'Rising Sky' /
'Stardust'
IIOIOIOII (pronounced
I.O.) AKA Christopher Gurney is a new name in the scene with only one
full-length album under his belt. But his new EP 'Rising Sky' /
'Stardust' shows that he'll soon be well known. Blending the likes of
John Foxx, Gary Numan and Depeche Mode with the grittiness of Skinny
Puppy and Acretongue, Gurney crafts a melancholic, sinister and
entrancing take on synthpop.
The opening track
'Rising Sky' is a pure 80's crossover with nods to the likes of 'With
Sympathy' era Ministry, Gary Numan and Skinny Puppy. The B-side,
'Stardust' is borderline psychedelic with Gurney's melancholic vocals
becoming almost hypnotic over the cold space-age melody. 'Could Have
Been' continues the hypnotic vocals but over a minimalistic blend of
John Foxx-meets-Fad Gadget inspired electro that is begging to be let
loose on the dance floor. The final song, 'Good Night', gets a little
darker with it's harder beat, and synths reminiscent of early Skinny
Puppy complimented by sinister whispered vocals.
The four songs
compliment each other nicely, steadily getting darker as they
progress. Which shows off a strong level of vision that is ultimately
carried through to the mix, with each song constructed with great
care.
This is a very
promising glimpse of things yet to come. Despite being an unknown
artist, Gurney demonstrates a mastery of his craft that blends the
darker side of synthpop with the lighter side of electro-industrial
in a modern way. And without pandering to a misplaced sense of “Retro
for retro's sake”. This is strong and relevant work that hints at
great things to come.