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Take the swagger of Mick Jagger, the moodiness of David Bowie, the funk of Prince and the audaciousness of the late Divine mix in the electronics of The Human League, Bobby “O”, Gary Numan and Ultravox and you’ve almost got Mount Sims. I say almost because the music of Mount Sims (actually Matt Sims) is more than the sum of its parts. When you mix in the personality of Matt Sims and his life experiences with all those aforementioned influences he doesn’t come out sounding like any of them, he creates his own unique electronic signature.
Like an electronic pirate Sims raids the artistic, musical and cultural treasurers of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s throws in a twist of 21st century urban sensibilities and comes up with the amazing CD “Ultra Sex”. The tracks of “Ultra Sex” are hip, funky, melancholy, dark, decadent and decaying electric sculptures that dares you to experience the music in various ways. The lyrics want you to stop be still for a moment and listen to them, understand them. The rhythm wants to take control your body and make you move when it says move. And the synth work, well it wants to take your mind on an electro trip to the ever-nocturnal city of Electronica a city that can only be reached via a synthesizer. The electronics sizzle and the beats are hard as waves of synthesized rhythms pulse, pump and throb in this urban electronic decay.
In his lyrics and in presentation Matt Sims is like an electronic Billie Holiday; someone who has obviously lived (or is living) the life they sing about. It’s a life that is different from that of your average Joe as it is filled with the trapping of LA’s sexy seedier side, celebrities, paparazzi, and “Hollywood Brides”. For most in the Electroclash set it’s about the music and many of its music makers keep the spotlight on the music and not themselves. Like Miss Kittin and T.H.E.M. Mount Sims is an exception as the spotlight is placed squarely on Matt Sims and it becomes obvious that his life and his art are one and he wants to use those life experiences and his music to become a star, a big star and be obsessed over in our celebrity-obsessed culture.
Ultra Sex contains electro-nuggets galore. There’s the Bowie-ish “Blue Day” and “Delicious & Nutritious” is a funky electronic jam session. The haunting “Unspeakable” has a chilling electronic riff that can only be described as an electronic soul in agony. “Good Service” the best song Divine never made and like with any good Divine song it took my mind straight to the gutter. While Mount Sims wails in his Divine/Jagger-ish voice the Bobby “O” like percolations entrancingly pump along, you close you eyes and you can see a 12” single from the 80’s with the old “O” records label.
The sexy, decadent and unforgettable electronics of Ultra Sex will draw you back to it again and again with it’s infectiously haunting sound.
And remember, don’t burn it, buy it.
RATING: 9
Artist Link: http://www.emperornorton.com
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