David Griffin — Between the Lines of Time and Space

This newest full-length by David Griffin is a mainly ambient affair, differing slightly from his prior work in the beat-oriented electro and techno genres. What we are presented with in this session is a medium-length, digital synth album. Citing influences of only the most basic and well-known progenitors of softer electronic sounds (Eno, FSOL, Aphex Twin, Budd), the results for the most part derivative. In the current marketplace of highly developed consumer-grade electronic instruments, many such albums like Between The Lines of Time and Space exist simply due to the sheen that preset sounds which such machines can produce out of the box.

While certainly inoffensive and acceptable on the ears, Griffin’s work offends in a different way: it utterly lacks originality (both timbrally and in structural content), fails to deliver compelling melodic content, and weakens significantly upon repeat listens. While perhaps a strength when taking all the aforementioned critiques, the short track durations (the longest being 3:21, the shortest a mere 1:59) belie any attempt to pair the “epic” qualities of the synthesizer tones with adequate length. The sketch nature of the album further fragments any unifying thread – a blunder which only becomes more obvious as vast concepts such as “time”, “space”, “ancient sound”, “fractals” and “the void” are used in titles.

A quick glance into Griffin’s website also reveals his concurrent peddling of original fiction and mobile device applications. Perhaps it is unfair to bring such elements into the context of an album review, but, this seems a dubious trio of activity and the presentation is ambiguous as well as befuddling. As said before about the music, certainly nothing outwardly bad here… but I’d be hard pressed to find a reason to pay for this mp3 album.