“6” by Jerome unfolds with a delightful slow build intro, gradually leading into a solid rhythmic kick that adds a captivating pulse to the track. Vocal fragments glide over the mix, creating an otherworldly vibe that is both ambient, dark, and moody. As the track progresses, it intensifies, embracing an industrial nature that adds layers of intensity to the sonic journey.
Jerome, formed in London in 2019 and comprised of Annalisa Iembo and Stella Mathioudakis, presents a unique blend of noir club anthems, phased-out footwork, dungeon jammers, and mutant alien club hits in their latest offering. The duo, with Italian/Swedish/Greek roots, set out to create raw, soul-freeing music, diverging from their classically trained backgrounds. The result is a new form where ‘sessions’ transform into songs, adopting technoid mutations to convey desires, new needs, and a chaotic randomness that evolves into ostensibly surgical, danceable industrial rhythms.
“Moods,” the album that houses “6,” was crafted mainly on drum machines, samples, pedals, and sequences, with occasional use of spoken word and vocals. Recorded between London, Gothenburg, and Italy, the album stands out for Jerome’s stellar use of ever-shifting magnetic rhythms. These rhythms carry dissonant sonics into wondrous landscapes, as heard in tracks like “Iamyou.” The steady alien kraut 4/4s in songs like “IO” and “ITSTHEWATER” harken back to the Birmingham sound of Regis.
Jerome’s punk approach to dance music is evident throughout “Moods,” always accompanied by an intimate underbelly. Layers of atmosphere, as heard in “Framework,” showcase a unique blend where hammering beats, like those in “Edet,” transform into contained spiritual psychedelic journeys. This conceptual perspective aligns Jerome with like-minded artists such as Hiro Kone and Coil’s Drew McDowall. In their sonic exploration, club culture adopts an almost ecstatic conceptual perspective, where the mind connects to the body and the body connects to feelings.
