My name is Simon "Sludge" Hawemann. I'm a German expat living in Portland, Oregon as well as a touring musician, indie record label owner and mastering engineer with a decade-spanning obsession for gear.So it should come as no surprise that the idea for Cult FX was born out of a tone-chasing rabbit hole and my eternal hunt for the perfect pedal.

As s a very visual and aesthetics-driven person, seeking out dealer exclusives and limited variants is something that's already ingrained in my DNA as a vinyl collector.

This path also led me to discover the visually and sonically striking pedals of lichtlaerm audio from Berlin, Germany. Daniel and I bonded over our similar music tastes and gear preferences, which resulted in co-developing the first ever Cult FX pedal: the Total Distortion Worship.

Having designed guitar models and limited runs with brands like ESP, Axe Palace and Hapas Guitars in the past, the process felt natural to me and provided even more inspiration to start Cult FX.