Skoyz- Hologram

Artist: Skoyz
CD Title: Hologram
Label: Cortex Records
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 7/24/06

Of the new breed of terror EBM acts, Skoyz is one of the best of the bunch, creating dark electronic soundscapes and punishing dance beats with a subtlety that sets them apart from the myriad Suicide Commando imitators. While "Metamorph" provides a touch of tongue-in-cheek humor with some well-placed Bruce Campbell samples, by and large Skoyz eschew zombie movie camp in favor of creepy atmospheres, with thick choral effects and drawn out string pads giving "Zoom" and "Dark Energy" a cinematic feel comparable to Yelworc. For harder-hitting dance floor material, "Distress/Signal" mixes a pounding drum machine with echoing demonic vocals, while "Reflexion" makes things a bit more dynamic with rising trance-inspired crescendos. Apart from the slow rise and fall of the more minimal "Distorted Dreams," most of Skoyz's work is fairly predictable in terms of rhythm, but this is remedied by a nice selection of remixes. Haujobb's Daniel Myer shows up with a clinical ambient reworking of "Cold Colour," while Skoyz themselves provide a mix of the same song that ditches the spooky vibe in favor of a more uplifting psychedelic trance interpretation. The Polygon mix of "Zoom" is also worth a listen, with slow echoing breakbeats, haunting pianos, and a cleaner vocal approach that adds emotional impact to the raspy whisper of the original. With an ear for chilling harmonies that distinguishes them from more formulaic terror EBM acts, Skoyz have enough talent to become the next big name in the industrial club scene.

Visit Skoyz online at www.skoyz.fr.st for more information.