Instrumental Insight • Noah Sims

“It feels like when I’m making music, I'm writing and being told a story at the same time.” Welcome to the world of Noah Sims, a Chicago producer whose soundscapes carry the texture, tension and complexity to give those stories intense staying power. Testament, an eclectic, lucid nine-track offering, is your introduction & his captivating first chapter. With Testament, Sims has no interest in just compiling features from the city’s rising stars. His goal is to curate viscera & weave an unforgettable narrative with close friends playing pivotal characters. Supa Bwe shreds yearbooks on "Hawaii;" Roosevelt the Titan gasps for breath on "Calm the Fuck Down;" Tree delivers plug talk from the club on "She Gets the Best Of Us." Tell your story to the latest talent from the Chi, as he recites his.

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Age: 19 • Neighborhood: Downtown • Follow: Twitter // SoundCloud

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19-year-old producer Noah Sims first stepped foot into my radar during the summer of last year. He produced a beat for soul trap veteran MC Tree on the loose single "Bang Bang". Following that release, I went back through Sims' discography and found songs he had produced for Chicago artists like Roosevelt the Titan, Morocco Brown, Taylor Bennett, and more.

Since that time last summer, Sims has received much more (well-deserved) shine. He found placement on a project with Hurt Everybody, he released loose singles with artists like Banksthegenius, and, most importantly, he began to craft his debut project, Testament. 

The nine song Testament, which sees its release today, slowly trickled into the earwaves of the public. First with "GodBody", a song featuring Sims' friend and frequent collaborator Roosevelt the Titan. Although it was released back in February, "GodBody" remains as a strong lead single for Testament. Months later, we heard "Hawaii", a show stopper of a posse track with Chicago groups Beach Jesus and Hurt Everybody. Then, following "Hawaii" and acting as the third single to Testament, Sims let loose yet another track alongside MC Tree called "She Gets the Best of Me". Slowly but surely, Sims was building up his portfolio as he provided crispy, bass-heavy backdrops for his cohorts to lyrically annihilate. 

With all of this in mind, it's only right that we highlight Noah Sims as our second addition to Instrumental Insight. His debut album Testament boasts verses from Logan, Moon, Ju, Ethos, and more. The production is church-like and full of female vocal samples from foreign lands. Sims is not afraid to use bass and his backdrops remain unrelentingly energized. Closing out the year with a strongly-crafted album, Sims is most assuredly one of the names to look out for throughout 2016. 

[Note: as you can see from the poster above, Sims and co. will be at Columbia tomorrow performing for free (with free food and drinks) for students beginning at 7:00 p.m. If you're not a Columbia student and still want to go, simply come equipped with some canned food or a charitable item.]