Skinless X-1 is a significant step up for
Angel Marcloid's genre-obliterating
Fire-Toolz project. The album still contains a lot of the hallmarks of her previous albums -- it's still an intense, disorienting mix of harsh screaming, caffeinated glitch, smooth jazz/vaporwave textures, and highly complex melodies informed by prog-metal and IDM. However, all of these elements seem more fully integrated and less jarring here than on previous albums like
Drip Mental. There are fewer AOL notification sounds, and overall, it sounds less gimmicky and Internet-y. There's also more of a reflection of spirituality and self-awareness here --
Marcloid points to
Thich Nhat Hanh and
Alan Watts as influences. While the album contains some of
Fire-Toolz' most relaxed moments, such as the cool, shimmering "Response to Subdivisions," there are also more heart-racing ones such as the anthemic glitch-punk suite "iNTERBEiNG" and the piano-driven acid dream techno of "Shadowfacts." Like
Dedekind Cut,
Fire-Toolz references new age music but also doesn't shy away from channeling dark thoughts. She's not quite at peace, but she's come a lot farther than she has before.