Es scheint immer noch etwas exotisch anmutend, wenn man düstere EBM und Dark Electro Klänge aus Frankreich hört. Schließlich ist dieses Land noch nicht wirklich so berühmt für ihre elektronische Musiktradition. Einer der mittlerweile bekanntesten Vertreter aus diesem Land sind Skoyz, die sich auch auf vielen Samplern befinden. Nach ihren Supports bei Konzerten von VNV Nation und Funker Vogt, haben sie im Jahre 2002 ihr erstes Werk "Decay" veröffentlicht (auf einem deutschen Label). Danach kamen zahlreiche Auftritte und leider auch ein folgenschwerer Entschluss, bei Black Flames zu unterzeichnen, das ja mittlerweile die Pforten dicht gemacht hat und somit ihr zweites Album eine lange Verzögerung erfahren musste, bis es endlich auf Cortex Records veröffentlicht wurde. "Hologram" bietet dabei eine interessante Mischung. Der verzerrte Flüstergesang wird von eher trancigen und fließenden Sequenzen umgeben und der Beat ist ebenfalls weniger aufdringlich, sondern fügt sich organisch in die Stücke. Damit bringt das Duo eine interessante Komponente ins Spiel, die den Stücken auch eine gute Verdaubarkeit verleiht. Weit entfernt klingen Seabound nach, wenngleich auch Skoyz' Kompositionen gradliniger sind. "Cold Colour", "Reflexion" und "Metamorph" sind die besten Anspieltipps, wenn man sich ein Bild machen möchte vom neuen Werk. Abgerundet wird das Album mit interessanten, weil völlig entgegengesetzten Remixen von Interlace, Daniel Myer, Polygon und anderen.


Elektrauma

 

 

This is the second work written by Skyoz, an ebm duo from Lyon. The band exists since 1995 and their electronic style is built up by using analog machines which create that typical atmosphere you can find in records such as VNV Nation's ones or other names lake this. In fact, in the year 2000 the duo played as a support act for VNV themselves… But the most interesting thing is that Skyoz, this year, played with Front 242 for their 25th anniversary! However, this album has to be listened to, most of all for the perfection which can be found in each composition. The most appealing song are Cold Colour and Distorted Dreams, catchy tunes with nice synths stuctures. I am not an ebm freak but when this kind of music is played with passion and control of the synthesizers I must admit it makes great impact! In cases like these it's not just a question of dancing (as it sometimes occurs with some ebm bands) but a nice occasion for listening to the choices of sounds as well.
Chain DLK - Kaf Mardel (06/2006)

This second full-length release of the both French Electro/Industrial musicians Stephane Ayas and Nicolas Ussel aka Skoyz is a long-awaited one. It was entitled to be out on the Polish Black Flames label in summer 2005, but shortly before it got released, the label quitted its business. So Skoyz had to look for a new label and after a while they got picked up by their fellowmen of Cortex-Records, the label which brought out the excellent Neon Cage Experiment. It has taken a long time after the release of their promising debut "Decay" on the German Matrix Cube label, but to wait for this new one was worth it. A lot of stuff they've been produced and conceived as well, and so this CD really can be called a "full-length" with a playing time of about 73 minutes. 9 new track including the well placed compilation appearances "Dark Energy" and "Distress/Signal" are on here, plus you'll get 6 remixes done and recreated by good names like the mentioned Neon Cage Experiment, Destroïd, Interlace, The Crystalline Effect, Polygon and Skoyz themselves, offering a lighter version of one of the best tracks here, "Cold Colour". Skoyz play a refreshing kind of Dark Electro with cold distorted vocals, thick arranged atmospheric synth layers and rotating bass lines, at times with some filter manipulations reminding on some Techno productions. This "Hologram" release got mastered by Mike Johnson in his renowned Mao-Music studios (Agonoïze, Infekktion, Virtual Embrace...), so the result is a well produced Electro/EBM album which is not like anything else. It features of course a lot of pieces which go straight forward to storm the floors of the dark clubs on this globe, although it avoids a curry favor of too often heard Hellektro releases. Rich and detailed programming work also give a total satisfying experience under some good headphones as well. Skoyz are for sure next to the already mentioned Neon Cage Experiment and some others like E.S.R. or Tamtrum one of the leading acts playing hard Electro/EBM/Industrial music France has to offer and this "Hologram" is an excellent example of this from track 1 to track 15. What are you waiting for? Get it!!! Chain DLK - Mark Tater (06/2006)

www.chaindlk.com

 

