Review of THE REHEARSAL TAPES VOL. 1

by Frank Underwaitle

Scientific Fly’s first album ‘The Rehearsal Tapes Vol. 1’ is nothing else and nothing less than a documentation of the long-year research of both, A:tapani.doc and I.C.HIR, in trying to communicate with Scientific Flies by means of music.

Although there are many, many more recordings, yet unpublished, the two scientists have collected only the 12 best (regarding their scientific success) tracks. Even after listening to the music the X-th time, there is still this sense of creative audiovisual dialogue, which is

simply astonishing. -

1 "You are hereby warned...!" - Accompanied by the unique voice-sampling-soundscape, the opener ‘TAKEN FROM PAGE 44’ cites a paragraph of Neal Stephenson’s novel ‘Snow Crash’, thereby gaining momentum to flow through several places, in order to end approximately where it all started.

2 As an almost classical piece, ‘HYPNOTIC CIRCLE’ dates back to the early origins of Scientific Fly’s research, and, as such, represents a major breakthrough in their achievement for mutual communication-techniques. A:tapani.doc: "It contains the idea, that every form of life can be described as a circle, which means it comes like waves."

3 ‘HUULA’ is something special, since it deeply reflects the search for a dialogue between the North European spirit and the American Indian movement, ending up in some almost metaphysical melodics.

4 Comparable to a journey, ‘OPEN HOUSE’ takes the listener to different corners of the Scientific Fly-realm, as well as of the contemporary human mind in general. It offers lights and shades, mountains and valleys, big and small, good and bad, and, above all, a new beginning after the end.

5 Now, this track shows what happens, when ‘SANDY MAN IS COMING TO TOWN’!

6 ‘CHRONOLOGICAL TRAM-TRACK’ is all and nothing. - Reminding me of an old train, which is meandering through a big valley like a river, this document contains ups and downs, always being pushed by the merciless rhythm of the railway-bars.

7 Remembering the 80s, when ESA’s ‘Space Lab’ was put into orbit, Scientific Fly decided to experiment in the stratosphere, thus being nearer to extraterrestrial phenomena. This research resulted in some amazing frequency-deviations, whose scientific causes haven’t been examined totally, so far. However, some scientists claim that ‘SPACE LAB’S EXPLORING SCIENTIFIC FLIES’ contains the first direct evidence of the existence of a life-form, which is usually not to be met on a Friday-afternoon-shopping...

8 As mentioned in the FAQ-site of SF, ‘THE BROKEN HEEL HINDERS HIM TO WALK WITHOUT PAIN’ is about the consequences of a concretely assumed case of criminality in the contemporary society, thereby trying to get in contact with the socio-political gene of Scientific Flies - with partial success.

9 ‘PRAIRIE NIGHTS, GOLDEN SUN’ - Well, there is nothing to write about this one. Just listen to it, and Scientific Fly-pictures will display manifold in your emotional brain-stem.

10 As a scientific reviewer, it is sometimes hard to keep the right balance between scientific seriousness and childlike fun. Without one of these properties some of the big discoveries of mankind would probably still be secrets. - ‘CYBERPUNK WITH JASON’ is an experiment, which originally aimed at getting more information about the childhood of Scientific Flies, but ended up in an unbiased trip to Jason’s musical preferences.

11 Taking up the wisdom, that "everything can be described as a circle" (see ’HUULA’), the actually last song ‘DON’T FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM’ concludes the socio-geometric odissey the whole CD implies. Being spiritual, and thus metaphysical from the first second on, it reminds us to take care of our terrestrial and extraterrestrial environment. Since everything is connected by visible and invisible fields of forces, we should see the stars, too, as our brothers and sisters.

12 ‘HALLUCINATION’: Like a fata morgana from outer space, Scientific Fly emerges from the deepest core of the desert, just to vanish into thin air again, leaving behind the odour of a natural phenomenon...

To conclude: The "research" tapes - as I would call them - are worth every penny you pay for them

simply astonishing