SkyBabyRecords Est. 1999 – A 25th Anniversary Celebration is the new compilation from Paul Terry’s SkyBabyRecords.
By Graeme Smith
SkyBabyRecords is a label run by composer and songwriter Paul Terry who has appeared on our blog in the guise of Cellarscape and Aptøsrs. The label is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, so Paul decided it was time for a retrospective, releasing SkyBabyRecords Est. 1999.
The album features deep cuts from both projects and more – including contributions from Dutch singer-songwriter Anneke van Giersbergen, Kenyan musician and filmmaker Silas Miami, South African singer-songwriter Lana Crowster, British actress and vocalist Joanna Horton and the award-winning pianist James Bellamy.
SkyBabyRecords has release 550+ tracks and 30+ original soundtracks since 1999 so Paul had his work cut out for him in compiling this collection of just 25 tracks. What he’s gone with shows the depth and breadth of the label’s sound, including short, atmospheric pieces like opener The Lone Moon Incident and The Disapparance, the moody post-rock of Cellarscape’s Epinephrine, and the brooding David Lynch-esque instrumental of Aptøsrs’ A Peaceful Way to Defy Them All.
Other highlights include the soulful and searching This Is a Shelter, delicate duet The Same Place, the vivid Cut to the Chase, and the expansive duo of Encore, Vredefort and Blindfold. Out of My Hands (The Beach Club Cut), which I’ve already shared to this blog, sits at the heart of the album, giving us a vibrant and emotional centrepiece. You Got The Girl is an explosive late album attention grabber. Snowglobe closes the album in experimental fashion, using crunching snow as an instrument during its slow-burning seven minute runtime.
Paul’s new album is a beautiful showcase of his range of work over the past 25 years, giving us diverse moods, styles and sounds. It’s a great collection for getting to know him and his projects better. Here’s to another 25 years of SkyBabyRecords!
SkyBabyRecords Est. 1999 is out now and you can give it a listen below.
