Gareth Skinner’s second studio album ‘Looking for Vertical’ is set to be released by Rubber Records (pre-order available at http://www.rubberrecords.com.au/). It is the follow up to the 2006 debut, ‘Eternal Nowhere’ which was described as a “challenging and intense, yet strangely beautiful album”. Skinners varied array of musical influences is perhaps best demonstrated by his film work. Between studio albums, Skinner Composed, Produced and co-performed on the feature film soundtrack for Boy Town and most recently did a short horror film, Corrections by Bob Franklin.
An accomplished cello player, ‘Looking for Vertical’ is a cello fuelled masterpiece, in which Skinner manages to combine moments of tortured, delirium [‘Yer Pointless Life’, ‘Vernon, Florida’] enveloped by intense tenderness and painstaking beauty, as so poignant with ‘Wingspan’ and ‘Intermission’.
Recorded at Hothouse St Kilda, Gareth performed 90% of ‘Looking for Vertical’ himself, with guest vocals from Laura MacFarlain (99) and Kirsty Stegwazi (The Bites).
‘Looking for Vertical’ defies classification. To call it merely experimental or eclectic seems somewhat inapt. Skinner wields his cello to evoke emotions to intensify the exploration of every aspect of the human condition. This album contains something for every music lover, but more than that, it contains something for those craving an escape from the colourless sound-scape in which we often find ourselves. Friend and fellow member of The Holy Sea perhaps put it best when saying ‘Looking for Vertical’ “is the restless work of an artist committed to the refutation of mediocrity”.
‘Looking For Vertical’ is now availiable on CD and Digital Download
http://www.rubberrecords.com.au
http://www.garethskinner.com
