Rolando Simmons :: World Building (Love Love)

Ranging from electro breaks, to acid techno—the album is highly danceable and features incredible melodies that you will most likely be humming to yourself after a couple of listens.

The latest album from Rolando Simmons on UK-based Love Love Records is his most complete and cohesive work to date. From the memorable opening bass line of “Whisper and Laugh” to the ambient outro “Strange Poet,” this album covers a lot of ground. Ranging from electro breaks, to acid techno—the album is highly danceable and features incredible melodies that you will most likely be humming to yourself after a couple of listens. It is a very focused effort, keeping only the most important layers intact. Most of the tracks feature lush chorded pads in the background, with a few crispy analog drum layers on top of that. Then, of course the squelchy acid lines that Rolando has become known for are like the cherry on your ice cream. You’ll even hear ghostly vocals on “Uncertainty Pond,” “Loom” and “Clocks” giving those songs a mysterious feel. Tracks like “The Girl of Uchter Moor” and “Spirala” have a playful feel about them which shows that Rolando can write a song to fit a variety of moods. Less on the experimental side, the record as a whole is very smooth with no element ever too complex to get in the way of the simplistic structures. Highly recommended for fans of Aphex Twin, James Shinra, and Kettel to name a few. Personally, my favorite track is “Clocks” for its huge kick drums and wiggly 303.

World Building is available on Love Love.

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