Customer Reviews

Live in Oslo

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This mix presents the listener with a different approach to a mix: blending from many genre's to form a perfect climax over 2 hours.

He starts with sensitive, interesting and melodic drum&bass, moves into a more progressive d&b, and then breaks out the trance/sorta-goa/sorta-psychtrance to get you going near the end of CD1... CD2 continues with the same stuff, though moving it into straight up and down trance, throwing in another hint of d&b, then moving on to a lovely finish.

Definitly not the same style he would play during the "Tranceport" era, or even the "Resident: 2 Years At Cream" era. This is before all that, but after his Goa spell. Wonderfully chillful at the begining, then amazingly it towers above all at the end. If you're into Oakey, Nick Warren or Dave Seaman, get this.... you'll like it. Much more of an energetic build up starting with CD2..... absolutely!

-Fuzzy

This is his best global underground contribution and along with Resident it is his best work. On this album he illustrates the true skill that a world renowned DJ has. On disc 1 he glides through the clouds of drum 'n bass, changing it into breakbeat to set up his progressive finish. On disc 2 he begins with very heavy acid house and transitions seamlessly to trance. And with some applome. And picture this being live.

This isn't your typical techno house mix. I liked the variety of music, starting with several drum and bass tracks which lead into trance and house. Peppered with good vocals, I also like the change in pacing which gives it much more appeal listening to as opposed to the typical unrelenting beat. It builds and then releases in good form. This album is good to chill to as well. Get it-I think you'll like it.

This isn't your typical techno house mix. I liked the variety of music, starting with several drum and bass tracks which lead into trance and house. Peppered with good vocals, I also like the change in pacing which gives it much more appeal listening to as opposed to the typical relenting beat. It builds and then releases in good form. This album is good to chill to as well. Get it-I think you'll like it.

When I first listened to disc 1, I had to check to make sure I was listening to Oakenfold. The first 30 minutes of disc 1 sounded so much like LTJ Bukem (Drum and Bass), followed by the typical Oakenfold progressive trance, which I thought was good but nothing innovative or new. Not bad but I didn't find it as impressive as his Tranceport CD.

This compilation is a little outdated with its release being in 1997, but I still enjoy most of disc 1 a decade later. Not a common occurrence with electronica because it changes so quickly.

Unlike most, I'm not a huge fan of Paul Oakenfold. I can't stand his usual bubble-gum trance sets. However, his moree clectic albums like Global Underground 04:Oslo are much more enjoyable for my electronica tastes and I think stand up against the test of time much more strongly than the majority of his "classics".

Disc 1 wins out as my favourite of the two. The track selection is really well layed out on disc 1 and for some odd reason, the ambient/drum and bass feel that Oakenfold establishes works very well. This set may be too mellow for Paul Oakenfold fans that like his non-stopping high energy trance sets that he is so loved for.

Disc 2 starts out really well, but deteriorates into hard techo and trance...The kind of tracks that make me picture a lot of glow-sticks waving around (shudder). Thankfully this only happens after Shades of Blue by Hush (track 5 of 10 on disc 2).

Overall, Disc 1 4/5 stars and Disc 2 2/5 stars.

You will like this one if you like the lighter synth styles. Not as hard-driving or dramatic as Transport.

This album is not what you might expect from Paul Oakenfold or Global Underground. The first half of the first disc is ambient mixed with drum n bass. "Elysian Fields" and "Tripping On Broken Beats" are all nice tracks, but some are a bit disappointing like "Alaska" and "You're Not Alone". But the dnb ambience is brought towards trance on the second half of the first disc, using "Set In Stone" as the transition piece. A phunky trance blowaway is present on "Reach" and the rest of the disc is nice as well. The second disc starts with dirty robot funk and sinister trance rhythms. "The Ohm Sessions" is dirty hard trance at it's finest, but it cleans up with "Cycles of Life", which uses piano and strings to hammer out trance rhythms. The rest of the album is 90's sounding electro-trance. This is by no means a disappointing album overall, but it lacks luster in parts and is not your conventional GU or Oakey set.

I always can trust Oakenfold for a solid CD however, this set is not true Oakenfold. People in search of his typical proggresive trance will be slightly dissapointed. Many different genres are played with including ambient and acid jazz roots. Not a "Tranceport", but worth a listen.