synth accompanying the drums shows Simba’s experimental side. It feels as if Simba is attempting to showcase sampling once again here but it does not reach the same heights as his A Side productions.
However, Simba gets right back to it with the final cut of his new EP. Marvellous is pretty much that. An extended breakdown leads into a simple guitar melody that is infectiously groovy, with Marvin Gaye lyrics playfully ebbing and flowing with the instrumentation. Put simply, the final track is a club ready edit of the Marvin Gaye song, Time To Get It Together, drawing samples from many aspects of the original track. This does not take away from the work that Simba has done, but is simply an observation of his sampling process; paying homage to one of the greatest soul singers.
Simba is surely one to watch for the future.
We’ve got Simba lined up to do a Roots & Influences Mix this summer but for the time being, check his recent mix for Sleazy Beats.
Grab your copy HERE!