Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, minimal-pop.

Background/Info: Set up in 2008 Alien Skin’s creative spirit George Pappas will be always linked to Reaf Life and their ‘universal’ hit “Send Me An Angel”. Alien Skin will be familiar to all A Different Drum fans, but since the label closed its doors Alien Skin mainly self-released its new work. “P.O.P. Pop” is a new official work released on the Russian label ScentAir.

Content: This album made me rediscover Alien Skin. The electro-pop basis remains pretty similar, but I get the impression the work became more minimal-like and still more original. It sometimes feels a bit like electro-pop has been mixed with elements of IDM. The vocals have something inhibited, which totally matches with the music.

+ + + : Alien Skin accomplished a true masterpiece. This is a real avant-garde approach in the genre, but it still sounds like a ‘genre’ that has to be explored. The minimal sound treatments reflect an intelligent creation composed by an artist in search of new ideas. The songs are elaborate, revealing cool astral sound treatments, icy sequences, but still great synth lines. Somewhere in between retro influences and pure modernism, this album has something visionary and absolutely refreshing.

– – – : The artwork appears to be the single element of the work, which could have been more artistic. But there’s no reason to complain.

Conclusion: If you think that electro-pop is stagnating for too many years, Alien Skin’s new work will be a real relief. This is a great and visionary opus, which also is one of the best productions ever released on ScentAir.

Best songs: “Charles Dickens”, “P.O.P. Pop”, “Monochrome”, “Isambard Kingdom Brunel”, “Isn’t It Chiché?”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.alienskinmusic.com / www.facebook.com/alienskinmusic

Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords