Delayed with... Simsaara
For this week’s edition of our ‘Delayed with’ series, we head east with Belgian artist Simsaara to Chunyou Festival, a gathering in the capital of the Sichuan province of China, Chengdu. The set marked the final chapter of a 3-month solo backpacking journey across six Asian countries as well as tour stops in China, Korea, Vietnam & Japan.
Siméon & I crossed paths just over a year ago, at La Nature Festival in the forests of eastern Belgium. I recall seeing his smiling face amongst the vibrant La Chapelle stage dancefloor & introducing myself. He later shared that same stage for a dubstep & breaks-filled b2b with Atoloi. Siméon grew up in a village just beyond those rolling hills, along the border of neighboring Germany, wedged between Luxembourg in the south & the Netherlands just above. The region felt strangely familiar to me the first time I was there, growing up in Vermont & currently residing in upstate New York where the landscape bears an uncanny resemblance. I felt like I could immediately relate to Siméon’s deep connection to nature, something that influences the music he plays as well as his involvement other art mediums, such as his work in graphic design. There is this psychedelic thread that weaves its way through everything he touches. He pulls inspiration from the omnipresent fungi & mycelium networks of the forest floor, the symbiotic processes that make up the ecosystem of our natural world & the ever-changing systems that churn away often unnoticed all around us. As head of visuals & communication for La Nature / NoName / Fleur Sauvage, Siméon is responsible for the crafting & curation of a front-facing visual identity for this festival we know & love. In addition to these visual responsibilities, he’s also a talented DJ appearing at the festival annually, as well as regular NoName events throughout the year, & on tour around the world.
This past spring was his first opportunity to play music across Asia, which he was lucky enough to balance out with some personal explorations across numerous cities & rural towns throughout his time there. It was an experience that understandably had a profound impact on him. Today’s set was the culmination of his experiences over the course of those travels back in April, as he channeled those feelings of openness & connection that can often arise from a particularly inspiring trip to very special new places. I’ve heard numerous comments over the years from friends who have talked specifically about the scene in China being one of the most open & creatively fulfilling places they’ve played. When reflecting upon this recording & his experience at Chunyou, Siméon shared that “it was one of the first times I truly felt completely free while guiding such a receptive crowd through my universe: a blend of techno, bass music, and IDM, all shaped through polyrhythmic structures. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
