Solution Science Systems - "Daemon Ex Machina"
(Smiley Jones Records 2003, SJ010)
Solution Science Systems - "Daemon Ex Machina"
(Smiley Jones Records 2003, SJ010)
Uploaded to Aural Innovations: January 2004
Andy Tegethoff (Low-Frequency Oscillations, Synesthesiology), Kelly Shane (Rhythmic Pulsation, Hyper-Conceptualization) and Robert MacGrogan (String Theory, Phonotonic Transformation).
Nuts (see above). Liner notes, web site, it’s all weird (humorously so) pseudo-science. An interesting concept, but what about the music? I mean, there’s a guy that lives under the bridge by where I work who wears tin foil on his head. Keeps the CIA satellite (and Major League Baseball) from reading his brainwaves, he says. He definitely doesn’t play music (I asked him).
Okay, so it’s a gimmick. Weirdness aside, Solution Science Systems play some pretty good prog-rock. I would button-hole it as a nice mixture of Classic and Neo (not the Matrix guy), with the usual modern influences thrown in. I actually liked this one on the second listen. While the individual tracks are a little short (nothing over 8 min), it has a concept feel (surprise) and the songs easily move from one to the next; all of them seamlessly creating this huge thing.
There’s lots of tempo and mood changes, little background bits, and of course weirdness by the bushel. The playing is good and the lead vocals are sung (as opposed to screamed) by a vocalist with a nice voice. There’s bits of everything, pick your fave, it’s in here somewhere. The nice thing, is that it doesn’t really sound derivative. Highly recommended.
For more information you can visit the Solution Science Systems web site at: http://www.SolutionScienceSystems.com.
Email at: sss@michaelsmith.com.
Contact via snail mail c/o Michael Smith Management; 6500 Wright Circle NE; Atlanta, GA 30328.
Reviewed by Louis Hesselt-van-Dinter