Hello reader,
Welcome back. Ready for an EP review?
Today, we’re going to delve into Kimmortal. That is the moniker of the artist and musician born in Surrey, BC. They utilized their upbringing, combined with talent, education (a BA in Visual Art and Art History), and passion to create hip-hop music, visual artwork, theatre (Urban Ink Theatre, Frank Theatre Co.), and spoken word that celebrates who they are. Their artistry proudly showcases their heritage, culture, and orientation in well-executed artistic forms. According to their bio, Kimmortal’s father, was “a portrait artist from Negros Occidental, Philippines and a fiery 4″11 single mother from Pangasinan,” which makes Kimmortal a second generation “settler on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.” Having experienced some of their artistry, I can say that it’s powerful, refreshing, and sticks with you; there’s greatness throughout, especially in what many would call non-traditional forms, as the art transcends. Take a look for yourself, though.
Accoring to the EP press release, “Their concept album X marks the Swirl (2019) delves into queer diasporic longing and solidarity on stolen land through the shape of the swirl.” The album was announced as a long-listed nominee for the Polaris in 2019. Later that year, it was recognized as one of the top 19 albums of 2019 via CBC and nominated in the 2020 “Hip Hop and Rap” category of Breakout West Music Awards. In March of 2022, Kimmortal’s anthem “Sad Femme Club” received a shout-out from US Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, which increased Kimmortal’s U.S. listenership. This later motivated Kimmortal to release the first single “K I’m Mortal” off their 2023 album Shoebox. Singles from this album include “Blue and Orange” which won Best Music Video Audience Choice at Oregon’s Asian American Film Festival and “This Dyke” which aired on “The L Word: Gen Q”. Kimmortal’s 2024 started off with a nomination for their original production in the CBC Original series “Sort Of” and increased followings from their track “Stop Business As Usual” dedicated to the movement for a Free Palestine.
And now, on June 11th, via Odd Doll Records comes Kimmortal’s newest musical work, Sunniest of Days EP.
Giving credit where it’s due. Sunniest of Days EP album credits:
- Producers: Kimmortal (tracks 1, 2, 3, and 5), Miles Wong (tracks 2, 3, and 5), Junia-T (track 4), Francis Arevalo (track 1), Desiree Dawson (track 1)
- Mixing: Beau Cassidy (tracks 1, 2, and 4), Kimmortal (tracks 3 and 5), Miles Wong (track 5)
- Mastering: Brock McFarlane
- Additional vocals: Shad & FRANKY on “Sunniest of Days,” Nimkish on “Bones,” & “Grey” (Super Duty Tough Work) on “Trapped!! (skit)” & “Strange Maze”
And now for some hype via the fantastic collab video for the titular song, “Sunniest of Days” from Kimmortal’s YouTube channel:
(All credits and rights to Kimmortal)
And the video for “I Just Wanna Know”
(All credits and rights to Kimmortal)
Overall, Sunniest of Days EP is an excellent EP. It’s definitely above average relative to the average EP and also to others released so far this year. My only “complaint” is that it is over too quickly. Its length reminds me of some of my favorite late 1970s, early 1980s punk EPs, though it doesn’t blister with that frantic energy, so don’t go into this listening experience expecting that. This EP seamlessly blends elements of R&B and hip-hop in its songs. The piano sounds are frequent, while the synth sounds are less frequent but still well-placed. The beats never lie. The vocals hit perfectly and flow with incredible rhythm, whether delivered in a straightforward and spoken-word style or more abstractly. Kudos to all of the artists who lent their vocals to pair with Kimmortal’s. I think the depth added and the play off of Kimmortal’s voice that Shad & FRANKY added on “Sunniest of Days” was incredible. In addition, what Nimkish added to “Bones” and what “Grey” (Super Duty Tough Work) vocals added to “Strange Maze” come together with Kimmortal to make a wonderful listening experience. Great sound mixing and mastering too. To me, this EP embodies everything you want in a conscious-style hip-hop record.
Sunniest of Days EP gets 4.5 out of 5 Scum Drops from me. Don’t be one to hold the EP’s length against it. It’s fantastic and probably the best EP you’ll hear this year. It’s a tour de force from start to finish, and you even get a skit that sets up the following song well. Go out and listen, and then add a copy to your collection.
Sunniest of Days EP Track listing [song length]
- Sunniest of Days [2:32]
- I Just Wanna Know [3:21]
- Trapped (skit) [0:21]
- Strange Maze [3:05]
- Bones [3:38]
Total runtime: 12:57
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. The listening process with Sunniest of Days EP will take nearly 13 minutes from start to finish, and less than half an hour if you listen twice back-to-back. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without the influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, I found the songs highlighted in green font above to be my favorite songs on this album.
You can follow and listen to Kimmortal at their links below:
- Their fabulous website: kimmortalportal.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kimmortaltheartist
- Bandcamp: kimmortal.bandcamp.com
- YouTube: youtube.com/@kimmortaltheartist
- Spotify: Kimmortal on Spotify
- Apple Music: Kimmortal – Apple Music
Some upcoming North American tour dates:
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June 13th – Bindlestiff – San Francisco, USA
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June 14th – Indigefest – Sacramento, USA
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June 17th- Jazz Fest Winnipeg – Winnipeg, Canada
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June 20th- Sled Island Festival – Calgary, Canada
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June 29th – San Francisco Pride – San Francisco, USA @ 2:40 pm
Soulovely Pride in Oakland – Oakland, USA @ 7:00 pm -
July 2nd – Joe’s Pub – New York City, USA
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July 4th – FreshUp – Hamilton, Canada
Thank you for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site: scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions!
Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
