(07.20.06) So I’m listening to Kate Simko’s new EP, Strumm, taking refuge from the
currently unruly summer heat outside, sipping on (unflavoured, thanks)
water and I begin to imagine the tracks themselves as being pieces of
furniture in a shi-shi furniture gallery. This furniture is not only
all tastefully designed, but comfortably functional as well.
As for the main A-Side & B-Side tracks, “Strumm” is frothy microhouse from Chicago (by way of Chile, naturally) with a
casually concealed ingredient list
referencing classic minimalist string arrangements, while “Machine War”
adds a pinch of retro robotronics with artificially sweetened flair, all
keeping in time with undeniably lush beats. The 2 remixes of “Strumm”
that complete this choice example of vinyl are far from forgettable; UNAI manages to coax a hybrid disco sensibility out of the
aforementioned strings by drastically morphing them into a mutated
accompaniment for his bouncing reinterpretation that must be heard.
Next, Jonas Bering takes control and fabricates an edgier groove that
retains the main version’s sense of modernist style, all the while
demonstrating a clever originality in his approach.
Clearly, Strumm‘s
furniture obviously lends itself well to rearrangement, a huge selling
point for me and I recommend it to anybody else browsing around in
search of some quality beats.
Strumm will be released in August on Kupei Musika. Buy it online at klicktrack.com.
