Search - Paul Oakenfold :: Perfecto Presents Another World

The Best Of Paul Oakenfold

Clarissa | Ontario, California | 07/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Host Of Seraphim by Dead Can Dance blares through the speakers, warming the pinnacle of disk-one's climatic entrance. Then, shortly after a "Majestic" reprieve from female singing, Led Zepplin rocks the house with trance as its background. If that's not eclectic enough than I don't what is--. The major problem with a lot of techno these days are the repetitive atmospheres that claim to be original and new. Bah! Do you know how many times I hear the same old same old in terms of sound? It gets quite annoying at times and very unappealing to its uninventfulness. Paul, however, is an exception to this complaint. He seems to reinvent himself with each new release, blessing his listeners with something fresh and flat-out marvelous. And if anybody thinks that this is unoriginal and frankly "boring," than they need to open their minds more to change. The consistant breaks of New Age-type songs are a blissful relief to the constant pounding of the grandious synth lines & groove beats conjured by Oakey, proving techno to be much more than just obnoxious noise. It can also provide you with a source of meditation and emotion, as portrayed here in such tunes as Song To The Siren by Sabel (as heard on a perfume commercial), Rachel's Song by Vangelis, and Sanvean by Dead Can Dance. I think it's a perfect blend of two genres weaving naturally into one colorful hue. And I have to agree with an earlier reviewer who pointed out that Oakey's intent of Perfecto Radio was not made for the purpose of dance clubs but moreso for the reason to produce something to groove to at home without wishing you were raving instead. P.S. Both cds are excellent but the 2nd is slightly better. And the last song - The Silence 2000 by Delerium is meant to be played very, very loud! Don't delay on buying "Perfecto Presents Another World" for Oakey triumphs once again. I hope my review helped. Did it?"

"Put your hands toghether for Paul Oakenfold!"

Bhavin Patel | College Station, Tx. | 10/13/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Diverse"- Paul Oakenfold. Once again Oakey proves that he is a renaissance man, a pioneer in the world of trance. He starts off his tremendous mix with the "The Host Of The Seraphim," the music begins to enter your soul and your mind escapes into a world you can only imagine...This roller coaster of trance takes you on so many twists and turns, it sends chills down the back of your neck. The tracks by Led Zeppelin "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", Timo Maas "Ubik", LSG "Into Deep", Chilled Eskimos "Take Me Away", Lost Witness "Song to the Siren", Delerium "Silence" make this album an enjoyable experience. True to form, Oakey's mixes are flawless, and his mix of "Ubik" by Timo Mass to "Into Deep" by LSG is just a small representation of the "DJ" in Paul Oakenfold. If you are looking for hard trance beats this probably isn't the album for you. I would have gave it five stars if wasn't for the cheesy vocal samples included in the breaks of some of the songs, "Are you going to see Oakenfold?" "Are you going to the club?" give me a break..."

Oakenfold explors uncharted territory...

Bhavin Patel | 06/01/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"People, you must all understand on the first hand that this record is not meant to be an dance album. Although some might disagree, I, like a million other trance listeners in the world, embrace this kind of music for the 'peace of mind' which they provide. And sure, the flow of the CD would be considered danceable to many, yet I just don't think that's what Oakenfold intended here (Afterall, it's entitled "Another World"). Oakenfold dazzles his audience by creating a genre-bending soundscape of beautiful trance, eerie gothic choir, soundtrack, and remixed rock (Led Zeppelin). This is exactly the type of album that I've been anticipating for years, and I personally think that it deserves a place in the New Age section of record stores.I initially would've given 6 stars to this album, just for the ground-breaking concept. But having owned the CD for about six months now, I'll point out few minor complaints that kept this from becoming the best trance mix ever. One: the use of three rather similar vocal trance tracks on disc 2 ("Song to the Siren", "Flesh", "The Silence"). Two: the over-promotion of Perfecto records.The first complaint might just have been the matter of taste, but I personally thought that using those three tracks were unneccesary. I liked how CD2 opened up, with the mesmerizing building strings of "Music", followed with Salt Tank's rebuffed 1996 classic "Eugina". The use of "Song to the Siren" as the third track seemed to create a opening for a possible new direction that would launch the set into greatness. Yet, the flow temporary dies there. Oakenfold follows the track with a unusual subliminal techno beat of "Back and Front"; and by the time he brings out "Flesh" (the second vocal track which I mentioned), I was left asking myself 'Again??'. Even worse, his dicision to close the set using DJ Tiesto's cheesed up "The Silence" (the third vocal track) suddenly changed the overall feel of the CD almost similar to Gatecrasher or Ministry of Sound. (Luckily, the Bladerunner soundtrack and Lisa Gerrard inserted in the middle of the set prevented it.)The second, and the greatest problem, was the over-promotion of Perfecto records. Being Oakenfold's idea or not, the seeming obligation to promote Perfecto somewhat hindered his creativity. (There are a total of 4 Perfecto tracks; two in each CDs.) Especially in CD1 (which I enjoy more than CD2), the two Perfecto tracks, "Ubik" and "Bullet in a Gun", were the only songs that didn't quite go with the overall flow. Timo Maas's jagged "Ubik" is way too harsh to be on the album. Oakenfold manages to mix the track into Zeppelin's "Babe...", but is then forced to scramble to return the set back into the right orbit (which he successfully does, using LSG's ambience "Into Deep" as a transition-fader background). If you want to jump around, or listen to the likes of Judge Jules or Pete Tong, definitely don't buy this.If you enjoy the futuristic and educated sound --the DJ likes of Dave Seaman, and producers such as Way Out West-- then this is for you."