Sound Field - Audio Surfin' ( Oxygen, Feb. 2007 )

Track List:
01 - Psychedelic Revival - 9:41 - 135 bmp
02 - Technological Terror - 8:57 - 138 bpm
03 - Midi Tales - 8:20 - 137 bpm
04 - Return to the Field - 6:55 - 140 bpm
05 - Crossbreed - 9:28 - 138 bpm
06 - Dub Vibration - 8:11 - 120 bpm
07 - Funk Science (Southern rmx) - 9:00 - 130 bpm
08 - Second Step above the Sun - 10:36 - 132 bpm
09 - Lifted Higher - 8:09 - 130 bpm

Sound Field is Andy Yakovlev and Liron Atia. Andy also has a few solo projects, one being the reknown'd Prosect, who's debut album can be expected on Tribal Vision Records shortly and Liron whom helped Andy make the Sound Field album in part, before having a terrible accident almost paralyzing his entire body. Andy was forced to work extra hard and even make a few of the tracks by himself to complete this lovely tale. Oxygen Records offers in there 6th release, one of our scene's spotlight artists, whom, if you ask me, made a name for oxygen records since day one, with there release titled "Ocean in Motion". This time around, they offer nine brand new tracks that takes a different approache from the usual Oxygen Records sound. This one being more melodic as a whole and really refreshing.

The album kickstarts with a very dramatic intro, lasting for almost the first minute and a half of the track. I can give the guys originality bonues for this one. It totally fucks your mind and really gets you psyched for the music before us. Psychedelic Revival has a nice full-onish style bassline and great percs. When the lead melody starts up, we get the impression that the sun just set and the moon is rising slowly. The melody consists basically of an echo'd sample that pretty much repeates itself for a big part of the first half of the song. As things move forward, the bassline changes and becomes slightly more electrified and the samples get a little glitchy'er than usual, working well with the opening intro. I really like the evolution of this one. there are lots of up's and down's. Near the end, we can really feel the Yakovlev touch. A very nice track as a whole.

Technological Terror starts off more minimal, almost bringing Sensient to mind (before the melody starts that is). Well, it is kind of minimal from what we are use to from this duo and the melodies really take control of the track rather than a funky bassline for instance. This track is very trance releated and almost epic at times it seems but it doesn't qualify as cheeze or anything displeasant. On the contrairy even, the track is rather emotional yet not over dramatic. This one is definatly not the track that stands out the most because of its more "home listening" appeal but the progression and structure find a way to make it interesting to the ear.

After yet another interesting intro, Midi Tales tunes up the agression meter a littlebit, despit its slightly slower bpm count in comparison to the previous track. I really like the percussions in this one, complimenting the groovyness factor of the track. As it moves forward, we get a little more into the twisted psychedelic sounds as it almost reaches a full-on sounding lead. To my ears, it is a little unpleasent, but it doesn't last too long and then the more progressive part of the song comes back out from the shadow's of the harder sounds. All in all, its a very nice track.

Ahhhh, lets take a little break now and absorb this great intro. Its a good thing too, because my virgin ears were starting to get a little beatup. Return to the Field calms things down and brings back the sunshine. At first, i would have said this was a remix from Son Kite or Tegma, as those are the artists that come to mind when hearing this one play out. This one is pure buildup.. the whole track just keeps getting harder and harder until it explodes. Definatly a nice listen on the way home from a full-on party.

Crossbreed is our next one here with a very ironic name considering the sounds we find inside this one. This one is BY FAR the nicest piece of music on the album. Wow, i was really impressed on where this one ends up by the end of it. At first it sounds simular to Technological Terro, but as things heaten up it moves you into a new dimension. If Tiesto played this kind of trance music i would start paying the ridiculusly expensive ticket prices to see him !! Everything is just right on in this one.. The bassline, the samples, the percs and of course the melodies that make this track what it is. Hearing this one for the first time made me thing twice about who's album i was listening too. Its very different from the rest on this album and really stands out. Some might find this one a little too epic for there tastes but i find it just right. Great job.

Well, while we are looking for diversity on this album, we stumble apon our next track titled Dub Vibration, and as you can guess, the title is symbolic to the track itself. This one will definatly be a good intro in on of my editions of the Jester's Court on techno.fm... I can start to complain about why this track is in the peak of this album but that wouldn't really make mush sense since the track has its good points. Near the end, it turns into a 4x4 beat with rasta like samples. Not really my cup of tea and not in the right place if you ask me.

Next up is a remix from VIbrasphere.. no wait, its not by Vibrasphere.. but it would have fit perfectly on there "Lime Structures" album. Now that you have an idea of how this one sounds, go fetch your CD player and loop this one for a while. Things just got alot more progressive as this track is the turning point in this album. Its alot slower that the first group of tracks and much more monotoned. The layering of this one is also something worth mentionning despit that it never really "takes off"...

Second Step Around the Sun to me means either two things to me, 1:that they want a second chance after that last one or 2: that they venture into the more melodic world once again. I think probably both points are accurate to a certain extent, as it is definatly better than the last track and the little tribal touch adds alot to it. Although this one n'either really takes off, the sound is still very mind controlling.

Lifted higher is in collaboration with Lars Knudsen. Although i am unfamiliar with that name, i can guess it has something to do with the guys from Sonic Cube maybe or is it Greed? I has a darker kick to it and low toned bassline englobed by very nice melodies and soft sounds. Its a great track to close this album up as it really "puts you to sleep", but not in a boring way. It sooths the mind and relaxes your thoughts.. i would highly recomend this one right before bed, as you fall asleep with a huge smile on your face.

In Conclusion, this one is not too be taken lightly for those prog lovers. The BPM variety also makes this one very usful for Dj's who play a few different styles. I would have to admit though, that this one is more of a
"sit down" album rather than a dancefloor killer. The high presence of melodies attack more your brain than your legs. I have to congradulate these two guys for coming through with this one despit the unfortunate luck they had in the early stages.

Great work guys and thanks to Oxygen for releasing such a sweet album. This one definatly stands high beside Spectra's album in the O2 roaster.

Favs : 1!!, 2, 4!!, !!5!!, 7, 8!, 9!!

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