In a world where releasing singles ahead of an album release rarely comes with any exciting bells and whistles, something rather noteworthy is emerging from the realm of sugar sk*-*lls. A few weeks back, they released a four song maxi-single for the song “Becomes Me,” complete with remixes from Negro Justice + Cal Cuttah, Robbie Lynn Hunsinger and a cover from the metal band RIFFT. A cover of a song from an album that hasn’t been released yet. Not to mention there’s also a psychedelic pagan trip of a video directed by Dycee Wildman (co-founder of DEFY Film Festival).
Today, they’re doing it again. They’ve released an epic video directed by Casey Pierce (Twen, Jessie Baylin, Molly Martin) for the track “Two-Chambered.” The accompanying maxisingle features remixes by Makeup and Vanity Set, Coupler and another cover of an album track no one has heard yet by Kyle Hamlett Duo. That’s eight songs released before the album is out in the world and they’ve still got a third single coming with even more remixes and covers. It’s wild, to say the least.
The gathering of talent is impressive but the aural and visual journey of “Two-Chambered” should not be overlooked. Pierce has put together a literal trip through time and space – evoking the infamous Eames “Powers of Ten” and the 1982 cult classic Koyaanisqatsi , taken even further into the reaches of the cosmos. The immersive video perfectly pairs with the sprawling, yearning composition. The vocoder driving the track may lack apparent humanity in its sound but the content of the lyrics is heartbreaking: “I know where to look / But not where to find you / Within memory / All I know is this.” As the video rushes through fields, cities, volcanoes, cellular reproduction and more; the echoes of that sentiment hit even harder.
Releasing videos, remixes and covers all packaged together multiple times over for every preview single on your record is a very impressive bounty, full stop. However, no quantity of content will matter without the quality – and sugar sk*-*lls is bringing a deeply emotional melancholy with this one. That’s impressive.