It’s Finally Here: Flume Releases Impressive Second Album “Skin”

Harley Edward Streten (you may know him better as Flume) has finally released one of the most anticipated albums of the year, Skin. This album follows Flume’s debut album which is really what put Flume on the world’s radar. Flume produced hits like “Sleepless,” “Holdin On” and then his legendary remix of Lorde’s “Tennis Court” and ended up creating his own unique sound that people just couldn’t get enough of. So how does he top that?

Flume teased the world with an LP Preview of Skin, and instantly we were hooked. He soon released the first single off the album, “Smoke & Retribution ft. Vince Staples and Kučka” followed by “Never Be Like You ft. Kai,” “Wall Fuck” and “Say It ft. Tove Lo.” He later announced the names of the talent he would be working with: Vic Mensa, Beck, Kai Vince Staples, Allan Kingdom, Raekwon, Little Dragon, AlunaGeorge and MNDR.

As the anticipation grew, so did the teases. Flume gave us a 30 second preview of every song on his Instagram and included a fun fact about each song. On Wednesday May 25, he took the social media game to the next level by announcing Facebook live-streaming event of his entire album. The live-stream included a Q&A session with Flume, some special guest appearances from almost all of the collaborators on the album, and incredible visuals to accompany the tracks. If you missed it, watch the full stream here. 

And finally, it has arrived. Download Skin on iTunes here, or listen on Spotify:

An In-Depth Look at Skin

Overall, Skin features a little bit of something for everyone. It’s hard to place into just one category. There are songs featured on this album that some may hate, while others may love. With talent ranging from Vic Mensa to Beck, the range in style was obvious before the album was even released. However, the diversity in collaborators truly shows the stretch of Flume’s musical scope. He showed us that electronic music can make its way into even the most unexpected places by pairing it with vocals from rap and alternative rock legends.

The singles that came out before Skin’s release were good, but I was more pleasantly surprised by the new tracks. I worried that Flume had strayed away from his more experimental style and shifted to a something slightly more mainstream. However, the audio experimentation I had hoped for is weaved beautifully throughout the album.

“Helix” starts off the album with faint flute playing, slowing building up to a trippy combination of beats that zip through the air. Each layer builds upon itself, with heavy sporadic drops and synths that will have you thinking to yourself “Flume is back.”

“Never Be Like You feat. Kai” follows the heavy intro track. This is one of the more vocal heavy tracks on Skin, with beautiful lyrics written and sung by Kai. In the Facebook live stream Kai said writing the lyrics actually only took her one night.

The third track on Skin is “Lose It feat. Vic Mensa” and is the first hip-hop track on the album. Vic Mensa’s lyrics are intense and add an interesting twist to a Flume’s multilayered instrumental. On his Instagram, Flume said “I thought the weird sound at the start of the track sounded like electronic whale calls, so before Vic got on it, this track was called Electro Whale Symphony.”

“Numb and Getting Colder feat. Kučka” clashes sounds together, creating a symphony of beats and synths all fighting for attention. Headphones are almost a necessity for this one to hear the detail that went into it. On his Instagram preview, Flume said “The concept behind this song was figuring out a way to combine sounds from experimental music and pop, then have it make sense.” Not only does this combination of sounds make sense, it actually speaks. Flume also stated he was most proud of this track on his album.

“Say It feat. Tove Lo” is another lyric heavy track. Tove Lo and Flume worked together to create a euphoric, hypnotic and lustful piece of art.

You may think your speakers are broken when you hear the beginning of “Wall F*ck,” but the wonky sounding beat will most likely draw you in. Flume said his goal was to “create sounds that sound like the fabric of the universe tearing” This one is filled with distortion, and if you love Flume for his risk taking, and abstract sound, “Wall F*ck” may be one of your new favorites.

Flume said he went out of his comfort zone on a solo mission to Mexico to write, and that’s how the seventh track “Pika” was created. “Pika” is slightly more minimal than the previous tracks, showcasing Flume’s talent in a more melodic way.

“Smoke & Retribution feat. Vince Staples and Kučka” was the first single to be released from Skin, and truly set the bar high. It showed us a different side of Flume, that he was capable of more than smooth-sounding songs for your study-playlist: Flume could get aggressive. Vince Staples lyrics hype up the track, while Kučka levels it out. The creation of this track was different for Flume, he actually wrote the music around the lyrics, and the results were impressive.

“3” is the ironically the ninth track on Skin, and also one of the few tracks that Flume sings on himself. Although it’s not the most exciting or hard-hitting song on the album, it demonstrates Flume’s audio exploration and experimentation well. Rather than classifying “3” as a song, it falls more in the category of “auditory journey.”

“When Everything Was New” was one of my personal favorite tracks for the pure nostalgia factor. The track starts off with the faint voices of children playing on a playground. Slowly, a lingering beat begins to grow, as ominous vocals build up the track, and the children’s voices fade. Sounds flow back and forth, and then slowly return to the start, where children playing can again be heard. There are many ways you can break down this tracks meaning, whether it’s a message of the fragility of our youth or just a song to remind us of a time when life was more exciting, “When Everything Was New” will have you thinking deep thoughts.

Flume classifies “You Know feat. Allan Kingdom and Raekwon” as “dark cinematic hip-hop.” This one truly emphasizes the diversity of ‘Skin.’ It has a more classic hip-hop vibe compared to any other song on the album.

“Take a Chance feat. Little Dragon” starts off melodic and soft with sweet sounding vocals of Little Dragon, but Flume soon drops the bass low and pairs it with higher pitched keys. Overall the track is uplifting and musically diverse, creating a unique feeling.

For “Innocence feat. AlunaGeorge” Flume said he wanted to create more of a journey rather than a verse/chorus feel. Flume took Aluna’s vocals and warped them in various ways while combining them with fairy tale-like sounds. Simply put it, this track is pure auditory bliss, but should we expect anything less from Flume?

Track number 14, “Like Water feat. MDMR,” was one of the first songs Flume wrote for the album, according to his Instagram preview. “Like Water” features some of the nicest sounding flows and waves on this album, fitting for a song called “Like Water.” MDMR supplies vocals that are off the charts, that slowly fade then build on each other. If the hypnotic side of Flume appeals to you, “Like Water” is your go-to.

“Free” is quite possibly the most meaningful track on the entire album. Flume wrote that he was faced with severe writer’s block, so he isolated himself from the world for 10 days, and created this track, finally breaking “free.” Imagine that feeling of being trapped for an ungodly amount of time in the dark, and then finally seeing the sun for the first time. Imagine what that would sound like. Personally, “Free” is a pretty good auditory representation of that scenario and again displays Flume’s natural talent and incredible musical experimentation.

Last but certainly not least is the track I was most excited for “Tiny Cities feat. Beck.” Two musical geniuses collaborating on the same track definitely set the bar high, but Beck and Flume didn’t let me down. Beck’s vocals are warm, and Flume builds up the intensity in an orchestral-like way, followed by a smooth drop that’s different than any other on this album. “Tiny Cities” is beautifully executed, and a great way to finish off the album.

Don’t miss Flume Sept. 27 at Comerica Theater. Get your tickets here.

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