SKINSHAPE レコード& CD

Review: If you don't know William Dorey already then chances are you're about to realise you've been missing out on quite the artist. Working as Skinshape, he's managed to garner a quiet cult following for his relatively quiet music, designed to unwind to, allow worries of the day to unwind, and dissipate into a concoction of psychedelic pop, downtempo electronica and dubby grooves.
Turn Away, a two-track single featuring titular piece and 'Dreams of Panama' is the latest case in point. Sublime melodies and deceptively advanced acoustic guitar work set to lackadaisical rhythms and beat patterns, soothing brass and synthesised strings helping capture a real mood. Which, specifically, is all about slowing down, and taking time to appreciate the moment. Designed to transport you to far away places, real and imagined, it sounds reductive to say these are bonafide travelling tunes but they are. The real joy is they also sound incredible when standing still.

Review: Talk about fitting titles for an album. Skinshape has pretty much hit the nail on the head with this one, presenting a lush and intoxicating 11 tracks of calm (or, perhaps more accurately, cool) waters waiting for you to float on. These are pieces informed by 1960s movie scores, 70s funk, southern US psychedelic blues, and all manner of genres and subgenera that place an emphasis on sticky heat tempos, guitar licks, and a feeling of keeping one eye on the rear view mirror while cruising imagined highways.

Another triumph by the artist, if those descriptions aren't really cutting it then think the quietest ends of Khruanbin, Bonobo on a beach day, and El Michels Affair at their most soulful and cinematic. Transportive stuff, while purposefully informed and influenced by songs of the past, somehow Skinshape manages to paint fresh mental pictures with these familiar brushes.