Music Reviews

Skymark - The Sound Of Silence

There's nothing like a jolt of some twisted psychedelic soul that just takes your mind on a natural high. That's the  feeling one might have after listening to "The Sound Of Silence" by Skymark. Skymark, who is also a member of dj collective Soul Sociedad has crafted an album filled with irresistible hip-hop beats, jazzy grooves and warped out synth arrangements that grab your attention with vice grip intensity. Among the highlights are “Understand” and “There You Go”, both of which feature the deep voice of rapper/singer Black Spade. The latter of those two is a neck snapping organ grinding beat treat worthy of repeated listens. “Ancestral Summer” sparkles with cosmic Fender Rhodes reminiscent of early Lonnie Liston Smith classics. The cosmic vibes and the thick mellow beats are augmented by the talented singer Ovasoul 7. “Pleasure Remix” is a bit lighter than most of the tracks here but no less exotic and entertaining. Joseph Junior sprinkles his velvet voice on the track to add additional coloring to this musical canvas. As gifted as these vocalists are, these compositions stand on their own as hypnotic and imaginative slices of future soul that should propel this disc to one of the highlights of the year. Highly Recommended.

Reg Dancy, 01/11