Skobie Won

CD Review by Adam Wujtewicz

Is "space rap" a genre? If it's not then I am coining it and putting Skobie Won in there. If it is a genre... than Bedlam and Squalor should be one of its shining stars. Categorized by a sound that’s bright and vast, it allows you to sink into the album as a whole, but with enough thumps and cracks to blow up a star destroyer. The balance between a slowly rising tide of synth sounds and drum beats that sound like over clocked Rock'em Sock'em robots is what elevates Bedlam and Squalor above the heard.

Having reviewed 2 Erik Lamb albums, both of which are heavily produced by Skobie Won, I feel like I'm familiar with Skobie's work. There's a dance music vibe to the beats. The sounds are reminiscent of Nintendo noise only rounder and clearer. Listen to it on headphones and you'll be much more captivated by the panning. Whether it's Bedlam and Squalor or Shoot Everything (Erik Lamb) all three of those statements are true. Bedlam and Squalor just sounds bigger. It surrounds you in a ball of neon glowing circuitry and bounces you around a room made completely of subwoofers.

Purposeful is the first word I would use to describe the vocals on this album. There is a quiet anger in Skobie's voice. He speaks as if yelling would be too cheap. He annunciates like he was smacking you with syllables. There are no tricks in his cadence; it’s the steady barrage that keeps you on your toes.

The beats being what they are Skobie could load his songs with short simple choruses to anesthetize a crowd and keep them moving. That would be too easy. Skobie jams lyrics between shout along phrases in his choruses and keeps them spread out so they don't become monotonous. He also likes to throw Tom Waits references in his lyrics. If you were to drink a shot of Bourbon for every lyrical reference and sample you’d be good and drunk by the end of the album.

Bedlam and Squalor is enough of beats you know from previous Skobie Won productions to feed your craving but enough improvement on previous techniques to keep from being stagnant. The strings and guitar sounds in the title track are plenty of evidence of that. If you keep your ears open you’ll hear things that you wouldn’t expect but will end up falling in love with. - WailingCity.com

Skobie Won - Autodidact

I'm not usually one to talk about hip-hop, but I somehow stumbled across Skobie Won and liked it. Sure, he's got kind of nerdy rhymes but he's got a DIY spirit that I really agree with, and the beats are good. The guy is offering the album as a free download so listen to it, who knows, you might like it.

http://www.ctindie.com/2009/12/tiny-reviews-pt-4.html - CTINDIE.COM

http://www.urb.com/2010/03/11/sonicbids-selects-skobie-won/

Legal Name: John Skobrak
Location: Norwich, Connecticut
File Under: Rap

URB: How did you get into music and where does your name come from?

SKOBIE WON: I first got into music from my brother being in the hardcore/punk scene. I started by recording his band. I was making beats on the side and always had the ambition and wanted to make rap music. The name is just a nickname that stuck. Easy play on words from my last name–Skobrak.

URB: What’s the inspiration behind the record?

SKOBIE: The record is inspired by having to work a crappy job and wanting to make music for a living, teaching myself everything from how to record, how to rap, and how to make beats, all the way down to teaching my self math to pass my collage classes. I feel like to me that’s what Autodidact is about but it can be interpreted any way you want–that’s what music to me is.

URB: What are some of the advantages and challenges of recording and producing your debut on your own?

SKOBIE: Funding my projects seems to be the most difficult challenge to overcome, finding the money and making the time is the hardest part. The advantages are that I can do what I want with out having to answer to anyone.

URB: Who do you dream of performing or working with?

SKOBIE: If I could work with any of the people that inspired me El-P, Aesop Rock, P.O.S. and Sage Francis are at the top of the list. I also have a slight obsession with Norah Jones.

URB: Connecticut isn’t known for a rap scene. Do you often run into people expecting your act to sound a certain way because of where you’re from?

SKOBIE: I don’t really fit in a box I’m sure there is some kind of expected attitude for a kid from Connecticut, but I don’t really try to appeal to that. I try to keep doing my own thing and hope people catch on.

URB: So, what are your live gigs like?

SKOBIE: My gigs are usually high energy and all over the place I like to keep the crowd involved, whether it be a room full of metal/hardcore kids or a room full of hip hop heads I think everyone has fun and that’s all it’s about.

URB: What’s the most valuable part of using Sonicbids?

SKOBIE: Being given the opportunity to get exposure outside the sticks is an awesome thing, and the company is full of opportunities. - URB Magazine

http://www.urb.com/2010/03/11/sonicbids-selects-skobie-won/

Legal Name: John Skobrak
Location: Norwich, Connecticut
File Under: Rap

URB: How did you get into music and where does your name come from?

SKOBIE WON: I first got into music from my brother being in the hardcore/punk scene. I started by recording his band. I was making beats on the side and always had the ambition and wanted to make rap music. The name is just a nickname that stuck. Easy play on words from my last name–Skobrak.

URB: What’s the inspiration behind the record?

SKOBIE: The record is inspired by having to work a crappy job and wanting to make music for a living, teaching myself everything from how to record, how to rap, and how to make beats, all the way down to teaching my self math to pass my collage classes. I feel like to me that’s what Autodidact is about but it can be interpreted any way you want–that’s what music to me is.

URB: What are some of the advantages and challenges of recording and producing your debut on your own?

SKOBIE: Funding my projects seems to be the most difficult challenge to overcome, finding the money and making the time is the hardest part. The advantages are that I can do what I want with out having to answer to anyone.

URB: Who do you dream of performing or working with?

SKOBIE: If I could work with any of the people that inspired me El-P, Aesop Rock, P.O.S. and Sage Francis are at the top of the list. I also have a slight obsession with Norah Jones.

URB: Connecticut isn’t known for a rap scene. Do you often run into people expecting your act to sound a certain way because of where you’re from?

SKOBIE: I don’t really fit in a box I’m sure there is some kind of expected attitude for a kid from Connecticut, but I don’t really try to appeal to that. I try to keep doing my own thing and hope people catch on.

URB: So, what are your live gigs like?

SKOBIE: My gigs are usually high energy and all over the place I like to keep the crowd involved, whether it be a room full of metal/hardcore kids or a room full of hip hop heads I think everyone has fun and that’s all it’s about.

URB: What’s the most valuable part of using Sonicbids?

SKOBIE: Being given the opportunity to get exposure outside the sticks is an awesome thing, and the company is full of opportunities. - URB Magazine