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Skinshape

Craterellus Tubaeformis

    For fans of Khruangbin, El Michels Affair, Madlib and Bonobo. Features the singles ‘It’s Real, ‘Amnesia’, and ‘The Ocean’. Will Dorey aka Skinshape has proven himself time and again a connoisseur for the cosmopolitan, across a prolific career expertly exploring understated sounds and theatrical textures. Taking his place alongside the likes of Khruangbin, Tame Impala, Bonobo and Madlib, Skinshape’s global kaleidoscopes are loaded with warmth and wisdom created on vintage analogue equipment applying a perfectionist’s touch.

    As a former member of indie band Palace, he has played everywhere from Glastonbury and BBC Maida Vale to headlining Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Speaking on his latest record Craterellus Tubaeformis, Dorey remarks, "As I continue to make albums, I always try to capture some elements of the original Skinshape style. Here I ran through albums 1-3. This record is really an echo of the "Life & Love" era of Skinshape, playful psychedelia, with punchy beats, fun surprises, and an attempt at meaningful lyrics." Named after a very specific genus of edible mushroom, Craterellus Tubaeformis shares all the attributes of its nutritious counterpart due to how difficult both are to cultivate. Skinshape’s music is the product of a highly devoted and meticulous composer who uses some of the rarest analogue equipment out there. The product is such a definitive sound heard nowhere else but so easily identified as Skinshape. 

    TRACK LISTING

    A1 The Pool Of Dee
    A2 It's Real
    A3 The Ocean
    A4 The Longest Shadow
    A5 Care About Me
    A6 Nobody Knows
    A7 Quiet
    B1 Amnesia
    B2 Zanzibar
    B3 Ganymede
    B4 The Lady
    B5 Peace Piece
    B6 Country Woman

    For fans of Khruangbin, El Michels Affair, Tame Impala and Bonobo. “I spent a while thinking about the title for this album; it was quite hard to pin down the feeling I felt it represented. At a certain point I realized it was nostalgia, for everything; our life passed by, childhood, moments of happiness and sadness, where we grew up”. – Skinshape.

    Will Dorey aka Skinshape has proven himself time and again as a connoisseur for the cosmopolitan, across a prolific career expertly exploring understated sounds and theatrical textures. Taking his place alongside the likes of Khruangbin, Tame Impala, Bonobo and Madlib, Skinshape’s global kaleidoscopes are loaded with warmth and wisdom created on vintage analogue equipment applying a perfectionist’s touch. As a former member of indie band Palace, he has played everywhere from Glastonbury and BBC Maida Vale to headlining Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Conversely as a solo artist Skinshape has never played live preferring to record, releasing an album a year (two in 2020’s lockdown) and keeping away from the trappings of stardom.

    Full of gilded guitars, tantalizing Rhodes, languid strings and chords that fill the soul with joy - "Nostalgia" is the perfect accompaniment for road trips through the countryside and afternoon languishing by the riverside. Recommended! 


    STAFF COMMENTS

    Matt says: A beautifully vibrant, relaxed, and heart warming album that sits alongside it's current contemporaries in fine style. Every group of friends’ve got someone who can make baggy pants and a floral shirt look good, and this album is that person!

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Theme For Lazarus
    2. Better Chances
    3. Dreams Of Panama
    4. Moonlight Walk
    5. Albion
    6. High Tide, Storm Rising
    7. Turn Away
    8. Bohanon's Cornucopia
    9. Bad Dreams
    10. Fish & Chips
    11. Dawn

    Skinshape

    Skinshape

      Originally released in 2014 and available for the first time on CD. CD only bonus tracks ‘Surf Rider’ and ‘Rainy Dub’ Written, recorded, mixed and produced by Will Dorey, Skinshape’s self-titled debut album showcases the talents of the then 23 year old. Recorded in bedrooms, lounges and ‘The Arch’ studio in North London the trademark ‘Skinshape’ sound was already starting to emerge. Everything from psychedelia and rock to indie and dub is explored. A stunning debut for a now much loved artist.

      TRACK LISTING

      1 Live By The Day
      2 The Place Upstream
      3 Heartache
      4 Shangri-La
      5 Sunday Morning (feat. Aaron Taylor)
      6 You Don’t Love Me
      7 Stabo (feat. Anina)
      8 Bonus Breaks
      9 Rainy Dub (CD Only Bonus Track)
      10 Surf Rider (CD Only Bonus Track)

      Skinshape

      I Didn’t Know (Extended) / I Didn’t Know (Dub)

        With over 15000,000 (yes, fifteen million!) plays on YouTube and over 2,000,000 on Spotify we thought it was only fair that Skinshape’s most popular song was released on glorious vinyl. The track is already on the ‘Filoxiny’ album so Skinshape extended the mix and backed it with a dub version for the flip. Skinshape is the project of British musician William Dorey. The sound has roots in many genres but in particular 1960s Funk, Soul, Reggae, Psychedelic Rock, Afrobeat and Folk.

