Joey G ii returns to Orphan Records with his second album, London Skye, a concept record built around an imagined soundtrack to an unfinished video game set in a near-future version of London shaped by corporate power and social decline.
The nine-track album, which is set for release on 3 July, is set across two halves –the first half sees Joey G ii introduce the people inhabiting this world – including Skye, the game’s protagonist – and explore the fictional technofeudalist landscape, where private entities oversee everything from policing and healthcare to restaurants and housing.
Opening track Ballad of Skye establishes the narrative framework that runs throughout the record, while the second track, Supermodernity – which channels the spirit of the collaborative work of Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian – broadens the perspective, presenting the city through different voices and experiences.
Other tracks such as Playgrounds and Deptford Docks continue to paint a dystopian picture, while the second half of the album turns its attention toward the corporations themselves, with tracks such as The Company, Sponsors and The Boss examining the organisations and executives that dominate this fictional London.
This shift is reflected in changes in the music, with ‘evolving synth basslines, processed guitars, and bursts of controlled chaos’ emerging from the speakers.
The standout track for us is probably Deptford Docks, a brooding synth monster with fragments of unexplored vocals – capturing the mood of the project as a whole.
Joey G ii – London Skye is released on Orphan Records on 3 July. More information can be found here.
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