God Knows & Denise Chalia among many highlights on Sim Simma Soundsystem’s collaborative EP
We’d like to highlight an Irish release that caught our attention in all the right ways last week.
Sim Simma Soundsystem, the label offshoot of the Sim Simma DJ crew, put out a collaborative EP featuring a host of Irish hip-hop and dancehall artists.
Pass The Aux Chord is the new label’s first release and it’s a seriously strong showing from all involved. Appearances from Rusgango Family’s God Knows, hotly-tipped Limerick MC Denise Chalia, Chilli Cherry and Breezy Ideygoke all bear memorable results.
For those familiar with the Sim Simma crew, either through the events they host or the mixes they’ve uploaded onto their Soundcloud page, know the crew take influence from a broad range of genres, especially in the realm of Carribean music. The production on Pass The Aux Chord is telling of that inspiration, filled with offbeat accents and elated percussive elements. Cudos to producers Ben Bix & Semi-D for their work here.
The EP begins in a hurry with the title track. God Knows comes through with one of the best performances of his career to date, all swagger and aggression.
Another highlight from the EP is Denise Chalia’s ‘Man Like Me’. The Limerick rapper has been seriously impressing us as of late. ‘Man Like Me’ features a near-samba rhythm, accentuated with vibrant percussion. Chalia comes through with a fiery exchange of bars, cutting down those who’d stand in her way either because of race or gender. “All bark no bite you ain’t got no teeth”.
Releases like Sim Simma Soundsystem’s Pass The Aux chord keep the scene over here fresh. Collaborations push artists to expand their skill set and come out of their comfort zone, resulting in the material we otherwise might not have heard from them. Incorporating new sounds, like the Carribean aesthetic here, helps keep the scene as a whole from becoming narrow or too defined.
Most importantly though, it’s the high standard of production and vocal delivery that marks the EP out, setting the bar high for other artists to try and reach.
Here’s the EP in full.
