Single Review: Desert Shimmer

This release is probably going to confuse quite a few people when they realise that the person behind Slimivich is none other than Slim Jenkins from Christchurch metal outfit Tainted, here back with his first new music in some time. But this isn’t metal, it is rap/hip-hop being taken in a new direction. This is not a style of music I often listen to, as for the most part I just don’t understand it (even I don’t like everything, and I have very broad tastes indeed), but there is something about this song which is strangely compelling. Most of that is down to the musical soundscapes he pits his vocals against, as this is Krautrock combined with industrial elements, and his lyrics are delivered in a somewhat slower style than many rappers and this combination creates something different, almost unsettling, which grabs the listener.

Those expecting something similar to his previous band will be in for a surprise, as although it would be a brave man to open for 8 Foot Sativa or Blindspott with this as he has with Tainted in the past, I can certainly see him fitting in well with the likes of Written By Wolves as in some ways he is just taking their dance music stylings further in the same direction (with far less guitar). There is a darkness behind this, which is more obvious in the intro and outro, when he is not vocalising, and while never metallic there is no doubt that he has taken some of his more extreme influences into this which has assisted in creating something which is combining different genres in an unusual manner. It will be interesting to see what he does with an album, but for now we will need to stay satisfied with a single which is intriguing.