- This one's going to involve some detective work. No production credits, no press release, no website—just a record: Skylevel 01. We know it features two edits, "55" and "5 Million Steps," but by whom? And (unhelpful titles aside) of what? No clues in the artwork's fantasy woodcut or from the scarlet pimpernel who delivered it. And the tracks themselves are coated in a layer of musical dust only acquirable at the bottom of one bottomless crate. So out with the deerstalker and pipe it is.
Youtube is like CCTV for crate diggers, and sure enough, a search for "5 Million Steps" throws up a lead. There's a couple of hiking fan videos to sit through, but it's not long before a triumphant bell chimes in on Rhanni Harris' "Six Million Steps" that's identical to the hook on our suspect vinyl. The whole thing has an air of Black Cock about it—both in a Harvey and a figurative sense—and, over its bass foundation and plucky guitar fingerwork, it packs a floor full of hands-in-the-air punch into that looped bell riff. The cut-up disguise is a good one.
A-side track "55" turns out to be another numerical red herring, but the clue is in the label name. There was once a band of jazz-funk session musicians called Sea Level whose track "Fifty Four" is the culprit here. While the original had its hammier intervals, the present edit centres around a bass hook dressed in platforms, flares and gold medallions. The melodic breakdown towards the end is just rewards for such an intense groove. As for the men responsible? Over to you, detective.
Tracklist A 55 (Skylevel Edit)
B 5 Million Steps (Skylevel Edit)