8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This CD is defintely lacking...., September 17, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Ibiza (Audio CD)
Oakenfold has been slammed recently (past 2 years or so) by many of the true trance fans. He's been accused of using the same songs/sets for too long, lacking in innovation, and basically turning out stale sets. I have had the pleasure of seeing Oakenfold 3 times in the past year (which is uncommon in the states) and I must say that each set was COMPLETELY different, and he really did a great job of working the crowd. I believe that a lot of the bad reviews oakenfold has been receiving are directly related to his attempts at "breaking" the US. He's repeatedly stated that he's trying to break trance into the US mainstream, and, face it, it'll take trance with a pop-edge to do it. Hate the man for it if you want, but he's the only one with the mass-appeal to be able to pull off such a monumental task. And no matter what he's churning out, anyone who has listened to Oakenfold knows that at any given time, he could put out the most revolutionary, mind blowing, industry changing album ever put to wax. He IS the most talented DJ ever to grace the decks, he's just busy with another project. So, I give this five out of five stars. For it's purpose (popularity and the growth of trance in the US) I can't think of a better selection.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Different...., December 28, 2001
This review is from: Ibiza (Audio CD)
Question: WHAT IS UP WITH TECHNO THESE DAYS? Last year was such a good year but this year's such a dud. It seems even our most famous and well-respected mixers are getting lazy! Paul Oakenfold in particular. Voyage Into Trance and the soundtrack to Swordfish were all disappointments with a couple shinning through in the darkness, but this just threw me for a loop. With the exception of Jan Johnston's "Superstar", The Realm's "This Is Not A Breakdown", and the remix of Prodigy's "Narayan", CD1 was just insipidly bland and full of non-stop breakbeats. I knew from the opening song that I was in for another let down by Paul Oakenfold, which hurt me greatly because I know from previous albums that he's capable of so much more. CD2, though, is a whole other story. World Clique's "Different Signs" pulled me into a deep trance, just like his older CDs have done in the past which leads into the fabulous remix of Depeche Mode's already trance-driven "I Feel Loved." I also like the drum effects on A-Nilo's "Summer Song (Be My Friend)." The overall feel of this CD is an exhilerating high that I've since been denied of this awesome DJ since his flawless "Perfecto Presents Another World." It's also amazing how he can remix a song in which I care so little for - "Beautiful Day" by U2 - and transform it into something I can't get enough of... "Silent Words" by Jan Johnston is another one of my personal favorites (I heard rumor that she's soon to release her own album) and PPK's "ResuRection" which eerily closes with flashes of spacey sound clips.
Don't expect another "Perfecto Presents Another World" but this is definitely better than some of his more recent works....
CD 1 receives 2-stars and CD 2 receives 5-stars
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Varied yet technically unimpressive mix, October 1, 2001
This review is from: Ibiza (Audio CD)
Is Oakenfold, one of the most credible and world-renowned DJs, getting lazy? After listening to his latest set, Ibiza, I certainly got this impression.
It seems that in his older age, Oakenfold has fallen in love with the fader, at times just sliding it over when he wants to introduce another track rather than really making an effort to preserve the flow of the album by working together elements of each track simultaneously. Granted, there are a couple of good transitions, but more than ever, they're abrupt and to the point, and even when he doesn't just fall back on the slider, his track mixing still comes off as rather weak.
Never is it more evident than on renditions of Prodigy's "Narayan" and Radiohead's "Idioteque." While it is normal for even the best of DJs not to remix every single song on their album, these tracks appear exactly as their originals did. So when I purchased this album expecting two new renditions of these tracks, I was extremely let down to find out how many tracks were originals and how few Oakenfold remixed himself. Still, Oakenfold does manage to do a little of his own work, and when he does, it comes off well, the highlight here being his rendition of U2's "Beautiful Day."
Overall, his track selection is pretty sharp, albeit somewhat commercial, and features a couple of real gems. Danny Tenaglia's mix of Depeche Mode's "I Feel Loved" is just superb, as is the lead-in ("Different Signs") by World Clique. Even the tracks that Oakenfold didn't bother to touch, such as the Prodigy and Radiohead tracks, still come off rather well, especially if you've never heard the originals before (in which case they sound pretty good).
In the end, it's at least an enjoyable mix by Oakenfold. It's certainly not on par with many of his older works, but most mixes aren't. There is certainly enough here to be enjoyed, although I'm left with the feeling that this could have been something much greater.
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