Audio CD review:
Paul Oakenfold - Global Underground: Oslo

Paul Oakenfold - Global Underground: Oslo

Band: Paul Oakenfold Title: Global Underground: Oslo Rating: Release Date: 09 June, 1997 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Elysian Fields - Artemis 2: Tripping on Broken Beats [Carlito Mix] - Omni Trio 3: Beyond Therapy - JMJ & Richie, 4: Alaska - Alaska 5: Music for the Lonely - Jamie Myerson 6: You're Not Alone [Perfecto Mix] - Olive 7: Music - LTJ Bukem 8: Set in Stone - Bedrock 9: Reach [Basement Jaxx Firecracker Mix] - Lil' Mo' Yin Yang 10: In the Lab - K Lab, 11: Interspace [Original Tremelo Mix] - Disco Droids 12: Last Prayer - Chapel of Rest 13: Forbidden Zone - Bedrock 14: Ohm Sessions - Cruzeman 15: Cycles of Life - Atlantic Ocean 16: Waters - Taucher 17: So Much - Shades of Blue 18: Submission - The Freak, Mac Zimms 19: Ionised - Astral Projection 20: Trance in Saigon - Eve 21: Course Poursuite - Joking Sphinx 22: Rhapsody in Venice - Eve

Customer Reviews Refreshing Change From Oakenfold's Solid Trance Sets Not a common occurrence with electronica because it changes so quickly. This compilation is a little outdated with its release being in 1997, but I still enjoy most of disc 1 a decade later. 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. Intriguing but a bit mellow. Not as hard-driving or dramatic as Transport. You will like this one if you like the lighter synth styles. not your average GU... The first half of the first disc is ambient mixed with drum n bass. This album is not what you might expect from Paul Oakenfold or Global Underground. "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. . You can see a complete list of all Paul Oakenfold discography, or go back to the Paul Oakenfold tabs