As one of hip-hop’s few instrumentalists, it is only natural that Science Fiction will draw comparisons to the cream of the crop; Rjd2, DJ Shadow and Prefuse 73. While Sci-Fi may be talented enough to garner mention in their elite class, his style is hard to compare to any of them. One similarity is certainly evident though, much like the previously mentioned artists Sci-Fi’s personality is stamped on each track.
Born in Nigeria, raised in the Middle East, and educated in the ATL, Sci-Fi’s background is as rich as his beats. His up-tempo kicks and snares are always blanketed by layers of horns, strings, keys and vocal samples. The aspect most likely to stand out is his vocal samples, which more times than not, fuel the song and shape the mood. Right from the jump “Like Metal Hands With Paper Scissors pt.2” is an assault on your ears, overloading your senses with a dizzying array of sounds. Perhaps the most brilliant part of this album, the song titles, as bizarre as they seem, match the songs perfectly. Can you imagine a title like “This Is Where I Landed, When I Fell For You” making sense? Listen to the song…it does.
From front to back, each soundscape is so seamlessly put together that you can easily listen to a song without realizing just how good it is. “I Sat Up By The Phone At Nights…And Waited For My Dreams To Call” is one of the more breathtaking tracks. The slick drums carry two different vocal samples while the piano and guitar are so subtle that you barely notice them. Really, I would be foolish to think I can accurately describe Science Fiction’s canvases. Eyes cannot do this justice, only the ears can.
Initial reactions to Walls Don’t Exist have been either love or hate, with little in the middle. At first I thought I would fall in between the two extremes, but after a few listens I would say I am in love. My marriage proposal was met with the enthusiasm you would expect from an inanimate CD. Alright, I’m getting stupid. This is serious though, Walls Don’t Exist is a stunning album. If you like instrumental albums, you must own this album.
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8.5/10
