About

Originally released on Parrish’s own Sound Signature imprint in 2000 Parallel Dimensions was the release which lit the ignition under Theo’s ascent from Detroit’s basements to dance music’s top table. Although he’d already made a name for himself with a smattering of ear catching 12s on KDJ, Elevate and Sound Signature, his debut LP, the uncompromising First Floor, was a work of flawed genius. Occasionally brilliant, and certainly not wanting for ideas or talent, the album lacked a clear narrative and was at times confused. Theo needed to come up with an extended statement of artistic intent, and Parallel Dimensions was just that. First Floor had introduced a niche house music audience to his unique style of whomping lows and hissing highs (most noticeably on the brilliantly rough ‘JB’s Edit’) but Parallel Dimensions saw the producer hone his technique, and more importantly his skills as an arranger, to take things to the next level. 

As soon as the slinky percussion loop of opener ‘Serengeti Echoes’ is courted by that subby kick our journey into the heart of Theo’s psychedelic soul begins. Over the course of the next twelve minutes of expansive sound, Parrish layers African chant, circular basslines and heart-wrenching strings into a deeply hypnotic groove that always stays fresh and dynamic despite the track’s formidable length. The success of ‘Serengeti Echoes’ owes as much to Parrish’s mastery of arrangement as it does the beauty and simplicity of the component parts, and it’s this killer combination which comes to the fore throughout the LP. – Vinyl Factory