dijon's 'Sci Fi 1′ Is a 21st Century R&B-Folk Masterpiece
"'Sci Fi 1' is a collection of ideas that did not have a home - not quite an album, something in between. Made in living rooms mostly at night." These are the words dijon uses to describe his debut EP, an EP that will likely go down as one of the most overlooked yet critically-acclaimed projects of 2019. For Sci Fi 1 feels like so much than a stunning series of songs; it feels like a journey.
In the span of 17 minutes, dijon lets us into a cosmic musical world proliferated by R&B, folk, experimental electronic, and even gospel influences. Opening on "Lace," we meet dijon in the midst of both a figurative and literal voyage. Coursing through a Memphis-sided gas station, the deserted highways of Nebraska, to our eventual promised destination of Hollywood, our only accompaniment in this cross-country road trip is a warm wall of fuzz, far-off instrumentation, and dijon's reflective intonation. It is an impactful opening moment that can still be felt when the EP's closing track, "Bad Luck," suddenly cut, signaling the end of Sci Fi 1.
The otherworldly road trip that opens Sci Fi 1 feels like an all-too-fitting foreword to the story contained in the walls of this debut EP. It is a deeply intimate tale yet simultaneously grand in its sense of candidness. The sentiment holds true throughout the EPs remaining six tracks, including the previously released "Cannonball" and "Drunk," which feel as striking as the first time we heard them. Yet, Sci Fi 1 cements dijon as so much more than a poet capable of weaving an imposing weight into his timeless sonic meditations.
The most profound moments of Sci Fi 1 are found when dijon allows himself to run loose, intermingling his innate gift for arresting songwriting to intermingle with his more experimental inclinations. Such is the case on a track like "Bracelet," a just shy of two-minute bout of free association scored by glitchy alien production. From start to finish, at its most experimental or stripped-back, Sci Fi 1 stands as an exceptional collection of songs. There is not much more that can be said; it is a transcendent 17 minutes best experienced first-hand.
Listen to Sci Fi 1 below:
