CIX - Waif EP Review
The Waif EP creates a whole sonic world, vast and echoing, that sounds both distant and intimately close throughout.
CIX, the Catford-based experimentalist, returns with another EP. After 2019’s Unwomen, the return in question offers a window into the artist’s musical progression and creative identity. She’s refined her sound in the two years since her previous output, effectively putting the same breadth of sonic components to better use than before. Part of this includes an effective utilisation of sounds more immediately reminiscent of a janky old Windows XP computer startup or iPhone notifications than anything else, woven in throughout without the kind of intrusiveness you might expect. The rest of it relies on Shrimpton’s sense of atmosphere and aesthetic (and, naturally, her charming vocal offerings).
It’s the quirky sampling that proves CIX’s membership of a category more competent than cringe-worthy; unlike the more scattergun approach of certain other ventures into plunderphonics, Shrimpton is able to level things out with a strong balance between homegrown sound (the primary driving force) and sample saturation (the accentuation). The ultimate product of this is an electronic artist that knows how to use her quirkier samples well, punctuating her own talent with an intermittent jingle or the occasional soundbite to effective and seamless ends.
Distorted wails and a sound that treads the line between run-of-the-mill synth pulse and full-bodied organ see us into the EP, setting a moody tone that struggles to overstay its welcome on a project like this. Aptly titled as ‘The Spell Is Broken’, the opener seems to lament the non-communicative rift between the speaker and their subject, in a relatable and simplistic “I can never really talk to you lately” way. The last ten seconds or so break down and dissolve, fizzling out to clear the air for some more curious sampling. This sampling marks the shift into the EP’ second track. ‘Between The Sacred Silence And Sleep’ flourishes with its piano, its spacious looming vocals, and the fizzling synths whose presence haunt the track, proving another worthwhile use of the runtime. Furthermore, with the multiplicity of vocal threads being woven across this project, it’s a pleasant surprise to see most of them working to great effect. The same can’t necessarily be said of the following track, which feels either misnamed or misplaced. ‘Whirl’d In The Pool’, possibly riffing on the wordplay of “world” — who’s to ever truly know, brings some droning ambient elements back into the fold. Despite its name, it’s less of a whirl than one might be hoping for. Criticism aside, its instrumentation and the vocals at play here serve to enhance the existing tone of the EP and, as such, the track maintains the thematic current with ease. It’s just a shame then that it isn’t able to keep up with the more engaging pacing established in the second track or take its sonic components in a more interesting direction. Another issue for some might also be the shrill synth backing much of the track, which becomes a genuinely difficult listen on the higher volumes. Adjust to taste.
‘Sadie’s Dream’ and its accompanying instrumental flourishes, whether guitar, droning synth, or even some more seemingly up-cycled samples – that sound all too much like the kind of sounds you’d hear from a relaxing mobile game or a mindful sleep Youtube video – brings a palpable freshness to the EP. The percussive elements here have more of the energy that made them so compelling in track two, only now they’re operating with greater subtlety, acting purely as accents to the sonic surroundings. In the same vein of freshness, the stylistic diversions of ‘Denature Me’ bear significant promise and make up for the lost momentum of ‘Whirl’d’. It leaves us with an angsty and spirited experimental electronica track laden with influences ranging from grunge to folk. ‘Peer Review’ features a snippet of good old-fashioned cheesily-wrought voice acting, the likes of which you’d hear on a Saturday morning cartoon twenty years ago, that kicks the track into the groove of refined and reformulated cringe that actually enhances its atmosphere overall. While the initial sampling here loses some of its weight and feels slightly ancillary by the track’s close, the remainder of the track can carry itself and merits warrant of its own — albeit for a different approach. Ultimately, it makes for a satisfying placement on the tracklisting and a fulfilling closer to the EP.
From the tightly curated six tracks she gives us to work with, we can tell that CIX isn’t messing around; she’s back and making quality music. It’s a shame, then, that some elements leave a markedly stronger impression than others. However, in light of that, it’s an incredible reassurance that CIX is capable of producing an ambient EP with only one track that seems worthy of being “the skippable one”. With that in mind, we’ll be keeping an ear out for new releases from the artists to shake up our electronic intake.
