Skinshape

Skinshape, the studio project of British musician and producer William Dorey, is due to appear at La Cigale in Paris on 24 April 2026. Behind the name is a craftsman of sound who draws on 1960s–70s funk and reggae, library music, psychedelic rock, African influences and stripped-back folk. His approach aims for the grain and warmth of vintage recordings, with muted guitars, supple bass lines and percussion that lets the space breathe. Dorey was also a founding member of the band Palace from 2014 to 2017, and has run Horus Records, his reggae label that feeds his explorations of textures and rhythms, since 2014.

On stage, Skinshape takes the form of a quintet. The band reinterprets its catalogue with organic arrangements, stretches grooves and lets melodies settle, from early tracks to more recent pieces. It’s a way of bringing out the psychedelic dimension and dub echoes without losing the melodic thread.

An opportunity to immerse yourself in William Dorey’s singular world and rediscover that precise blend of gentleness, pulse and analogue colours.