The Pattern Speaks. Skloss

Skloss is a totally new name for me. The duo from Glasgow and Austin has come into my life with a musical bang. This is psychrock territory with full on drumming, distorted guitars but also female/male vocals, that alternate throughout the songs.

A Glasgow - Austin duo? It must be a record. Not that long ago it would have been impossible. Modern communication is a treasure in many ways, let's not focus on the downsides while listening to The Pattern That Speaks. Neither speculate what the breaking down of inter-Atlantic relations could mean to modern communications.

My ears tell me that Skloss is not a duo where its music is concerned, as its songs are impossible to reproduce as is with just the two of them. There is a layer of guitars stacked on top of each other. Opening song 'The Pattern Speaks' may begin with one instrument, it sounds like a Hammond through a Lesley speaker, when the guitar comes in the duo setting is already let go off and that is only the start of the stacking, while not counting Karen Skloss' bass drum and singing. Soon after one after the other guitar, distorted, wobbly or both enter the mix.

Reading the bio, the distance becomes less spectacular as Skloss formed in Austin when husband and wife American drummer/vocalist Karen Skloss (Moving Panoramas) and Scottish guitarist/vocalist Sandy Carson (Iglomat) decided to work together leading to debut EP 'Voices Travel Through This' (2022). The next step is a debut album recorded with producer Charles Godfrey (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Swans). The result is an album that is some heavy shit. Think The Black Angels, also from Austin, and then take a left turn. Skloss starts where The Black Angels have reached its outer limits. 

'Imagine 100 Dads' is the example song for me. It starts with a psychedelicly sung intro, twice, first male than female. Without real lyrics it seems. Slowly more enters and the tension is built up, waiting for the explosion. It arrives like a slow burn. There is anger and then some more and some. Dark clouds hang over the song. The lead guitar sound reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins. Speaking moves to shouting and then yelling, if not fisticuffs, all translated into the music and the loudness of the guitars, ending in digital last breaths.

If you like this song, I'm sure that you'll find your way into the rest of the album. Expect to be pounded on your eardrums but also to be musically pleased.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order The Pattern Speaks here:

https://skloss.bandcamp.com/album/the-pattern-speaks