I always had trouble defining the music of Hypnoskull. It is a mixture of beat orientated industrial, breakcore and post-gabber. This new album is no exception. You will find a collection of harsh and loud sounds within the borders of the above mentioned genres.
I must say that it is really a hard job to sit down, listen to Dark Skies Over Planet E. and relax. But, it is also hard to dance to most of this music. The rhythms and structures are often going where you wouldn’t expect them to go. As I said… it is really hard to define Hypnoskull.
What is sure is that this new album is again an electronic noise attack. The music is hectic and nervous. Dark Skies Over Planet E. is also a very long album. Next to the 16 racks that form the actual album there are 6 more tracks added from the Urban Territory Intruders 12”.
These tracks are reworks and remixes done by other musicians like Needle Sharing and Sick Boy. Very nice is the collaboration between Hypnoskull and the Mike van Raspaarden Quartet. The track ‘Jazzkommando’ is a sort of free-jazz piece with electronic rhythms. Last year I saw these project together live in Belgium and it was a very weird but excellent combination, as is this track.
All together Dark Skies Over Planet E. is almost 80 minutes of electronic noises. Fans of beat orientated industrial will be delighted with this release, but I guess people who like some melodies with their industrial will have to look elsewhere.