Skopelitis's Ekstasis

In 1993 I was scouting out record stores in NYC to buy my music.  Most of the places I would go to in my home state where good, but I wanted to listen to new music.  As I shed my love of Classic Rock for something new in music I wanted to hear new music and new genres.  I would go to the local Borders and explore Jazz, Classical, Ambient, Experimental, World and other types of music.  I mentioned before about this journey into music. I started asking questions to the music guru's at the Borders for help and  advice.  Thankfully most of the people in the music department had interesting and a wide range of musical tastes.  

I asked one day about new guitar players I should check out.  People like David Torn, Steve Tibbetts, Leo Kottke, John Abercrombie, and Terje Rypdal where just a bunch of names that were thrown at me.  One name that was different from the styles and genres that they each came from stuck out in my head.  A worker at Borders told me about Nicky Skopelitis. A man who can play Rock guitar like nobody, can play Jazz guitar with the greatest of ease and can play anything that he sets his mind too.  His guitar playing is a mix of World Music, Fusion, Ambient, and Experimental. 

All this seemed interesting and fascinating to me to check out.  The only problem all the albums he has out are hard to get.  The Borders reach to get these are hard through their processes.  The Borders employee told me about a few record stores in the city to check for his work.  He mentioned an album that was recently released that I should get.  He also told me if I find a copy of it to buy it.  If there is two by both and he will pay me back.  He told me he has heard a few songs on alternative radio stations and what he heard he liked.  The album he mentioned was called Ekstasis.   

When I went to the record stores in NYC to seek this album out I struck out.  It was the last store I visited where I found a copy in the used bin.  The owner told me the guy bought it and returned it.  Since it was open he had to sell used.  He had another copy so I got both for the price of one.  The clerk told me that if I like CAN and other unusual music this would be something I would love.  I had to tell him I just started to explore this avenue of music and would welcome any other suggestions and more than one return visit to his store.  

 

Everything about Ekstasis is unique and different then any other album.  It's odd mix of all those genres I mentioned above makes this album unique and quite fun to listen to. Why do I say fun?  Because the music is fun to listen to.  It maybe different, complex or not cut and dry in the genres of music it focus on, but it makes you play the music again and again.  I once put this album aside to digest and came back a few weeks later and heard more things I missed the first time.  It's an album as I say all the time, rewards the repeated listener.  

If any album can bring back the music of CAN, and possibly some great Progressive Rock.  Even some great World music can't escape this album.  It is music that to me is unclassifiable even though music I just mentioned has been touched by this Nicky Skopelitis album.  His head is full of all this cool and awesome music.  If you like your music different and with some adventure then check this album out.  All the cool people in Bill Laswell's circle make an appearance and boy does it simmer well and at some points boil over and that is a good thing.  You will crank it up, get looks and play it again and again.  Trust me, this album makes you enjoy thinking with your musical mind.  Enjoy!