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Skinner Box
Life is Chemistry EP
Five tracks of a very original and dark trip-hop and alternative rock blend. This is “Life is Chemistry”, the debut EP of Skinner Box, a freshly formed band from Athens, Greece, active since 2012. Why should it appear on This is Gothic Rock? Well, listen to it and you’ll hear how dark this band sounds. Skinner Box has assimilated some characteristics of Post-Punk and Dark Wave, and incorporated them to their music to create their own style. They will take you during twenty-one minutes to a world of introspection and desolation. Many influences can be heard here, from Portishead in the beautiful opening track “Goldfish Memory” and its cold, elegant trip-hop atmosphere, to Nirvana and Soundgarden in “Paperdoll People” and its haunting grunge sound. Other tracks include “A passage in time”, which has neoclassical piano and offers vocalist Vana Rose an opportunity to demonstrate her talent. She manages to do so throughout the five tracks with her strong driven voice, sometimes reminding of Tori Amos (“Goldfish Memory”). “Slow Motion” finishes to convince the listener thanks to its very tortured feel, it’s definitely the best track for me. The vocals are very dramatic here, in harmony with the dark distorted guitar and low bass, creating a great post-punk song. Although styles and influences may seem hard to fit together, “Life is Chemistry” doesn't lack cohesion, thanks to a polished production and the special atmosphere that the band manages to establish from the first track.
Guillaume Renard
