CiM - Noki Bay EP (Ann-Aimee) Simon Walley makes techno music on his own terms, when he wants and to a level of earnestness and maturity of craft unmatched by many. His first proper release in a few years (and following mini US tour of live dates w/ John Tejada in 2002), CiM hasn't missed a click with the further extension of a sound now very much his own.
On the new Ann-Aimee imprint (following a strong debut EP from Alex Cortex) comes a new 9-tracker EP. Signature for CiM the tracks are short and sweet, most clocking in around 3 minutes - but the amount of depth and emotion packed into each one goes far beyond their tracklength. The tracks are like super-concentrated electronic music pellets, each tiny one fully expands tenfold to fill and soak the room where it's played, recalling all the great reasons why you seek out 'listening techno' in the first place. The EP opens with a couple of deep sweeping stringy pieces with plodding fresh electronic beats. Track #4 'Fuss', at only 1:33, is a little microcosm of all things CiM: the combination/contrast of deep Detroit contemplative melody offset with bass depths, clicky ticks and pure techno bleeps. Robot love software patches, or bittersweet long-range driving music for a rainy day? Your call. 'Dance Party' (#6) is an adventure in beat programming, you bob your head as it gets twisted and jerked around by synth squirts and squelches... road-tested and played in live sets last year, this sought-after cut finally makes it to vinyl. But it's 'Pop Squabble' (#7) that seals the deal, an outpouring of electronic beauty at around 100bpm, deep bassline and warm synth pads and strings added to change it throughout. A future classic in the making, every detail balanced just right... you won't forget this track. The EP finishes with aptly named 'close', a moonlit goodnight caress with gorgeous tonal simplicity. CiM takes the warmth and feeling of Detroit techno and wraps it with his signature crispy beat programming and British bleeps into a futuresound all his own. An heir to the next generation of producers, CiM has earned his seat at UK techno roundtable, an heir to his older and better-known contemporaries like B12 and Black Dog Productions. Connections and re-send transmissions crossed up between London and Detroit but no worries, what falls out are little pieces of shimmering beauty like this. release date: April 4, 2003 Samples here: http://www.ann-aimee.net other essential CiM: - Reference LP/CD - deFocus (2000) - Service Pack - Delsin (1999) peace, Matt MacQueen