 

Ultra boosté à coup de marteau-piqueur dopé aux amphétamines nouvelle génération, l'electro dark du duo lyonnais Skoyz, teinté d'une trance psychédélique omniprésente, va en étonner et surtout en secouer plus d'un. Les tubes dancefloor s'enchaînent les uns après les autres et nous décalquent le cerveau sur la voûte de notre cave préférée. Inutile de carburer aux produits psychothropes pour s'éclater à l'écoute de "Dark energy", "Hologram", "Metamorph" et autre "Distorted dreams" puisque les stupéfiantes compositions de Stéphane A. et Nico font largement le travail à elles seules. La voix saturée est mise en retrait pour laisser place à une musique hallucinogène très aboutie. Suite aux neufs nouveaux titres, six remixes, parmi lesquels on retrouve Neon Cage Experiment et Daniel Myer d'Haujobb, viennent compléter le deuxième album du groupe avec réussite sans pour autant changer de registre. Un très bon album, original (...)
DuskDawn (06/2006)


DuskDawn

 

 

Stand ground all fans of dark-electro and real EBM freaks, this is your "must have" release. "Hologram", Skoyz's second full album, was announced with a lot of buzz and drums, but in the end it's the music that has to demonstrate is deserves this wreath.
Luckily Skoyz isn't yet another blueprint of suicide commando, but has In Strict Confidence and Haujobb influences. They produce good quality electronic tracks which are dancefloor oriented. On the other hand all tracks start with a floating intro and some filmscores which makes them not that dj friendly for cueing the right frame.
"Hologram" is very IDM and even trance oriented but it is too clean. It misses an edge and some uncontrolled aggressiveness. Only the vocals can bring in some rage and anger.
The remixes that come on top of Skoyz productionz bring in some more experimental sounds, with as climax the "Cold Colour" remixes. The industrial tinted Daniel Myer "destroid makes you freeze mix" and Skoyz's own "Phoenix Mix" with a nice vocoder.
Dark-electro fans this is absolutely a release that will appeal and will shake many dark dancefloors. For the EBM or even TBM side of the story, get rid of the trancey stuff, there are electro(clash) and techno releases that breathe a lot more EBMness than this.
Gothtronic (05/2006)

Gothtronic

 

 

It took more than 3 years for the French Skoyz to release this 2nd full length. After the promising "Decay"-cd released in 2002 on Matrix Cube a lot of rumors and speculations about their next album, they finally joined the young, but promising French Cortex Records. "Hologram" features an interesting evolution towards refreshing dark electronics. Skoyz doesn't sound like a new cloning of dark electronic leading formations, but achieved a sound full of modern and irresistible arrangements. They're less old school minded than most of the pure dark EBM projects. We can for sure perceive some influences here and there, but the best way to define their sound is maybe to make a symbiosis between Hocico and Front 242. The compositions are really well crafted from a pure musical point of view, but the production of the spooky, distorted vocals (like a camouflage for the horrible French accent the singer has on stage) has been still executed with knowledge. Recommended songs are "Cold colour", "Reflexion", "Metamorph", "Distorted dreams" and the remix of "Cold colour". We also get a few more remixes from other bands like Neon Cage Experiment, Daniel Myer, The Crystalline Effect and Polygon. This is an excellent comeback for Skoyz!

Side-line

 

 

Hologram, the second release for the French band skoyz, sees its release on Cortex Records after their previous label, Black Flames, went down in flames. Skoyz brings us a blend of minimal ebm/idm or dark electro.

