After a tumultuous period of anxiety and self-doubt, French producer Simon Aussel (aka Simo Cell) found himself drawn to various spiritual philosophies that would only exacerbate his fragile state of mind. Coming out the other side in 2020, he embarked on a furiously productive creative period during which the self-confessed ‘sine wave sculptor’ produced 50 fully completed tracks departing from his affiliation to the Bristol bass scene.
Whilst sifting through and collating tunes for what would later become his debut Simo Cell LP, Aussel decided to build a mystical story arc relating to his period of personal crises. The resulting album Cuspide des Sirènes is an introspective, character-driven and scope-broadening adaptation that moves Aussel beyond his club identity into boldly creative yet unfamiliar territory.
As soon as you hear a Simo Cell track, it’s clear that you’re fascinated by sound. Where did that curiosity originate?
“I don’t have borders in my head and that probably comes from my dad being a classical guitarist. He’s a soloist from Argentina who chooses his own repertoire. During his concerts he might start with renaissance or baroque music, but will also play stuff that’s more contemporary and modern, which is weird in the world of classical music because you’re not supposed to do that. That curiosity probably answers why I wanted to play different types of music in my DJ sets, where it’s all about trying to build bridges between rhythm and melody even if other people can’t see it.”
Did you pick up a guitar
