Whenever we discuss the bassline genre, the award-winning producer Skepsis comes to mind. Starting out as a DJ initially, Skepsis built a name for himself as an inventive producer through 4x4 bootlegs of dance, hip-hop and grime records racking up millions of listeners on Soundcloud. Fast-forward to 2021 and Skepsis is now signed with Crucast as an internationally recognised artist, shelling it down at raves all over the UK, Amsterdam, Ibiza and America. Today, he unveils his most ambitious project yet; a 15 track LP titled Faith In Chaos, showcasing how far he's come as an artist.
We’re given a fitting introduction to the album in ‘Magna’ which opens with a recording from a bassline rave; a hyped-up crowd, MC and a reload in all its glory. What follows is a cold, sample-heavy 4x4 beat. Instantly we visualize where the music built itself: in those dark, sweaty, packed-out raves.
The album plays out like what you’d expect from a Skepsis set. An onslaught of rowdy 4x4 beats. ‘Bumpa’ is the best example of this; a mischievous sub-heavy wobble, hyped up with bars from Scruffizer. ‘Tell Me How’ is laced with sweet sounding vocals from Emily Makis over a shrill, blasting synth riff. Skepsis accelerates the tempo to 140 in the screw-face cut ‘Vengeance’, bringing in grime artist Jammz along for the ride.
Later in the album we see the deeper garage side to Skepsis’ sound in tracks like ‘R U Ready’ with Cadence, flexing minimal drums and a warm low-end bass. The vocals from Takura really elevate this one. Similarly, in ‘Pisces’ we get the floating resonant vocal hits float over a garage rhythm, the jazzy saxophone is a really nice touch here. Towards the end of the album, drum and bass heavyweight Kanine joins the party in the huge breakbeat-style collaboration ‘Again’. Finally, the melancholy post-rave feels in the bonus track ‘CT1’ tail the album off, bringing us back to reality.
Skepsis has certainly delivered on his debut album. Whether your poison is bassline, garage, 140 or drum and bass, there’s something for you here. For those less familiar with the bassline genre or the nights that cater to it, Faith In Chaos will get you hooked. The diversity in the tracks and collaborations make for a fiery but well-rounded collection of tracks, a must have for the clubs, festivals and house parties which we can now all enjoy again. If you want to catch Skepsis and hear the album in full on a system, join him and the Crucast family at the album launch night on 15 October at Ministry of Sound.
Album - Faith in Chaos
Website - Crucast
Ticket Link - Skepsis' Faith in Chaos Album Launch Party
4/5 ★★★★☆
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