"Zoom", the opening track, has good a atmospheric quality. "Cold Colour" continues in the same vein, but turns up the tempo a bit. "Dark Energy" has good sample use in the beginning of the song and nice whispery, distorted vocals.

"Distress" is a nice instrumental piece which has a "lazy day" feel, created by the background synth lines. This is followed by "Distress / Signal", which repeats the entire "Distress" track and adds an additional two plus minutes onto the end. Because one song contains the other, it would have been nice if there was more distance between the two tracks, to give them breathing room.

"Hologram", the title track, is a nice, even piece - not too lively, not too sleepy sounding; just right. "Distorted Dreams" definitely has a very dreamy quality, but gets "distorted" by the growly vocals, disturbing the peaceful slumber.

The album closes with several remixes by Interlace, Neon Cage Experiment, Daniel Myer, the band themselves, The Crystalline Effect, and Polygon. I found Daniel Myer's "Destroid Makes You Freeze Mix" of "Cold Colour" to probably be the best of these remixes, giving the song an interesting twist. Remixes are nice, but I would have enjoyed more original tracks (there are nine original tracks, though one track is repeated in another).

Overall, Hologram has a subtle ebm quality - not loud and in your face, but not too soft either. The vocals are distorted, but not too much and there is good use of samples, even though many are easily identifiable. I've heard some of these sample used by other bands, but because the samples weren't used ad nauseum, they work. Skoyz shows us that France has ebm music too and easily stands up as a quality band, like their fellow countrymen, Tamtrum.

This Corrosion

 

 

Review from Virus :


Hologram

The French duo Skoyz is a precious stone amidst a desert of rocky releases. These two are brilliant, creating a very atmospheric and aggressive album. "Hologram" is packed with intense thumping beats, synthesizers crawling and arpeggiating everywhere you turn, and spine tingling vocals.

I have spent the last few days listening to this release, and I can't help but move my body when I hear Skoyz.
French electronic music has a new set of artists to add to its ranks; Nicolas Ussel and Stephane Ayas are two men on a journey to take electronic music to a whole different place.
I cannot stop listening to this… it's like Daft Punk for fans of darker, harder music styles. Skoyz is a listen that I can easily identify with. If I were to bake a Skoyz cake, it would take musical elements of Lights Of Euphoria and Hocico for the darkly decadent cake itself. I would frost it with the harsh whispery vocals from Frank Spinath of Seabound, you know the ones I speak of, it's that special touch that Spinath puts on his work… Skoyz bases this as the center of vocal work, and do it quite nicely might I add.
To decorate this cake, I would sprinkle bits of Juno Reactor and Cevin Key to top this aurally edible experience. Bake at a solid bpm rate, for some killer pulsations and very danceable tracks.
From the hauntingly fun intro of "Zoom" to the last little synthy blip of the "Factor 2x Mix" by Polygon, this album is a non-stop pulse pounding adventure.
Musically, there are a lot of icy cold synth pads to convey this chilly futuristic soundscape. "Hologram" is bursting with progressively intense leads, to keep your body moving no matter how tired it is. The beats are pretty aggressive and equally paced. The only downside is that it gets a little redundant after a few songs. BUT, that is not to say this isn't as hot as you've been led to believe, trust me… it is! Skoyz is outstanding to say the least. "Hologram" is a must for any electro/EBM/TBM appreciator! The most notable tracks in my opinion are "Dark Energy" and "Distorted Dreams". Both are very epic!
And don't forget about the remixes. The Daniel Myer remix alone is worth whatever price you find the album at! Take the fresh brilliance of Nico and Stef, and filter it through the masterful hands of Daniel Myer… and you get one amazing track. The Interlace remix is pretty fun too. Need I say more, scope this album and enjoy Skoyz.

Tracy Taylor, 02 Aug 2006

Virus

 

11.07.06 - Freunde der elektronischen Klänge aufgepasst! Die aus Frankreich stammenden Künstler "SKOYZ" haben nun ihr zweites Album "Hologram" herausgebracht. Sie wollen mit neun neuen Tracks und sechs inklusiven Remixen die Massen auf den Dancefloor locken.

