Conceived by musician and producer Brian Skeel, Skeel collaborates with Jamie Ravine to present Chroma Cloud's inaugural retro, immersive experience, "No Escape."
When you hear the name, Brian Skeel, you are reminded of an artist who has not only rubbed elbows with some of the best talents in the electronic rock industry but has also significantly influenced the genre through his collaborations with acclaimed acts within the FiXT roster such as VOID CHAPTER, Young Medicine, Nouveau Arcade, Celldweller, and The Plague. As a talented composer and sound designer, Skeel has played an integral role in helping these artists enhance their sound, often guiding them to create some of the most noted musical moments of their careers.
Despite his impressive achievements in the industry, Skeel recognized a crucial distinction between sharing accolades with others and creating something uniquely his own. This realization propelled him to embark on a personal project that would stand apart from the artistic visions of those he admired. The result is Chroma Cloud, a project that embodies Skeel’s creative ingenuity and serves as a testament to his individuality.
Partnered with Jamie Ravine, Chroma Cloud’s debut single, "No Escape," is a striking representation of this new direction. Pulling from influences such as Scandroid, TimeCop1983, Gunship, Fury Weekend, and Carpenter Brut, Chroma Cloud leans into a nostalgic sound yet sets themselves apart by pursuing a fresh approach to song production. With an innovative blend of retro synths, pulsating electronic drums, soaring vocals, and heavy guitar riffs, the track offers listeners an intense and visceral experience. Lyrically, "No Escape" captures the anguish and desperation of feeling trapped in overwhelming situations, resonating with anyone who has encountered moments of profound struggle.
While "No Escape" is just a glimpse into Skeel's latest artistic endeavor, it marks the beginning of Chroma Cloud’s mission to infuse electronic rock with a fresh perspective and a nuanced sound. Skeel's commitment to crafting music on his own terms promises to reshape the genre and engage listeners like never before. As Chroma Cloud continues to evolve, fans can expect a sonic journey that is both innovative and deeply personal.
So looking back at all the things you have accomplished Brian in your career, your experience and music production skills have been attributed to many artists in FIXT, namely Void Chapter, Young Medicine, Nouveau Arcade, Celdweller, and The Plague, to name a few in the electronic rock scene. As you step into this new project, Chroma Cloud, What has inspired this new change in direction for yourself as an artist? What is the meaning of the name behind the new project?
Brian Skeel: I’m so grateful to have helped so many artists I love to create the music they feel like they were born to create. That said, I’ve always been an artist at heart and need to create something of my own. I partnered with Jamie Ravine to make music under the name Chroma Cloud in order to fulfill this need, and it’s been an incredible journey. We both have a deep love of songwriting and the sound of the 80s, and we’re both trailblazers who enjoy finding our own way to do things.
Naming the project, however, did NOT come naturally. We agonized over our band name for about three months, keeping a Google Doc of some really embarrassing ideas for monikers. When we were writing the first couple of songs, we talked about their physical quality: how they had so much color and took us to different landscapes in our mind, sometimes making us feel sky-high as we were writing them. So the name Chroma Cloud came from the idea that our music has a visually and mentally transporting quality that can be experienced while listening.
Your sound has always seamlessly integrated these really great waves and synthcore textures throughout your music. While the blending of these genre concepts is common territory for you, the energy within this track feels very freshly heavy and expansive with how you are using these concepts for this project, yet still keeps things very cathodically nuanced. What inspired you instrumentally for the sound you are trying to create with this new project? What made this process so different from other bands and artists you have worked with and on in the past?
Brian Skeel: In late 2023, I came to Jamie with the idea to start a synthpop project. This is something neither of us had ever attempted, and it excited both of us to try something that was just outside our comfort zone. We started by listening to a ton of music together and built a playlist of pop artists we enjoy who love synth production. We grabbed lots from the 80s like Depeche Mode, Tears For Fears, and Genesis, and lots of modern acts as well, such as Chappel Roan, Cannons, and MUNA.
But of course, we have individualistic tastes that end up in our sound. Jamie is an incredible singer and songwriter, so we pull from people like Cindi Laper and Stevie Nicks. My production style has always had a big wall-of-sound approach, and our tunes can end up immense, and in the case of “No Escape”, can also get pretty heavy. The instrumentals for these songs always start out with something nostalgic, whether that’s a Linndrum, DX7, or a heavily chorused guitar. But then our personality gets in these instrumentals, which keeps them from being pure "synthwave" and makes them more modern. This could mean flipping samples, off-the-wall sound design, a mix that belongs in the current decade, a 40-piece orchestra, or whatever else we may be feeling for each song.
Lyrically, this track talks a lot about feeling trapped in circumstances beyond your control and how that in itself can bring you to a state of trepidation and being rather overwhelmed by it all at the same time. Can we talk a bit about the themes in this new single?
Brian Skeel: With “No Escape”, as well as many of our other songs, we tend to paint broad strokes of a feeling or situation. Our themes tend to be fairly universal so that the listener can imply their own interpretation, as they come from a very real place for us, and we know it will resonate with other people. You know that feeling when your stomach drops and just stays there for an indiscriminate amount of time? That’s the feeling that “No Escape” encapsulates. We’ve all gotten that text that sucks the air out of the room, or the impending bills you know you can’t pay, or that family relationship where you will never be in good standing despite your efforts. It’s the black cloud hanging over your head, the demons that keep you awake at night, and the situation you dread facing.
Stephen Schwartz, the composer and writer of musicals like “Wicked”, has a really cool quote that says “Your lyrics can lie, but the music tells the truth.” Applying that to “No Escape”, we look at the struggles that we’re facing, and there’s a call to action that we’re going to face them head-on rather than run from them.
What is something you learned about yourself from this project?
Brian Skeel: Wow, I love this question! Chroma Cloud has taught me that I can always reinvent myself and take control of my life. Our message is one of self-empowerment, and it’s a constant reminder to myself and to Jamie that the only thing that can really hold us back from our dreams is our own actions.
Through Chroma Cloud, I’ve come to believe in the power of manifestation, and not in the mystical way of expecting the universe to magically provide something for you, but that hard work and outside-the-box thinking will always return to you in very cool ways. Jamie has always believed in this power and will say that manifesting is a mix of your ability to foresee your desires concretely, the hard work that you put towards that goal, and allowing a higher power to open the doors to help your dream become a reality.
What is next for you as you embark on this new chapter in your career? Is this new single a part of a bigger release in the future?
Brian Skeel: We are working toward a full-length album as well as a live show. We have lots of songs in the canon, mostly originals with a few covers (and some collabs and remixes), that will be released throughout the year. We don’t have a tentative date for shows or an album yet, but anyone who follows us on social media and joins our mailing list will be the first to know when these plans are revealed.
We’re really excited about the future of Chroma Cloud, and we have big ambitions to create something bigger than either of us. We’re stoked to connect with new fans and use our music as a reminder for people (ourselves included) that you can write your own story and rise above any roadblocks you may face in life.
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