As the first release is a non-lyrical set of music, I thought it might be of interest to some people if I discussed the background of the song titles and musical themes.

A chorus of storm clouds on a spring afternoon. An intermingling of white light and deep shadow. An attempt, at least, to briefly abstract the human condition.

The incredible vocal performance of Julie Mahendran heightens the sense of longing and melancholy in this piece.

When electronic music fanatics get talking, the conversation inevitably turns to Detroit techno and the historic city that spawned it. When I think of D-Town, I also consider the city’s musical influence, it’s architectural decay and revitalization (and, of course, Kraftwerk’s legendary show at the State Theatre in ’98!). But, alongside all of this, I can’t forget those Michagan state rockers: The Stooges, The MC5 and Alice Cooper.

James Brown was "doin' it to death" with his classic Gonna Have a Funky Good Time. But with this piece of electronic funk, we're talking about doing it "until doomsday." The title is an homage to JB’s mighty groove, but it also attempts to remain conscious of the chaotic times we live in. The violence and hatred that plagues our world must come to an end. If it does not, we must ask ourselves, where are we headed?

The working title for this piece was “Down to C”, as I had lowered the tuning of my guitar to that note when I was writing it. “C” brought to mind a sea, and the earth’s waterways in general. This got me considering the planet’s environmental woes, and specifically, the ecologically destructive practice of bottom-trawling in commercial fishing. Our oceans are in need of protection.

By his mid-teens, Will Skol was becoming increasing impatient with his guitar teacher’s curriculum.

Skol had quickly worked his way through a half-dozen “how to play guitar” books, and for his next round of studies, his teacher proposed taking a break from sight reading to learn some “classics” by ear. In conversation, this seemed like a refreshing concept. But what his instructor had in store for the next lesson — a studious regurgitation of the Allman Brothers Band — ultimately made Skol’s decision for him. The following week, he announced that he was dropping out, and blathered something about pursuing “his own thing”.

Skol was far more interested in the angular, percussive and chugging styles of The Edge, Andy Gill (Gang Of Four), Geordie Walker (Killing Joke) and Scott Ian (Anthrax). These less traditional, and more texturally-inclined players were creating the sound that Skol lived for.

At the same time, his fascination with electronic music had taken hold. He had begun working with analog synths and drum machines, and along with a daily intake of Skinny Puppy, Cabaret Voltaire, Depeche Mode and early Simple Minds (to name just a few) it made sense to do what his idols seemed to be doing: abandon convention and kiss off music lessons for good.

Skol’s pursuit of his own electronic-driven music, and his desire to use guitar as an element within it, brought him to Toronto’s Queen Street scene. It was there that he collaborated with post-punk and industrial-influenced bands in the early 90s. By ’95, he and his musical allies had set off on a mission. Dubbing themselves Transformantra, their interest in commonplace musical structure was nil. They were big on groove, and even more determined to cultivate a head-spinning palette of sounds on each and every track. It’s no wonder the band earned so much acclaim for their 1998 debut CD. With praise from Urb, Alternative Press, XLR8R and Canada’s Exclaim!, the future was looking rosy indeed.

This was not to be the case, however, as both of Transformantra’s record labels went belly-up. And by the end of 1999, the group had split. But, as the cliché goes, every cloud has a silver lining, and in this case it was the release of Skol's remix for Everything Is Vapour (the In The Moment Mix) by Rational Youth. As a long-time fan of the band, working with Tracy Howe and the rest of RY was a definite highlight in '99.

For the next two years, Skol continued indulging himself in all things studio as he became programmer, bassist and co-producer for the electronic/rock hybrid Rockstasy. Instrumental versions of the group’s output (and that of its earlier “Mountain Mama” incarnation) were featured in a handful of film and television productions.

By the summer of 2002, Skol was looking for a change of scenery. He virtually abandoned the mixing desk, and over the next four years concentrated on being a player. It was during this period that he met Julie Mahendran, whose distinctive jazz vocal style graces the opening cut of the Spiral Into The Storm debut.

Skol’s return to the studio in August 2006 saw the beginning of his most prolific sessions in years. He composed, produced and mixed the Spiral Into The Storm mini-album in six months (along with recording slabs of material for an upcoming full-length). And as he continues to work on new tracks, he’ll be frequently stepping out to collaborate with Arthur Oskan (another Decibel Palace artist) on a gritty, dubbed-out techno release (or two). You can expect to see both of these sets unleashed later in 2008.