Hello Skinny

Hello Skinny emerged as a studio endeavor spearheaded by percussionist Tom Skinner, who fused elements of classic New York disco, dub, electronics, and jazz while taking on the roles of composer, producer, and arranger and handling the majority of instrumentation across the project’s initial recordings. Already a regular collaborator with Zero 7 and a session participant alongside Martin Speake, Sam Lewis, and Two Banks of Four, Skinner introduced the moniker—drawn from a Residents composition—through the July 2012 mixtape Smash + Grab, which incorporated contributions from Rowdy Superstar, Shabaka Hutchings, and Trudie Dawn Smith. The first full-length release, the self-titled Hello Skinny, arrived in March 2013, with Skinner again managing most instrumental duties yet welcoming Hutchings, Smith, Tom Herbert, Nick Ramm, and Byron Wallen as guests. A limited-edition EP titled Revolutions followed in September 2013, presenting the new pieces “Revolutions, Pt. 1” and “Revolutions, Pt. 2” together with remixes of three earlier tracks. Skinner then set the project aside for several years while pursuing other work, notably with the Owiny Sigoma Band and Sons of Kemet. After encountering trombonist and composer Peter Zummo, whose prior partnerships included Arthur Russell’s pioneering experimental disco efforts of the 1980s, Skinner reactivated Hello Skinny, resulting in the 2017 album Watermelon Sun, which featured Zummo performing alongside him.