SPACETIME CONTINUUM

Double Fine Zone

Astralwerks (1999)

review by Bill Binkelman

The sticker on the front of Spacetime Continuum's Double Fine Zone alludes to the recording being a hybrid of soul, jazz and techno. I wasn't sure what to make of that, and after a few listenings, I still wasn't. Now, after many spins with the disc, I'm no longer concerned about whether or not I "get it." I'm too busy enjoying this ultra-cool and inventive whirligig of an album. And, if I was to analyze why, it just might be that it's because this recording pretty much is a blend of those three genres. And a slick mixture it is.

Be forewarned, though, that while Double Fine Zone abounds with techno beats and other electronica tricks of the trade, it is also filled with jazzy saxophone, electric piano, and the smooth sophistication of urban soul. As such, lovers of unadulterated techno from groups such as Orbital might think this is too, well, jazzy.

Songs on the CD are varied and diverse in approach and feel. There's the funky dub of "microjam" with its spacy synth effects, juxtaposed with harmonica fills (!), the bop-jazz meets drum and bass "freezone" and the hyper-kinetic "spin out" with weird synth effects, break beats and big time techno bass rhythms. To say this CD is imaginative is an understatement. It jumps around from one vibe to another, seldom sitting still for more than a half of a song, before veering off into a new musical direction. Of particular note is the creative use of electronics&emdash;some of the synth effects are wild!

Production quality is excellent. Whether or not you should pick up on this is dependent on your taste (or lack thereof) for jazz. The saxophone opening on "one day at a time" is pretty much in-your face, as it is during parts of the opener, "the ring." But, on the other hand, the techno beats and spacy electronics of "different bend" could be off of a lot of ambient dub or house music recordings. Myself, having cut my teeth on the electronic jazz fusion of groups like Return to Forever and The L.A. Express and recordings like Herbie Hancock's soundtrack for Death Wish, most of Double Fine Zone is right up my alley. Slick, urban, sexy and filled with enough rhythms to keep me moving for hours, this is one exciting CD!