Lame Digital is a humbly-named group from Rome, formed in 2017, exploring urban sounds with groovy influences and an introspective approach that immediately impressed me. The use of vocal samples and the search for unique sounds, especially in the percussions, is pervasive in the works of this collective, which took a hiatus of a few years before re-entering the scene with force through Guxi‘s Matchpoint EP. Before reviewing it, I recommend checking out “Lame Releases” on Spotify. Don’t trust the title of the playlist—it’s a collection of the label’s past releases, which I had on constant repeat while reviewing “Matchpoint.” I suggest doing the same to explore these little gems.
Today’s protagonist is Guxi, a Rome-based DJ and producer who has announced Lame Digital’s comeback with a blasting EP, “Matchpoint.” I immediately fell in love with the sounds Guxi used, which feature both a soft and a hard side. The vibe is Deep/Tech/Minimal House, blending different influences together. The focus isn’t on melodies, which are quite elaborate but slow in their evolutions, but rather on the samples and sound design, which I would almost call shape-shifting.
Guxi produced four tracks for the EP: “I See Myself,” “Match Point,” “Moving Forward,” and “Fond Memories.”
The initial tune, “I See Myself,” impressed me with its glitchy attitude, difficult to grasp at first, then slowly building consciousness and becoming a hypnotizing banger. That’s the spirit of “Matchpoint,” and I dare say, of Lame Digital: an introspective journey that may be difficult at first because, you know, people are different, but after a while, it becomes clear what the producer wants to convey through the music, making the experience enlightening. That’s what I felt with “I See Myself,” where minimalism and soft basses really set up the right atmosphere for the EP.
Moving forward, the journey continues with the title track, which follows a similar pattern but with a more distinctive lead. “Moving Forward” is even more minimal in structure, and my favorite of the quartet, “Fond Memories.”
The final tune is the underground banger, in my opinion, with a very peculiar take on the main lead, a stronger kick than the rest, and a hooky pattern that got stuck in my ears for a long time. Add to this the presence of ethereal samples and mood changes to spice things up, and we have a unique sequence in our arsenal!
In conclusion, I consider Guxi’s work very positive. The artist managed to infuse his personality and vision of music in this four-track EP that may be difficult to digest at first but then becomes an impressive journey.
What do you think?
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