Recommendations:
Riserva (2017, Zoology Records) bit.ly/2N5evRv
Ambient Works (2018, Self-Released) bit.ly/2PKpnIX
Dance Works (2018, Self-Released) bit.ly/2I5qv6F

Includes:
Songs (2012, Twice Removed)
Faded (2013, Unknown Tone Records)
On The Sea w/ Saito Koji (2013, Rural Colours)
Whatever (2013, Chemical Tapes)
Freudvoll Und Leidvoll (2014, Dronarivm)

Reviews:
Sima Kim’s album comes with the unimaginative title Songs, probably because he has for the first time added vocals to his minimal ambient compositions. The song titles of the two original tracks in this ep are simply “I” and “II” but thankfully the Korean artist’s work has a lot more to offer than what the song and album titles would indicate.

Kim likes to describe his music as post-classical (certainly a better description than neo-classical) as, like many of his contemporaries, instead of writing music he enjoys experimenting with layers and sound effects until he reaches the desired effect. Songs has all the characteristics of a low-key ambient release: quiet melodies, processed ethereal female vocals, and a general feeling of peace and quiet, which the music contributes to. Kim studied musicology at school and the influence of the likes of Arvo Part in using silence to build sound is apparent. Listening to some of his past work, one can’t help but notice how the usage of drones plays a key role in Kim’s creative process and his ability to create atmospheric sound. All of the above result to melodies that manage to make their presence in the room felt long after they have been heard. While the strings or piano do not drag forever, they maintain the hypnotic feeling produced by repeated sounds.

The addition of vocals (by Chloed) that seem to be coming from under water and hints of a broken beat that appears and disappears are integrated fully into the melodic ambient setting, providing that extra flavor that makes Songs stand out in the vast ocean of ambient music.

In addition to the 23 and a half minutes of original music, the album includes remixes by Darren Harper and Bengalfuel, that are completely different than the tracks they are based on. Harper utilizes silence to increase the tension. Everything is slower and the lullaby-like vocals are barely there, contributing to the sense of isolation. Bengalfuel’s work on the other hand transforms “II” with a semi-industrial drum machine into something entirely futuristic, which decomposes into a million distorted pieces toward the end. Both worthy additions to a wonderful collaborative effort. - a closer listen

An ambient/drone practitioner of the Young Laptop-Slinging Generation, Sima Kim has racked up a surprising number of releases both physical and digital since he began recording in 2011, to the point that he’s already issued a collection of miscellaneous past works “from sold out things and free compilations.” I could say something about the lack of quality control kids these days have been exhibiting (*grumble grumble* back in my day, you recorded 30 albums at home and you never showed them to anyone, not even your mother, man, not even your cat *merrr* and then, then you could maybe think about a physical release). The truth is that what I’ve heard of Kim’s sprawling output has uniformly pleased me. May he remain this prolific indefinitely and issue five more Compilations of Half-Remembered Glockenspiel-laden Drone Sessions before the year’s end.

“subsidence,” the first track we’ve heard from Kim’s forthcoming Faded EP, showcases a dense, surprisingly wide stereophonic spread brimming with two-tone loops, delay-drenched guitar washes, and pleasant (perhaps obligatory) field-recorded nature sounds. Kim almost lives up to the Arvo Pärt name checks in his press materials, allowing the track to breathe and revel in its own near-holy atmosphere without introducing any disruptive lead voices.

On February 28, Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Unknown Tone Records issues Faded in a very limited edition of 50 cassettes. If you can’t wait that long, I imagine you can find enough of Sima Kim’s music online to keep you in a state of Perpetual Ambient Drift in the meantime (if you’re into that sort of thing [I am]). - Tiny Mix Tapes

Sima Kim and Saito Koji’s ‘On The Sea’ does a good job replicating the gentle waves of the ocean. The sounds appear to waver like light refracted in the water. Aspects of the sound give off a nautical theme. Ringing of the bells indicates something of a breeze blowing through the entire album. Little sounds of water flow through the single twenty minute long piece. While the evolution is slow it is highly comforting. At times the piece almost feels like it is rocking the listener to sleep. With a natural rhythm it manages to appear as if it was in perfect stasis. Upon deeper listening though this proves to be far from the case.

Concepts of space are represented by the increasing amounts of distance the music seems to portray. Beginning small the sound begins to grow ever larger. Halfway through the piece things begin to change. ‘On the Sea’ introduces louder sounds. This increases the density of the sound. For a while the additional layers give a sense of humanity. Bringing in the new sound has the additional benefit of creating a deeper sound. With a greater amount of thickness the classical leanings are better explored. Towards the very end the song reveals some of what had guided it to the finale. A piano comes out sounding pristine. The tempo gives a better sense of what had lead the song beneath the surface. Seeing it is seeing the bottom of the piece. Right as it becomes clearest is exactly when it ends. - Beach Sloth

A primeira questão que me ocorre ao saber que Sima Kim provém da Coreia do Sul é: "espera lá, essa é a Coreia má ou a outra de que ninguém quer saber?" A Wikipédia resolveu-me a dúvida e deixou-me mais descansado por saber que o alvo do texto nasceu na Coreia boazinha. Aliás, bondade e candura são ingredientes que não faltam ao EP Whatever, cassete com dois originais e duas remisturas (a cargo de Will Bolton e do hiperactivo Hakobune). Tanto quanto conseguimos perceber com estas duas bonitas composições, Sima Kim joga a partir de um terreno pós-clássico (com o piano a ponta-de-lança), mas os chutos que dá na bola podem levar a música para o lado dos field-recordings ou da electro-acústica da escola Schole/Noble. O que mais nos interesse é que Sima Kim consegue essa alternância com a graciosidade da Mariah Carey a andar de patins. Positiva é também a diferença de tonalidade que existe entre os dois temas incluídos (“Misapprehension” dá-se mais aos loops e a um esquecimento semelhante ao de Eluvium, outro pós-clássico). Com um EP tão capaz de o orgulhar, é estranho encontrar Sima Kim constantemente de cara tapada nas fotografias e vídeos. Ou então está com medo de que o vizinho Kim Jong-un não aprecie muito a paz total que há por encontrar nesta cassete. - Vice

Sima Kim is a musician and composer born in South Korea and who grew up in Europe with a keen interest in western classical and contemporary music. His new release on the Dronarvim label is a simple, but thoughtful and elegant two track EP called Freudvoll und Leidvoll. The reference to the poem from the third act of Goethe‘s Egmont is intentionally direct. One piece here is dedicated to freduvoll (joy) and one to leidvoll (sorrow). In fact, both have an air of wistfulness about them, but ‘Freudvoll’ is painted in brighter hues and has a more animated and shimmering feel to it when compared with the grayer and more muted ‘Leidvoll’. Both tracks are ambient drones created by tape loops, but they still reflect the other source of inspiration credited for the album, classical music. That association can be sensed, but only distantly and abstractly, as if the echoes of that centuries old music is locked into infinitely decaying repetitive loops that reaches our ears like the light from distant stars. Though it contains barely 20 minutes of music, Freudvoll und Leidvoll gets premium treatment in its physical packaging. It comes as a 3″CDr in cardboard handmade box includes original small 6-pages photobook and dried flowers, limited of 75 handnumbered copies. All in all it is quite a tidy and appealing package and one that fans of ambient drone will especially appreciate. - Headphone Commute