Simoncino - Nemesis EP

April 27, 2018 - Unknown to the Unknown

Unknown to the Unknown and Simoncino have partnered up again to bring us the arpeggios we crave. Humans love sequences involving 1, 3, and 5. It’s the early portion of the golden ratio and it takes very little effort to insert into a track. Lucky for humans, there’s a lot of that present in Simoncino’s new Nemesis EP.

The opening track ‘Nemesis’ is a beige track, peculiarities only perceptible to the most well-versed of techno listeners, of which I am not. Techno goth has just received another audio major arcanum. Menacing and furtive, ‘Nemesis’ lays forth a dark parameter of a soundscape. The track drums up what remains after bright eyes and black metal can no longer summon the inner teenage mopester. As an adult with bills, it’s nice to imagine more brood-worthy problems in my life. ‘Nemesis’ reveals an archetype of myself to me, but it’s no boss fight nor a Dorian Gray scenario. The menace mentioned earlier is a veneer. May it gloss over you with tidal catharsis.

Track two, ‘Front Line,’ delves into the grasslands of UTTU’s self-described “super deep techno introspective,” bringing ears to giant insectile percussion and behind-the-bush bongos which offer occasional comic relief. Otherwise a classic stargaze track, ‘Front Line’ features fine background textures and exoticisms. A great travel brood on the barebacking a galloping arpeggio. In some highly secretive circles around the WHM office, it’s rumored this EP is a veiled prophecy regarding the royal wedding. But two of our interns enjoy problematizing both Rhianna and Beyoncé regarding their induction into the Illuminati—which is a matter for an entirely differently encrypted blog. Anyway, it’s hard to take those kids too seriously. Still, I don’t think it’s unfair to say Simoncino expected some dark but passionate love making out of Henry and Megan.

The world has too many codes to be broken for me to cipher this one particularly so we’re moving on to the third track ‘Oh Baby Now.’ The track’s lack of punctuation really throws me for the emphasis and meaning. I’ve found “irony” is a useful catch-all for people who don’t care to fully articulate their understanding but want to point out that they’ve noticed “something.” Perhaps this same “irony” is taking place in the title. The track share’s its kick drum pattern with the opener, ‘Nemesis,’ but features slower builds and more lightly lilting synths. A goth honeymoon single, it’s tempting to say Simoncino either knows much more or much less about the prince and new princess of England. Saucy? No. Sex-implicative? Sure, why not. Bondagy, candle-waxy drippy. Hurtful-word-lovingly in gimp suit-y. Sure again. Simonco slides up the octaves to compose this sensually moribund track, perhaps appealing to the dark prince and princess in all of us. 

Finally Simoncino’s immensely titularly loaded track ‘Slave’ comes through with maracas and shakers. Given the industrial nature of the EP I can only assume this is about going to work or something after the royal love-making concludes. The least arpeggiated of all the songs (though not without arpeggio), ‘Slave’ favors a more monolithic sound quality focusing on undulating rhythms and some nice glass bells for emphasis, as though to say, ‘No hard feelings Megan, pleases enjoy the remainder of your life.’—unthreateningly, but not without menace. ⛰️