Artist(s) .........:: Ben Sims
Title .............:: Smoke & Mirrors
Genre .............:: Techno
Record Label ......:: Drumcode
Catalogue Number ..:: DC087
Source ............:: WEB
Quality ...........:: 320kbps avg / 44.1KHz / Full Stereo
Duration ..........:: 01:24:00 (215.MB)
Release Date ......:: 17-10-2011
Support ...........:: http://www.beatport.com
Tracklist .........::
1. Riots In London 6:35
2. Descent 6:30
3. The Snake 7:08
4. Back To The Pod 6:14
5. Can You Feel It 5:42
6. I Wanna Go Back (Featuring Blake Baxter) 7:05
7. Bullet 6:57
8. The Afterparty 7:38
9. Smoke & Mirrors 6:58
10.The Calling 7:24
11.I Feel It Deep (Featuring Tyree Cooper) 7:19
12.Miss Out On Monday 8:30
Release Note ......::
Late-October sees the long awaited release of Ben Sims' debut LP, Smoke &
Mirrors, on Swedish techno imprint Drumcode. Having developed an impeccable
reputation in the past twenty years since delving into the word of turntables
and mixtapes at an early age, Sims can be called a genuine legend in the world
of techno. As a producer he has remixed Jeff Mills, Chris Liebing, Adam Beyer
and Kevin Saunderson as well as releasing on just about every seminal techno
imprint there is. As an A&R he's been at the helm of nine labels, including the
highly influential Ingoma and KB Records inc, and continues to steward Theory
and Hardgroove towards the boxes of the discerning fans. Most recently the
London-based producer has seen his Way Back Wednesday (with Tony Anderson),
Funk You and occasional disco radio shows garner huge support while ploughing
further energy into the futurist techno club night Machine alongside Kirk
Degiorgio. It's with Sims' multitude of achievements and notoritey in mind that
the knowledge that Smoke & Mirrors is his debut LP is somewhat unbelievable,
but fact it is. After initially hooking up with Adam Beyer's Drumcode imprint
late in 2010 after a long standing friendship, the affable and dry witted Sims
was persuaded to deliver an LP and the lengthy writing and selection process
began. The result is 11 superb productions which showcase Ben's talents,
influences and perhaps most importantly, his vision of what techno can and
should be. From the off Smoke & Mirrors is a technicolour affair that refuses
to sit too comfortably into one groove, preferring to pull the listener through
a range of vibes that, while disparate, flow together perfectly. As the album
moves, snippets of new vibes bleed through before developing into themes and
this is one of the brilliant elements of Smoke & Mirrors. The rousing and
prophetically titled Riots in London opener leads us into a frenetic,
dub-tinged and filter-driven aesthetic which is neatly carried on in Descent
but subtly augmented with almost-there soulful vocal samples. This nod to
soulful elements is then carried on in the less pacey, house referencing The
Snake which fuses stabbing keys to a skipping beat which is as much New York as
it is Detroit, London or Berlin. As Smoke & Mirrors develops, suprises like the
out-and-out tech-funk of Back To The Pod and the street party disco of Can You
Feel It? are hinted at but never lack surprise when dropped. The emphatic drive
of the huge sounding I Wanna Go Back featuring Blake Baxter takes things back
to techno territory and does so with real purpose while darker edged tracks
such as the lethal Bullet and the late-night discordance of The Afterparty ramp
up the tension. The twilight sections of Sims' debut are perfectly judged. The
dubbed (and blissed) out title track lightens the mood before the slightly more
aggressive but widescreen The Calling trips proceedings out in anticipation of
the closer, the Tyree Cooper vocalled and aptly titled I Feel It Deep Smoke &
Mirrors has been more than worth the wait. It's as balanced, entertaining,
engaging and powerful as you would expect from such an artist as Ben Sims and,
complete with artwork from Alan Oldham and collaborations from Blake Baxter and
Tyree Cooper, is essential stuff.