Artist: Solar Fields
Title: Reflective Frequencies
Label: Ultimae Records
Date: 2001
Tracklisting:
1 - 6.7 (4:21)
2 - Floating Channels (7:45)
3 - Self Transforming Experience (First Movement) (3:47)
4 - Blue Light... (4:06)
5 - ...Red Vortex (4:45)
6 - Echoing Spectrum (4:28)
7 - Inherit Velocity (2:39)
8 - Zero Rotation (7:06)
9 - Overlapping Particles (5:26)
10 - Self Transforming Experience (Second Movement) (7:04)
11 - Zone 12 (4:30)
12 - Nea 3 (2:46)
13 - Outlined Surfaces (7:48)
14 - Breathing Neutron Empire
+ Hidden Bonus Track (6:02)
Review:
1. 6.7 - Begins abruptly, going into a soothing rhythm. Wind breezing through a little. Beat comes in soon after with melodies from synths. Nice song to set the tone for the album.
2. Floating Channels - Probably has more affects worked into than the first song. Has roughly the same pace as well. Sweeping frequencies for synths and such. Another good beat. Rhythm changes about half way into the song to something more progressive. Probably could end the song sooner, I suppose.
3. Self Transforming Experience (First Movement) - Has a tiny put of a forest feel to it. Random vocal sample added in with the ambiance. Builds up into the next track.
4. Blue Light... - Long building synth sounds with something that sounds like wind chimes begin the track. Beat comes in as usual soon after. Has a nice flow of everything. Seems a bit slower than the other songs, though. Maybe because it's a little quieter. Shifts into the next song.
5. ...Red Light - Has more of the building up sounds in the beginning as the last song. This one goes in a different direction, though. Synths slide in around a quarter into the song and the beat in at around halfway. I'm liking this one a fair better than the previous song. Oh yeah, definitely. It just got better after halfway. Good bass, good rhythm. Too bad it's only about 4 minutes long. Sounds like a bit of distortion as an added effect near the end.
6. Echoing Spectrum - I think this is the first song that doesn't transition from the song before it. Starts off sounding a little bit alien-ish to me but not much before it gets moving. Not a bad song.
7. Inherit Velocity - Wastes no time to getting to the point. Head bobbing to the beat. Nice synth part. Cools down before fading into the next one.
8. Zero Rotation - Has a more ambient feel to it in the beginning. Evolves into a steady flow of rhythm and sound effects. Fairly multi-layered. Gradually building up to a climax into awesome. Simmers down with the ambient feel.
9. Overlapping Particles - Highs and lows turning into a beautiful melody. I like this one a bit better than most because it seems like a much more complete song than say Inherit Velocity or Echoing System. Well, the length of it is a bit longer than those other two; which probably helps.
10. Self Transforming Experience (Second Movement) - I like this Second Movement more than the First. A lot more going on with it than other songs: more layers, uptempo, enjoyable. It slowly changes into a more relaxed tone before jumping to the next.
11. Zone 12 - Fades in from last with a steady beat and atmospheric sounds. Little high pitch sound fluctuating here and there. Builds up into an interesting arrangement of elements that makes the song good. Nice positive feel towards the end.
12. Nea 3 - A little bit progressive sounding to me in the beginning but not by much. Main part comes in and makes it better.
13. Outlined Surfaces - Piano part contributes to the upbeatness of it. Very clean sounding song but with some interesting sound effects. Beat is crisp and good. Probably one of my favorite songs on the album. Get's really good near the end.
14. Breathing Neutron Empire (+ Hidden Bonus Track) - A fair bit different than the other songs. Seems a little weird. Maybe even eerie a itsy bit. Then you have a fairly long period of silence until you hit the hidden track. Which sounds even more different than any other song on the album. It's like being in a confined room with no doors or windows to get out and just speakers playing ambient sounding songs echoing off the room for a little bit before it's done.
Overall Grade: B
Great stuff on this album but it's kind of mixed with songs that are a little bland and don't stick out very much. Maybe that was the point so you notice the ones even more that want to stick out. If that's the case, then I think Magnus hit on that fairly well.
Edit: Oh... 100th post btw.