        Aside from the Skinshape project Dorey was bassist for the band Palace from 2014-2017 and also runs a reggae label called Horus Records based in North London. About I Didn’t Know from Dorey himself: “This is the most 'pop' song I've possibly ever made, and possibly the most 'modern' sounding. It is about being in a difficult relationship and not knowing how to deal with it and making mistakes as a result. I wrote and recorded most of the song around the drum pattern, and created some (terrible sounding) digital orchestral parts temporarily whilst I created the body of the song. I recorded the strings and horns in the last part of the recording process before doing the final mixes. The horns were recorded separately with the help of my long-time friend (since school) and master arranger Jon Moody (of the group Franc Moody).”

        Building on the success of 2018’s ‘Filoxiny’ (listed as one of Q Magazine’s ‘354 Albums to Blow Your Mind’) and this year’s ‘Umoja’ (“a pleasure to listen to from start to finish” – Songlines magazine) – both of whose singles have peppered the playlists of BBC 6 Music and have lead to his helming of a Bandcamp takeover - Skinshape returns with the witheringly, prophetically titled ‘Arrogance is the Death of Men’. Written and recorded between November 2019 and July 2020, Skinshape bids to recreate something akin to the ‘old style’ of ‘Oracolo’ (2015) and ‘Life & Love’ (2017). With ‘Arrogance…’, Will Dorey’s blueprint points to a simple formula, aligning a bank of fresh drum breaks recorded at the end of 2019 to whatever he had to hand, for a long player recorded in the majority at home due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

        Forever balanced between sweetness and a sigh, as per his position ‘Behind the Sun’, the Skinshape essence, intricate yet always reachable, at times tailored in a single session and sourcing archive bric-a-brac when required, is all around on the sweetly strummed ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘The Eastern Connection’, featuring Ivan Kormanak on drums. Maintaining an incisive knowledge of global sounds that keeps him in the filmic company of Khruangbin and El Michels Affair, Dorey’s listening to vintage Vietnamese music and Asian film scores provides the basis of ‘Sound of Your Voice’ and ‘Flight of the Erhu’, starring Wan Pinchu on Erhu violin. Acutely aware of the world’s ongoing health crisis without preaching about the whys and wherefores, the title track and ‘Losing My Mind’ reflect enforced confinement as tranquil songs of both quiet consideration yet powerful release. Dorey’s guitar pieces and wraith-like soul continue to flicker with fascination as Indian Summers and fireside retreats beckon, with ‘Watching From The Shadows’ - about “standing up for yourself, and avoiding the limelight for your own good”– and ‘Outro’ gently bringing the album to rest

        TRACK LISTING

        A1. Tomorrow
        A2. Sound Of Your Voice
        A3. Arrogance Is The Death Of Men
        A4. The Eastern Connection
        A5. Behind The Sun..
        B1. Another Day
        B2. Losing My Mind
        B3. Flight Of The Erhu
        B4. Watching From The Shadows
        B5. Outro

        Skinshape

        Umoja

          Fifth studio album featuring Malcolm Catto, D'Alma, Idd Aziz and Modou Touré. Includes the singles Sua Alma, In The End and Afande. His most accomplished album to date Will Dorey aka Skinshape moved out of his comfort zone to create a new sound while retaining his trademark feel. While Skinshape has often been influenced by African music ‘Umoja’ directly incorporates styles and rhythms from the continent. Drawing on London’s vast talent pool from across the globe collaborators bring the essence of Senegal, Portugal, Ghana and Kenya via Norway no name but a few.

          The initial plan was to travel to various African nations to record ‘Umoja’. This proved to be an unnecessary step because Skinshape's hometown of London ended up bearing many fruits. It was a challenging project for Dorey taking a year and a half of dedicated work to complete with many ideas left unfinished along the way. The album has a very global feel which was enhanced at the end of the process by a collaboration with Japanese painter Ken-ichi Omura. Fans of Skinshape’s distinctive voice will not be disappointed as he features on ‘In The End’ and ‘Sun’. Long-time friend and collaborator Jon Moody (from the band Franc Moody) wrote the album’s horn parts. 

          TRACK LISTING

          Side 1
          1 Sua Alma (feat. D'Alma)
          2 In The End
          3 Afande (feat. Idd Aziz)
          4 Kourou (feat. Modou Touré)
          5 Azon De Ma Gnin..

          Side 2
          6 Amigos E Inimigos (feat. D'Alma)
          7 Sunny Day
          8 Sudan (feat. Idd Aziz)
          9 Dourlé (feat. Modou Touré)
          10 Lehin Ti Aye Ba Iku

          Skinshape

          Filoxiny

            Skinshape is the project of British musician, William Dorey. The sound has roots in many genres, but in particular 1960s-70s Funk, Soul, Reggae, Psychedelic Rock, Afrobeat and Folk. Skinshape grew out of a love for old music and the way it sounded. Initially Dorey experimented with samples (especially drum breaks) to create instrumental hip-hop/trip-hop tracks, but then later started to play around with tape machines as a means to create his own 'samples'. This process gave birth to Skinshape, with all elements being recorded by Dorey since the first self-titled album, released in 2014. He released his second album Oracolo in 2015, and in 2017 he released his third album 'Life & Love.' Aside from the Skinshape project, Dorey was bassist for the band Palace from 2014-2017, and also runs a reggae label called Horus Records, based in North London. 

            TRACK LISTING

            1. After Midnight
            2. I Didn't Know
            3. Metanoia
            4. Shimmer 
            5. Breathe
            6. Life As One
            7. We Lose
            8. Filoxiny


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