This is not our first encounter with Hamburg-based creative and visionary XINTRA. We did in fact write about ‘MIND’ earlier this year, celebrating the single as “blending kinetic and ethereal sound design with a great deal of evocative character”. The track served as a sort of aural manifesto for the whole project, especially showcasing XINTRA’s poignant and hard-hitting cinematic allure. Well, that’s still all true for ‘SKIN’, the project’s latest release.
Compared to its predecessor, ‘SKIN’ feels more anthemic, but also more intimate and stripped-back. Built on heightened orchestral soundscapes and oblique vocal processing, the track reveals a strong soundtrack-esque mood, with the listener being along for the ride as XINTRA reckons with inner truths and vulnerable realisations.
If you’ll take our advice and give ‘SKIN’ a chance, we’d recommend you listen closely to the meaningful spoken words that open the piece. In a world that’s increasingly gloomy and complex, XINTRA reminds us to accept who we are and be gentle with our fragile selves. That’s advice we could use right now, and we suspect the reader will too. As we are told: “SKIN is an incredibly vulnerable song about struggling with mental health and self-love. I am particularly proud of the video. Take your time with it if you can, and be extra kind to yourself today. Sending love from XINTRA <3”.
‘SKIN’ is part of XINTRA’s debut album, expected later this year (divided into two parts). Stay tuned!
Recommended! Discover ‘SKIN’ now: