Siler City, NC\u2019s skintape kicks off the \u00b5 OHM series with his first outing on Ohm Resistance, the MASTOID EP. \u00b5 OHM series releases are limited edition, hand-crafted packages made by the artists themselves. This particular set is a true one-of-a-kind collector\u2019s item: Business card sized CDr, handprinted Hospital Sock, dyed black rubberband alongside printed info card and download code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All sounds heard on this release were reconstructed exclusively using audio from skintape\u2019s ear surgery and ear related hospital visits during the summer of 2020, using hardware samplers and various effects pedals, uniting both illbient sound layers with industrial hip-hop coloring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the words of skintape, himself, the concept behind the record was quite simple: \u201cI wanted to show that it\u2019s possible to construct something entirely sampled from a specific source, even something like recordings taken from the hospital\u2026\u201d – the fact that all these layers of sounds that formed the basis of \u201cMASTOID\u201d were taken from the visits to doctor makes the record even more authentic. Artist stresses that: \u201cYou can hear doctor voices in the background on any of the tracks, including the Audiologists voice on TEST, the intro track\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the influences, skintape sorts out are various industrialized hip-hop artists, dub and early industrial stuff. As well as the avid usage of MPC1000, exploring different sound-layers and creating \u201cMASTOID\u201d – a dub-by industrial album created on the basis of doctor\u2019s visits – conversations, therapy and operation, at the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Combined with skintape\u2019s very characteristic, inspired-by DJ Shadow approach it created the mysterious release with very specific vibes. \u201cI knew I had an ear procedure scheduled that I\u2019ve needed for years\u201d – it was basically the moment, when \u201cMASTOID\u201d was conceptualized. He stresses that: \u201cIt\u2019s actually the first release I\u2019ve done not using a laptop for anything (besides sending files for mastering). My workspace to create the album was anywhere I could find to set my MPC to craft these for a few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
skintape is a producer who is influenced by combining the sounds and techniques of early industrial, hip hop, and dub, while intersplicing field recordings and a wild palette of non-musical sounds. Beginning in 2017, he has utilized sample sources as diverse as ear surgery, Hellraiser II, circuit bent toys, old furniture, and scrap metal. His forays into sampled sound and tape manipulation left him seeking to create out of these unusual monotype sources, and has yielded the MASTOID EP on Ohm Resistance and one in collaboration with Portland\u2019s Badrich, as Cenobites. In addition to being influenced by a steady diet of Scorn, Techno Animal, Coil, Meat Beat Manifesto, African Head Charge, Dr. Octagon, and Godflesh, skintape is a prodigious FX pedal designer and builder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n