An Introduction to Simeone floats blissfully between very mellow dreamlike vision pieces, to full on outbursts of electro darkwave; all of which weave unmistakable sparkling strands of symphonic synth-driven magic.
[Purchase] To quote Rough Trade – “Mozart with synth’s” could very well be a fitting explanation of such an avantgarde repertoire, that is so very European in feel.
Simeone uses vocals in the most unconventional way – as if a multi-layered melodic enhancement; a complex instrument set nicely within his vivid arrangements. The flashes of intimate excellence, which wind through each composition, are laden with infinite musings. They offer a vintage blend that manages to escape all the traditional trimmings – those that would normally assign an artist to a particular pigeonhole.
The whole work is a dark unfolding of haunting synth layers, a lustful sense of melody, and arrangements that give scope for the unexpected. Opener “Enigma Kaleidoscope” is a gentle introduction that shimmers and twinkles – tiny subtle sparks that create the way for the more triumphant sounding tracks, such as “You Shine On.” “Little lost soul” is a danceable anthem of heavy crash beats, both edgy and crisp, yet so blatantly dark, but then Simeone is indeed a master when it comes to crafting those deep atmospheric collages. “Today is Yesterday” possesses that same obscurity, as its intensity rises. There’s a dramatic buildup; a jet stream of approaching sound, that is wonderfully atmospheric with dazed and reflective vocal work floating through.
Due to Simeone’s multi-instrumental credits (drums, synths, violin, guitar and bass), there is no shortage of contrast. “Everywhere in Twilight” has a shimmering line accompanied by a discrete, underlying chugging guitar. However, if vintage synthesizers are the name of the game, hark to “Epila II” which develops into a magnificent orchestration that carries to ethereal realms.
In a sense, it’s a very visual album. “Ocean” is a special track featuring a contribution from Gary Asquith (Renegade Soundwave). Its punchy bass line is set against the picturesque flow of the track, while “The Things I Saw,” develop more images in the form of rainbows – a rainbow of dark bearing – a catchy hook, which fuses dawn and dusk, while the lightness of its lyrical content mixes with the deep instrumentation.
With a total of twenty-one tracks, they all deliver a captivating spell that can be light and dreamy, or, they can possess a charcoal intensity. Simeone does not just tell a story, but delivers a compelling force that would enable images to grow and emerge to larger than life forms. He’s developed his own musical bond, a defining sound, and this album portrays an essential passion that is contagious.
Arguably, Simeone is one of the U.K.’s most promising synth virtuoso’s to materialize in recent years, with songs that emerge in dramatic form, and flow almost endlessly from the heart.
An Introduction to Simeone out now on sime-one.com. [Purchase]
