Look out, something’s brewing. There’s electricity in the air. A ball of energy concentrated in the palm of your hand, like Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, ready to blow up in your face. It’s called SKLOSS, and when it explodes, a sonic black hole will form in the psychedelic landscape, so intense that it’ll be impossible to escape. The duo (a married couple in civil life) comprising Texan drummer Karen Skloss and Scottish guitarist Sandy Carson offers an atmospheric wall so powerful that it’s comparable to the sound of space bending in on itself.
Remember when in the early 90s, music critics referred to the “Wall Of Sound” produced by the wave of saturated guitars and distorted riffs as “shoegazing”, because the musicians looked as if they were constantly staring at their shoes (or their pedals). Now imagine that same wall of sound, brought about by artists watching the stars and firmament. Renowned visual artist Thomas Hooper (who designed their artworks) coined the term “spacegaze” in response to the spacey sound developed. And spacegaze certainly fits the bill. The radical duo pushed the concept to the point of playing and interacting in skyscapes, those architectural structures (by James Turrell) whose central room has a unique opening in its ceiling, allowing you to observe the sky as if it were framed…
In short, SKLOSS delivers a lush blend of psychedelia, drone and ethereal atmospheres. Their music could be compared to a monolithic wave of sound, spreading in concentric circles after each rhythmic jolt, with melodies and haunting voices wafting like wisps of mist. A sensory experience that resonates as much with the soul as with the aura. The approach is therefore as expansive as it is immersive; intense in its radiance yet delicate in its introspection.
SKLOSS is all about contrast. A collision of Karen’s and Sandy’s influences, a telescoping of the wall of distorted guitars with percussive drums, alternating moments of pure chaos and lulls, opposing her ghostly vocals and his sharp riffs… The guitar/drums formula may have some limits, yet the creativity of these two free electrons when they collide provides scope and a lot of thrills. The approach may seem rudimentary, but we’re walking on a tightrope here with a very well thought-out dosage of sound ingredients. On the title track, the meticulousness of the patterns is expressed behind the swirl of noise and percussive attacks. There’s even a refreshing hint of pop. “Imagine 100 Dads” follows in the same spirit. With a background in the visual arts, SKLOSS delivered two visual marvels of creativity, derision, and nonsense that are well worth the detour.
“Dead Bone” and “Plugged Into Jupiter” provide moments of respite, as introspective and reverse explorations into self-discovery. These are truces before massive, percussive slabs of sound crash in, where the buzzing guitars degenerate into trance. “Ghosts Are Entertaining” pushes the concept to the extreme, when roar and saturation become a motif, a language between the material and the immaterial. You just finished a gripping, transcendental record where the roar of the amps has never been so expressive. Even tinnitus sounds pleasant.
We may have already said it before about other records, but believe us: there’s splendor emanating from this organized racket. A sonic power capable of generating a strong sensory experience and making your whole soul resonate.
Last modified: 3 April 2025
