Last Updated on 2025-07-18 by a-indie
Here’s the full English translation of the article:
For me, Skullcrusher’s music has always been a personal “sanctuary.”
Her 2022 debut album ‘Quiet the Room’ painted a world of sound that was fragile to the point of breaking, yet possessed an unwavering core.
While immersed in her music, there was a strange sense of security that allowed me to escape the daily hustle and retreat into my own quiet room.
So when news arrived of her new release, accompanied by the surprise of signing with UK’s prestigious indie label Dirty Hit, alongside personal joy, a premonition crossed my mind.
Where would she take us, stepping out from that quiet room? (Text: Tomohiro Yabe)
Skullcrusher, Beyond the Silence
Lightning Contract with Dirty Hit, Home to The 1975
Many readers will think of artists like The 1975, beabadoobee, and Rina Sawayama when they hear Dirty Hit—artists who combine pop brilliance with contemporary relevance.
The fact that such a label signed with Skullcrusher (Helen Valentine) might seem surprising at first glance.
However, this feels symbolic of the label’s depth of aesthetic judgment and the changes in what contemporary listeners seek in music.
It’s not just catchy hooks or loud sounds that capture hearts.
Rather, it’s the deeply introspective and personal resonance that Skullcrusher weaves that is desperately needed in our information-overloaded era.
This signing will undoubtedly be an important step toward delivering her music to more people seeking “sanctuary.”
A Story of “Rebirth” Woven in Her Hometown
Her second album ‘And Your Song is Like a Circle,’ her first in three years, was born from a season of major life changes.
Helen left Los Angeles, her base for nearly a decade, and returned to her hometown of Hudson Valley, New York in the summer of 2022.
During the solitary time that followed, she confronted themes of “change and loss” and created this work.
Tired of the city’s pace and seeking refuge, she returned to her hometown’s landscape.
This story overlaps, to some extent, with pages from our own lives.
Living while losing something and finding something new again.
This work is like a beacon that gently accompanies such vulnerable feelings and illuminates the path to “rebirth.”
Studio Ghibli Films and Throat Microphones Capturing Breath
Music Like Studio Ghibli Films You “Watch” with Your Ears
The fantastical worldview that characterizes Skullcrusher’s music has its roots in Hayao Miyazaki’s films, which she openly acknowledges as a major influence.
Indeed, listening closely to her music reveals landscapes reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films.
To illustrate: the sacred atmosphere reminiscent of the Forest Spirit’s woods in ‘Princess Mononoke,’ the floating sensation of being lost in another world in ‘Spirited Away.’
The ambient folk texture, often compared to Grouper and Julia Holter, is truly a soundtrack you “watch” with your ears.
It blurs the boundary between dreams and reality, drawing listeners deep into sonic narratives.
“Ephemeral” Expression Captured by Throat Microphones
In this work, she’s experimenting with new sonic approaches.
One such experiment involves attaching contact microphones to her throat while recording vocals.
This captures subtle breaths and throat tremors that would normally be inaudible, integrating them into the music as living components.
Helen explains: “The ‘voice’ is an instrument everyone has, capable of expressing various emotions—laughing, crying, screaming. It’s also an ephemeral existence that eventually fades away.”
True to these words, she’s trying to extract the most primitive and emotional aspects of the voice.
This isn’t mere technique, but an honest expression aimed at etching the fragility and beauty of human existence into sound.
Listening to Heart’s Liberation in Lead Single “Exhale”
The Strength to Accept Incompleteness
The lead single “Exhale,” opening the album’s door, is a breathtakingly beautiful track where ethereal synthesizers and strings quietly layer with Helen’s translucent vocals.
She comments on this song: “There are parts where I want to stop before the composition solidifies and the song evolves, leaving it incomplete. Instead, I allow the song to shape itself and accept whatever it becomes.”
Rather than rushing toward completion, she accepts the incomplete state and surrenders to its natural flow.
This attitude is filled with a gentle yet powerful sense of liberation, like slowly exhaling a drawn breath.
“Invisible Emotional Strata” in the Video
The music video, conceived with Adam Alonzo and shot at her family home in New York, also deeply conveys this song’s worldview.
Repainting cabinets in her mother’s house, working on lyrics while washing dishes.
Such casual daily fragments become what she calls “invisible emotional strata,” delicately woven into sound and image.
This represents the memories that home holds, the pain of loss, and quiet hope for rebirth.
Watching this video while listening to “Exhale,” we touch the emotional layers deep within ourselves through Helen Valentine’s personal story as an artist.
Please find headphones, a quiet moment and place to yourself, regulate your breathing, and dive deep into this sonic world.
The new “sanctuary” Skullcrusher has prepared seems to be a slightly wider place than before, with gentler light streaming in.
Release Information
Title: ‘And Your Song is Like a Circle’
Release Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Label: Dirty Hit
Track List:
1. March
2. Dragon
3. Living
4. Maelstrom
5. Changes
6. Periphery
7. Red Car
8. Exhale
9. Vessel
10. The Emptying
View on Bandcamp
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