In Review: Skee Mask - ISS006

In a time of widespread anxiety and uncertainty, Skee Mask has delivered with ISS006 a deeply reflective, often meditative experience that allows the listeners to escape, if only for an hour an hour, from the chaotic world we find ourselves in. 

The German producer's 2018 album Compro was met with critical acclaim for its collection of genre-bending, kaleidoscopic, club-ready hits that pushed the boundaries of contemporary electronic music. His latest project, ISS006 moves away from these hard-hitting records into a lighter, musing album that balances ethereal ambience with sinister undertones that morph and glide into each record. 

The project illuminates into life on ‘Cafe Mu’ through stirring, distorted strings that are offset by delicate, almost aquatic, ambient tones that set the tone for the project - menacing yet dainty, ominous while celestial. The rich depth to the tracks provides an idyllic hideaway for the times we face. ‘MDP 5’ offers the stillness needed to briefly elude the challenging environments around us. The progressive synths on ‘Dolby’ add to this sense of tranquillity through waves of calming euphoria. 

ISS006 is never stagnant yet has a close connection with stillness. It is characterised by a peaceful ambience at the heart of everything, yet it seeds a forbidding edge that brings an alluring darkness to every track. 

Skee Mask has avoided seeking out a dance floor record, perhaps the type of style that characterises some of his other work. Instead he lets the work speak for itself, offering a timely haven to take a moment and breathe. This is intelligent electronic music, the type of which only further strengthens Skee Mask’s reputation as one of electronic music's most progressive artists. 

ISS006 is out now via  Ilian Tape.