Alien Skin – P.O.P. Pop (CD Album – ScentAir Records)
Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, minimal-pop.
Background/Info: Set up in 2008
Alien Skin’s creative spirit George Pappas will be always linked to Reaf Life
and their ‘universal’ hit “Send Me An Angel”. Alien Skin will be familiar to
all A Different Drum fans, but since the label closed its doors Alien Skin
mainly self-released its new work. “P.O.P. Pop” is a new official work released
on the Russian label ScentAir.
Content: This album made me
rediscover Alien Skin. The electro-pop basis remains pretty similar, but I get
the impression the work became more minimal-like and still more original. It
sometimes feels a bit like electro-pop has been mixed with elements of IDM. The
vocals have something inhibited, which totally matches with the music.
+ + + : Alien Skin accomplished a
true masterpiece. This is a real avant-garde approach in the genre, but it
still sounds like a ‘genre’ that has to be explored. The minimal sound
treatments reflect an intelligent creation composed by an artist in search of
new ideas. The songs are elaborate, revealing cool astral sound treatments, icy
sequences, but still great synth lines. Somewhere in between retro influences and
pure modernism, this album has something visionary and absolutely refreshing.
– – – : The artwork appears to be
the single element of the work, which could have been more artistic. But
there’s no reason to complain.
Conclusion: If you think that electro-pop
is stagnating for too many years, Alien Skin’s new work will be a real relief.
This is a great and visionary opus, which also is one of the best productions
ever released on ScentAir.
Best songs: “Charles Dickens”,
“P.O.P. Pop”, “Monochrome”, “Isambard Kingdom Brunel”, “Isn’t It Chiché?”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.alienskinmusic.com / www.facebook.com/alienskinmusic
Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords
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