Already a known DJ and producer-songwriter out of Brooklyn, Richard Spitzer, the one-man talent behind Loveskills, continues to forge his path with his latest EP, Pure, released Nov. 4. His latest release since his last EP, Reskilled, dropped during the summer of 2013, Pure is a six-track EP acting as a bold statement of his creative growth and innovativeness. Rather than becoming complacent in his music, Loveskills continues to rework and enhance it into a vision of various synthpop genres.
Those unfamiliar with Loveskills and the less aggressive synth genre may expect overwrought techno or house music. Instead, Pure is an energizing blend of synth and electronic melodies with soft bass beats. With a variety of influences it would be easy for this calculated fusion to become a mesh of unrecognizable sounds simply lost in translation. Yet Loveskills effortlessly walks a fine line, careful to not overwork electronics and drown out his smooth, subdued vocals.
Pure is methodical and fitting for a string of tracks so uniquely his own; a pure compilation of his ability. Most striking is the single “Luna,” a cover of the hit Smashing Pumpkins song. One might think it is insane to undertake such a popular, masterful song by an iconic band, yet Spitzer holds his own. The two versions are virtually incomparable, as the rework sports a synth and electronic blend that makes the cover unrecognizable, but equally as captivating as the original. If the dynamic, standalone ability of Pure is any indication, you can anticipate Lovekills still has greater things yet to come.
In A Word: Refreshing
