Search - Safety Scissors :: Parts Water

Hard to explain...

K. McLaughlin | San Francisco, CA United States | 01/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Mom and pop (and any others who aren't into electronic-type music) might easily dismiss this album, but you wouldn't come looking for this cd unless you had an idea of what it was. I'm not sure I'm fully qualified to describe it, but no one else on the site has taken a shot. This is an album of minimal beats, all intricately worked when you listen closely. The bpm is consistent and keeps things moving, though this is not really dancefloor stuff. It's not a mix album, but the songs flow seamlessly together - very cohesive, sets its own mood. Each song is self-contained, but the album is even better as a whole. The tone is not minor, not major, but somewhere in between - kinda moody, hints of nostalgia. A few tracks have plaintive male vocals (Stormy Weather is one highlight) though it's not really singing. The theme of water is pleasantly constant throughout. This cd is different from anything I've heard and after a dozen listens I'm thrilled with it. Perhaps I can use what I AM familiar with to describe what it's NOT: not house, not trance, not 2-step, not breakbeat, not lounge, not Bristol-hop, not drumnbass (in any recognizable way). No samples, no scratching. It's not lush, it's minimal, and the fact that it still produces an emotional response (instead of being an artistic/technological experiment/curiosity) demonstrates the value. If you're familiar with all things electronica, take the chance, give it a couple listens, I think you'll enjoy a new creation."