Soul Food
Patrick Critton | Tanzania | 06/27/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Detroit, the undisputed cradle of techno music, is a city ravaged by industrial decay, it's people neglected by a prejudiced and careless system, and it's identity often marginalized, yet like the relentless and calculated hum of the assembly line, so do the denizens of Detroit's nascent and highly creative techno scene relentlessly elevate the musical dialect of a rhythmic lineage that was born in the ancestral hums, and percolating drums of Africa, born in the ghetto, infused with the infinite anguish of the delta blues and echoes of the field hollers and energized with the deep soul that was envisioned in the gospel songs of the slave ring shout, and repackaged by multi-talented singers in the halls of Detroit's legendary Tamla Records, which redefined 20th century black music, into a global sound, imitated the world over.
This album, part of a lineage charged with creating highly inventive and quality black music, from the early days of the godfathers-the first wave-Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May, to Eddie Fowlkes and Carl Craig, exemplifies the aforementioned sonic paradigm that has been so instrumental in helping create a world-wide audience for this quality music. This album was my introduction into the 21st century soul boogie coming from the depths of Detroit, which are here skilfully manipulated through machines that create a sound that is pure soul techno blues, with carefully syncopated drums, and subtle sound signature changes, that result in a highly satisfying and captivating musical journey, constantly holding your senses hostage, yet easing the mind's consciousness with soulful calming sonic waves. The entire album is simply finger lickin' good, and if this proves to peak your interest into the Detroit strain of techno, be sure to dig deeper for Theo's other exceptional releases, such as First Floor, and Sound Sculptures Vol.1 along with the likes of Moodymann, Carl Craig, Model 500, Underground Resistance and 3 Chairs among many other exceptional pioneering spirits.
The Detroit techno music scene is impressive in that although it eschews fame for a more conscious and uplifted form of expression that results in pure quality black music, lot of it very expensive or hard to find and often incorporating social consciousness, it has consistently done so under the mainstream radar, as if their sole desire is to express their souls, and ultimately time will catch up to their highly pioneering strain of soul music, a future goldmine of vivrant raw material, that irnonically today's mainstream Hip-Hop should tear a page from and learn. Pabs.
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Timeless Masterpiece
ACME reveiws | Australia | 01/18/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow, first couple of listens and I thought oh no, mistake. Oh well. Then it revealed itself like the most beatiful ton of bricks. And I mean beatiful. One may not think Detroit techno could posess such a quality, but this does. Plus so many musical ideas. Now I know where Theo parrish gets his reputation from. Tempo is the usual speed of contempory minimal. The sound is not dated. Can't say enough, and I like all of the minimal stuff from the last few years or more yet this, it has to be said is way more advanced than most of that stuff(this record is from 2000 I believe). There are notable exceptions - villalobos, hawtin/minus, radioslave plus all those other great Berliners. Omar s fabric CD i also highly recommend, more stripped back than this but no less brilliant for its simplicity. Theo Parrishs Parallel Dimensions is one of th best things I have heard in years. How did I miss this. Buy it."
I Believe Theo Can Do No Wrong
Akua Grant | California. | 11/07/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Enough said really. This is yet another in a string of great works. I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!!!"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1