Slim Set are a producer-MC duo from Parramatta with one of the most unique sounds coming out of the country. For sure, they might not be for the average Ausrap fan but Slim Set are experimenting with sounds that haven't really been heard on this island. I first heard about Slim Set a few years ago from a friend of a friend and got a chance to see them open up for AJ Tracy at Oxford Art Factory. I've been watching their progress, their slow slow progress. The group hosts a show on FBI radio but sadly very rarely drops new music which is a shame because I think Slim Set is a group that still needs some polishing if it wants to reach the next level. With DJ Atro's quirky, chaotic, dub heavy beats and Kal's goofy vocals Slim Set is like a 2003 Grime crew if you turned it upside down, stretched it out and sprinkled on some Danny Brown. Because they are a duo-MC group its easier for Slim Set to really carve out its own sound, every song seems different while still maintaining their unique sound.
My favorite track of theirs is a song called "Cooked" which I think was made specifically for 19-25 year olds from Sydney. Riding an O-Bike, rapping about chopping buds and yugioh, the song has a fun Murlo sound and has unique urban-Australiana references. The visuals are fun and it's definitely something new. It's not a perfect track, Kals delivery is so chaotic that sometimes i find him rapping off beat, which i'm sure is on purpose, but is also one of the hardest things in rap to pull off correctly.
A few hours ago the duo released their new track and clip titled "Warrang" (Indigenous Australian name for Sydney). It's classic Slim Set with the beat style, trippy editing and Kals ridiculous all over the place delivery. The lyrics and visuals are very Sydneycentric and there's a mysterious intro to the song before the beat hits:
"The sun shines on Warrang (Sydney)"
"The steel smiles in summer"
"Bulldozers humming, bitchumen drumming"
"The sun cries for Warrang"
I'm assuming Kal is talking about the never ending gentrification of Syd. throughout the song themes of over development, gentrification and Indigenous rights are referenced too:
"City shut down for a bit of violence, can't recognise the horizon"
I'm a big fan of the content in this new track, I think many around my age from Sydney feel this way about the changes in our city, that it's being over developed and losing its soul, we were too young to remember the more gritty pre-olympics Sydney but old enough to witness the introduction of lock out laws and the fact that the city has changed a lot in the last 15 years. This is what makes Slim Set unique, talking about specific shared issues in the city help Sydney and the rest of Aus to develop its own sound; its own story. Of Course we should be looking overseas for new and interesting trends, but if that's all we rely on then we don't have a chance to ever find our own sound like the Brits were able to do last decade. Slim Set understand this and use Australiana themes throughout a lot of their music, as a New-Australian I'm a also a big fan of the chorus performed by a featuring artist called Shady Nasty, who i've never heard of. Shady Nasty has a booming voice, like the final boss in some anime game or something:
"Every nationality under the sun,
copping a piece of the Red One (Australia)"
I've found usually with Slim Set , for me at least, that their chorus's don't usually stick and they made a good call getting this dude on the track it definitely gives the song the catchyness that it needs.
All in all I think this new track is the best thing i've seen Slim Set deliver from the visuals to the actual music. All I can say is they need to be releasing more music, I can easily see them finding an audience as their target audience are probably not too different from Triple One, consistency is the key.
Go follow Slim Set and tell them to make more music
@slimsetta
