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SKIP&DIE – Cosmic Serpents

  • Written by  Rob Crozier

A rich combination of styles and flavours brought SKIP&DIE together. They are fundamentally rooted in hip-hop, however, that is merely the base from where to jump off. Their new album Cosmic Serpents is a great mixture of many styles.

The title track ‘Cosmic Serpents’ is a case in point. Although on the surface it's a hip-hop track, complete with flowing lyrics, it also contains a rich mixture of tribal beats, salsa and electronica. As if to emphasis this point ‘Maloya Magic’ continues to mix African and Brazilian rhythms with tribal chants and hip-hop rhyming. It’s quickly apparent that this is going to be an album of the unexpected, you never quite know where SKIP&DIE are going and it’s great like that.

What’s known for sure though is that the two brains behind the band, Cata Pirata and Jori Collignon, formed it out of their love for global music. Both coming out of South Africa they bring a rich heritage of sound, and their attitude seems to be that the world provides a rich tapestry of music, so why not try and use it all?

‘Space Girls’ illustrates this point perfectly with its many layered rhythms drawing influence from all over the globe. It's a dub-based hip-hop track in its purest form, but contains many elements which elevate it above the norm. Spacey synths, psychedelic rock and even a few African drums are all thrown into the mix.

This album builds on the foundations laid by the debut album Riots In The Jungle. This saw the duo take to a festival circuit which incorporated Glastonbury and The Great Escape to great aplomb. It also allowed the band to write and record this album in Brazil, Egypt, Argentina, Colombia, South Africa, Portugal and the Netherlands.

It’s clear that having such a varied music taste can only add to the wonderful collection of sounds that this album brings together. This has allowed their sounds to grow and mature. It is however their live performances that have really seen them blossom. Having being fortunate enough to see them at The Great Escape last year, where they provided an onslaught of tropical, beat-induced paradise, and became one of the most talked about performances of the whole festival. 

This album will only enhance SKIP&DIE’s growing reputation, and we would urge you to see them live if possible, or at the very least turn your ears on to their unique sound.

Cosmic Serpents is available from amazon & iTunes.

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