Skin Too Thin is a stirring reminder that innovation and ingenuity can come from anywhere.
The extended-play, released this month, is the latest from the artist Nikko, who blends pop melody with experimental soundscapes.
The recording consists of four compositions that offer a fresh perspective on what a pop song can be. Each track charts a new path in structure and form while introducing a blend of tonal textures that complement Nikko’s gentle vocal performance.
“Anger in Your Eyes” opens the record, filling the air with a soft electrical hiss as the artist introduces themself in a whisper that gradually builds. The track offers an early glimpse at the artist’s sonic vocabulary. What begins as a conversation over a struggling radio signal becomes something more intimate, as though the artist were speaking directly to the listener, quietly, in the room.
“Skin Too Thin” follows with a bold bass note and the full strength of Nikko’s voice. Though powerful, the performance remains intimate, set against a synthesized soundscape suited to a science-fiction landscape. In the second half, the song shifts toward a more organic palette, led by natural piano and what might be considered a second chorus.
It is a moving composition best heard, like the rest of the record, on high-quality headphones that open up the layered and detailed soundscape surrounding Nikko’s voice.
The track also introduces identity as a central theme of the recording.
“Blending classical pop songwriting with experimental sound design, I aim to amplify my voice to pose uncomfortable questions — while allowing myself to stay soft within given circumstances,” the artist stated.
Produced by artist and analogue effects maker David Koch, the record was released by Forcefield Records, a queer-feminist independent collective based in Switzerland that functions as a label as well as a booking and management agency.
“Something to Hold On” is guided by an atmospheric guitar line, giving the piece a drifting, lingering quality. An immense thunderclap — drawn either from guitar or synthesizer — breaks through, driving the track to its climax and pushing the larger collection toward its emotional peak.
The EP ends with “Boy Inside,” which continues the intimate conversation that began the record. Here, Nikko’s whispers are paired with a pulsing bass, an atmospheric guitar and a gentle drum pattern. Multiple vocal takes layered together build tension, matched by the growing density of the arrangement. As the music gathers into a modern dirge, the song resolves with the return of the electronic hiss that opened the record, punctuated by hits from a snare drum.
Skin Too Thin offers a clear view into Nikko’s hybrid trance-pop vision — one that blends the natural with the electronic. A refreshing and rewarding listen, the project gestures toward the future.
With a runtime of about 16 minutes, Skin Too Thin leaves the listener wanting more and wondering what might come next.
