Hi Fiction Science

Henry Ford said that “History is bunk” and while I generally like to have some feel for the origins of a band so that I can get some understanding of the path from there to here in the case of Hi Fiction Science I’m with Ford. The music stands for itself and wherever the constituents came from and whatever the origins I simply don’t care – this is a superb chunk of music that excites and intrigues and eventually exhausts and that is all you, or I, need to know.

The music has elements of folk, psych, Prog, Krautrock and Acid-Drone and even without knowing anything about the band I would place them in Bristol because that city is the only place I have found that can put together a combination of sounds like this and still retain any meaning.

In many ways it harks back to the bands of the sixties and early seventies, especially with the ethereal vocals and drone feel to the music but the playing is modern and clean, not the dope induced fuzz of the hippy period, but the guitar playing is straight from the Soft Machine/Nice/Youngbloods playbook.

The title track brings chanting and cathedral singing into a Can or Amon Duul type setting. Hypnotic heartbeat rhythm and small elements around the singing which somehow reminds me of Steeleye Span. The tambourine keeping the beat is spacey against the vibrato viol and for anyone who remembers the acid-trips of the Roundhouse era it will feel very familiar.
Every track has the same mesmerising effect as they take the mind in different directions while staying in the same heartbeat.

It really is almost impossible to describe this album in terms other than those of psych or religious meaning but it is very much of the now as much as the yesterday and tomorrow.

Strongly recommended that you do not drive or operate machinery while under the influence of Hi Fiction Science but they will enhance any other activities that come to mind.