Nach der Zusammenarbeit mit einigen Industrial-, Rock- und Cold-Wave Bands in den 80ern, entdeckt im Jahr 1988 Stéphane A. "Frontline Assembly" und "Front 242" für sich.
Für den Musiker beginnt ab diesem Moment ein neues Kapitel. Mitte der 90er startet er mit einem kleinen Synthesizer und einem alten Sampler seine ersten Gehversuche, was später den Stil von "SKOYZ" ausmachen soll. Anschließend trifft er auf Nico, der in diesem Projekt mitwirkt und Stéphan B. bereichert die Band mit seiner Gitarre. In den nächsten Jahren ist viel geschehen: Das erste Demo-Tape wurde aufgenommen, erste Konzerte gemeistert, und Stéphan B. hat die Band verlassen. Im Jahr 2001/2002 bekommen sie einen Plattendeal mit dem deutschen Label Trisol/Matrix Cube und am 12. April 2002 erscheint schließlich ihr Debutalbum "Decey" in den CD-Regalen.

Beim Reinhören bekommt man das Gefühl, in die Techno-Ära in den 90er Jahren zurück versetzt zu werden. Das Rezept lautet: hämmernde Beats und verspielte Syntheziser gemischt mit düsteren Klängen - fertig ist der Dark-Techno! So wird es uns gleich im Opener "Zoom" vorgemacht.
Doch der Kuchen ist trotzdem noch nicht ganz fertig. Es fehlt noch eine Zutat, die dem Ganzen einen abgerundeten Geschmack gibt: die Zusammenarbeit mit mehr oder weniger bekannten Musikern. Das Ergebnis ist, dass neben den neun eigentlichen Tracks noch zusätzlich sechs Remixe von Interlace, Neon Cage Experiment, The Crystalline Effect, Polygon, Daniel Myer (Destroid/Haujobb) und SKOYZ selbst auf dem Silberling landen.
Jetzt muss nur noch etwas Abwechslung in die einzelnen Tracks gebracht werden, also gibt man einfach einen Haufen bunte Streusel bestehend aus Echo-Effekten, Einsatz von Drumcomputern und verschiedenen Sequenzern über den Zuckerguss. Dazu spricht und schreit eine verzerrte Stimme, um dem Ganzen noch eine Kirsche oben darauf zu setzen. Dann guten Appetit! Das Einzige, was einem den Magen verstimmen kann, ist die Anlehnung an die Love Parade.

 

 

„Der Strom macht die Musik" und das kann man beim neuen Album von Skoyz auch wirklich sagen. Liebhaber von Dark-Electro und schwere EBMler werden sich über dieses überaus gelungene Album freuen. Der Sound ist sehr abwechslungreich und reicht von knallharten elektronischen Dancefloor-Klängen mit einer Prise Industrial zu sphärischen und sehr entspannenden Ambient-Einlagen. Nicht so prickelnd ist die verzerrte Stimme, die aber zum Glück mehr in den Hintergrund gelegt wurde. Auch hier wurde das ganze mit Remixen von Interlace, Neon Cage Experiment, Daniel Myer und The Crystalline Effect aufgewertet und abgerundet. Sehr harmonisches und elektronisches Werk.

"Electricity is the mother of music", this is the leading sentence of Skoyz's latest album. Aficionadoes of dark electronic music and heavy addicted ebm listeners will be quite impressed by this well done piece. The sound's very diverse and reaches from punctuated electronic dancefloor sounds with a dash of industrial noise up to spherical and relaxing ambient-like passages. What disturbes the listening experience is the distorted voice, that fortunately was mostly layed in the background. Including remixes by Interlace, Neon Cage Experiment, Daniel Myer and The Crystalline Effect the album became more gentrified and compact. To sum up, it's a very harmonic electronic piece of work.

15 Tracks, 73min
Wertung: 93%

Synthetics 10/2006