- In case you were wondering, yes, Simo Cell's moniker is a reference to the storied Joy O tune from 2011. His two-tracker for Livity Sound's "reverse" imprint is the debut release from the alias, but don't let that trick you into thinking this French-born DJ/producer is a wet-behind-the-ears newcomer or untested secret weapon. Far from it: Simon Aussel first jumped behind the decks at the age of 15, co-founded electronic blog and promotions crew Phonographe Corp in 2010, and is currently a resident of the Fragil Musique show on Rinse France. He ditched the name Pur Sim in April of this year, announcing the change on Facebook with a post of two final gigs and a link to "Sicko Cell." The reference makes sense, too; on Cellar Door / Piste Jaune, Simo Cell reflects that lineage of high-contrast, UK-born techno mutations with his balance of deep 808 boom and dubby, post-rave glint.
Aussel may be Livity Sound's first non-UK signing, but his 12-inch fits the label aesthetic to a tee. Both sides develop their ominous low-end throb and percussive shuffle in spacious isolation tanks, so any shimmer of light feels borderline hallucinatory. "Cellar Door" makes a bold entrance with aquatic tones looping around its jumpy kick, which swells to a mammoth size for the initial drop. The bitcrushed distortion around its edges accentuates just how far Aussel pushes his low-end, and his kinetic snare pattern darts and dives around those overwhelming frequencies as if there's no room left for it to settle. Actually, "unsettled" might be the best description for "Cellar Door" altogether—the tune's only constant is forward momentum.
"Piste Jaune" is no less formidable, albeit in a polite manner. Everything has a shady restraint to it, like the dubious first step towards a debaucherous night out, and keeps to a fairly typical sound palette for grayscale techno. Aussel nonetheless imbues the track with tension and vitality, subtly shifting its steamroller groove from side to side and giving it just enough bite to work at any point in a DJ set. Cellar Door / Piste Jaune may not sound completely unique, but it shows the inner workings of a producer with a firm grasp on what he can do and where his ideas will take him.
トラックリストA1 Cellar Door
B1 Piste Jaune