Stainway to Heaven
2002/03/21 18:24 | category: Music | tags: cd
SPECDR02022 | Some Place Else 2002
Tracklist:
01. Retrohacktivist
02. Stainway to Heaven
03. Minor Failure in Point Blank
04. Gain No Glory
Playing time 23 minutes.
Brought forth at MooPica Healing Box 2.0, Turku, Finland, autumn 2001–spring 2002, except track 02 (originally called Drenalin), which was around dead but dreaming since 1998 but didn’t come to full awareness until February 2002, when this version was completed.
These tracks were remastered and reissued in 2008 in the compilation album Short Cuts & Dead Ends along with other rare material from the same period.
Reviews
“Niko Skorpio‘s Stainway to Heaven is an interesting work, in the Skorpio style. The listener doesn’t get off easily, as the EP directly in to the deep end and grabs the listener along. On the surface and for the first few rounds of listening, the EP may come off as an uneven collection of unconnected and stylistically quite differing material, but one can find a “internal story” in it (whether it actually is there, or not – the truth/beauty is in the ear of the beholder).
Retrohacktivist starts off the EP with a hint on what will come. “Sound is released in order to fix a past event or three.” This is the fix, what’s being fixed is revealed later… Haunting piece, in its own way.
Stainway To Heaven is “The” track of the EP. It has the lyrics, the atmosphere and the heat to truly fit the title. It is the sound of sexual bliss to the point of being pure animalistic energy – “dirty”. Something many dream of, but may never experience… Union in levels beyond that of the flesh. The skilful distortion of the vocals leaves room for one’s own interpretations on what’s being said. Interpretations that are more telling on what’s going on in the listener’s mind than in that of the song writer’s.
Minor Failure In Point Blank conjures images of breakage between one point and another, switching the “internal channels” to another form of thinking/being.
Gain No Glory – The dragging, whining, groaning over 7 minutes long version of the old Gloria Gaynor hit paints images of downright painful self-reassuring and self-reprogramming: “I will survive, I will survive”. The ecstatic, highly energized, thoroughly sexual bliss had ended and it’s time to put oneself together after a hard fall from high, while still suffering from the aftermath. It may sound like surviving isn’t happening in any near future; it may sound like there’s more the likelihood of crashing than getting back on one’s feet again. However, under all this, there’s still is the underlying assurance that it was not the end, after all. Gain No Glory forms a fitting pair to the EP’s title track in a disturbing (in a good manner) way.
All in all, a great EP that does grow on you with each listens, lasting numerous rounds on your CD-player. Highly recommended uneasy listening.” (Commentary from a listener)
“Niko Skopio, hiding behind the Some Place Else label’s mask, brings forth twisted wallpaper patterning on his new four track mini. Skorpio’s musical menu has contained more alternative auditory meals than many will even taste in their whole lives; stylistically called electro madness, sick-hop, power ambient, illbient and whatnot. The first track digs into slow low mass, from which slowly emerges acoustic guitars and tempo of sedated drumming. The title track twists the mind upside down and moves to more energetic upslope, which reminds somewhat of hilarious Aavikko-style athmosphere. Minor failure in Point Blank track downright cuts the strings of your nerves with noise-y buzz of ambient and fragmented resonance. The last track is a retrospect of Glorya Gaynor’s I Will Survive, awakening the inner retardo of the listener, as the song is an oppressively splendid interpretation. On the menu cholesterosis and a trombosis is near.” (Inferno)
“Niko Skorpio from Turku is an artist one can expect almost anything from, as far as I know. Perhaps with the exception of music that’s rigid or foreseeable, though. Bizarre and chaotic is what this gent’s latest production, the four-track mini-album Stainway to Heaven is like, at any rate.
The first track, Retrohacktivist begins with low humming space sounds slowly forming weird melodies, until they are replaced by heavy-tempo’ed drumming and chords played slowly on an acoustic guitar, reminding me of the composing style of Angelo Badalamenti. The album’s title track is almost hilariously catching; happy melodies are beating and crackling on top of a fast jazz-accompaniment and there’s something that resembles singing on the background. The third track Minor Failure in Point Blank, is, in turn, undefined noise-ambient. On the background there’s a wavy drone and on top incidental, sometimes truly ear-hurting bursts of din. All tracks are, in spite of their strangeness and experimental nature, carried out very well both when it comes to their concepts and sound techniques. The only weak case on the album is the last song, where a weak whining voice is singing Gloria Gaynor’s hit song I Will Survive, backed up by dragging accompaniment. The chaotic nature of this album is confusing in the beginning, but once you get used to the style, the album proves to be very enjoyable and downright genious.” (Kuolleen Musiikin Yhdistys)
