With each track seemingly drawing inspiration from a different source, the diversity from track-to-track is astonishing, yet there is truly something on Sonic Poetry to satisfy just about any listener.
A palpable positive energy
A pillar of glitch and electro music in the early 2000’s, Gimmik made a sudden return to the electronic music scene in 2019 after a rather lengthy hiatus. The cassette release Entre Les Chambres on his own Hidden Reality imprint would essentially serve as the proverbial flood gates opening, as Martin Haidinger had a newfound interest in music production, incorporating eurorack modular systems into his studio workflow. While this release was a far-cry from the Electro infused sound listeners were familiar with from the Toytronic era, it was still quite refreshing to know that Gimmik was still kicking tunes around. On the heels of two long-form ambient releases came Cloudwalker (2021, n5MD) which saw Martin restored to form so to speak – juggling breaks, crushed rhythms, and melodic passages comparable to the now-classic releases Slow Motion Process and Back to Basics. One thing that has remained undeviating though all of Martin’s productions is a lighthearted and innocent genome which is no different on his latest double LP Sonic Poetry dropping on n5MD.
Martin wastes little time building anticipation ::
Comprised of 16 cuts, Sonic Poetry varies quite a bit stylistically; ranging from beat-less soundscapes, all the way to full throttle acid bangers, and everything in between. Martin wastes little time building anticipation with the opening plonked synth riff of “Here I Am” priming listeners for an expedition through many sonic territories. A couple of mid-tempo funky beat driven tracks “Flight 86” and “Meadows” follow that up, then lead straight into “Hello Mr. James”—a song that clearly pays homage to Richard D. James with its Aphex-like stylings. “Blue Sky” and “Waves (The Session)” are great examples of Gimmik’s approach to relaxing ambient productions, giving the record great contrast. The tempo kicks back up with the wobbly acid-infused “Liquid Reality: Parts I, II, & III.” Nasty electro-rhythms mingle with spacey 303 sequences to form some of the most infectious songs on the album. Sonic Poetry concludes in with the exceptionally blissful “Vapour Trails” and “Patch 27” wrapping things up in heavenly fashion.
There isn’t a whole lot to say about Gimmik’s music that has not already been said, but as you dive deeper into Sonic Poetry a palpable positive energy can certainly be felt within his songs—never getting overly technical with editing, just letting the music flow, and allowing each element of the song to breathe. With each track seemingly drawing inspiration from a different source, the diversity from track-to-track is astonishing, yet there is truly something on Sonic Poetry to satisfy just about any listener.
Sonic Poetry is available on n5MD. [Site | Bandcamp]
