Skateland
Dorian Williams II, hailing from Las Vegas, made the leap to Austin, Texas, to chase his dreams at the University of Texas. It was there that he began crafting his music and experimenting with different instruments, eventually giving rise to his project, Skateland. This endeavor blends new-wave influences with a solid indie-pop foundation, creating a platform for deeply emotive lyrics and captivating compositions.
Over the past year, Skateland has been making waves in the music scene, performing at standout events like the We Found New Music Showcase in Los Angeles and several showcases at SXSW 2024. He’s performed alongside renowned acts like Strange Ranger and Say Sue Me. Recently, he lit up a LiveNation event with indie favorites Two Door Cinema Club and Day Wave, and he opened for Foster the People to a packed Austin crowd during ACL Nights.
Right now, Skateland is celebrating the release of the new EP, Joyce Howell, How Are You? a collection of five tracks reflecting universal themes such as love, loss, and self-identity in a journal-like revision of lived experiences.
Joyce Howell, How Are You? is refreshingly far from minimalistic. The perfect production and mixing is the first thing that jumps out at you. There’s seemingly a lot going on in most songs, and some of the finer details are easy to miss. The fact that those intricacies are so cleanly and neatly put together is what makes the resulting sound so pleasurable. As a result, it feels like treat to explore every nook and cranny of the EP. This is particularly noticeable in the jump between ‘Sunset Cinema’ and ‘Postcards!’, with the first song having a very prominent bass line and a hazy evolving sound to it, while the follow-up track gives us a crisper and more defined instrumentation with some magical synth work.
One of the most prominent characteristics of the EP—and Skateland’s sound—is its seamless balance of straightforward pop beats and rich, full bass lines that form the foundation of every track. Rhythm-wise, Joyce Howell, How Are You? is very strong, almost funky, in this approach,. Most tracks feel like they’re shaped like a tree, where the bass/beat composition acts like solid roots and trunk, while Williams’ ethereal vocals and crystalline synth melodies act like all the lush branches and leaves and flowers.
Tracks like ‘Autobahn!’, with its bells and chirping birds, curiously push the sound ever so slightly towards more of a ’90s electronica direction – occasionally even to the point where it feels like Enigma’s Michael Cretu was right beside Williams when he was working on this song. Similarly, ‘Sunbeam’ and the title track, ‘Joyce Howell, How Are You?’ are filled with those signature 90s new-age sounds and flourishes that effortlessly spark pure joy.
Skateland’s Joyce Howell, How Are You? is worthy of everyone’s time. It hits like both the warm sun and a cool breeze on your face at once, while reminding us to look inward and take stock of what we’ve been through this year as it draws to a close.