Paul Oakenfold - Global Underground: Live In Oslo

This album holds quite a nostalgic value to me. It was one of my first ventures into the club/trance music scene, and initiated a brief Oakenfold period in my life. Well, he was the closest I knew to what I really liked, and on this album he includes Astral Projection's Ionized as the mayheem dance party closer on disc 2. Say hello to a timeless classic that's lightning up over everything else here. I mean, who really remember Olive's You're not alone and what's it doing in a dj-set? Oakenfold's mainstream reputation hasn't come around for nothing ;o)

Yeah, other than AP and perhaps a few others, I'm afraid these cds doesn't do much for me. Sure, there is decent clubby house, jungle en galore and moody music in the mix, but somehow it fades in grey. Some stand-out trax (on disc 1: Bedrock, Discodroids. Disc 2: Bedrock again, Cruzeman, AP, Eve, Joking Sphinx) lights up, but not enough to make me like this mix. Even if the last 4 tracks on disc 2 roll along pretty ok ...

So, the only question now remaining for me is this: why didn't I pick right up on AP after being introduced to them here ... ?

When Oakey and Global Underground used to be at the top of their fields, how times change eh?

The mixing might be a little off at times, but the tunes are first class. Loads better than this his other Global Underground effort in my opinion, and probably his last great cd release.

I know so many people that would give anything in the world to experience the old Oakenfold again.

One of the few GU series which wasn't mixed with the help of pro-tools(theothers are the Nick Warren ones). This is certainly one of the most unique GUs and will confound anyone who thinks they know what an Oakenfold mix will sound like. Check it out.

Paul08 if you have been an Oakie fan for so long, how come you don't remember that this album was compiled when Oakie was flirting with Drum'n'Bass? This was a fair representation of his sets at the time, when he would regularly play an hour or so of Jazzy & melodic drum'n'bass cuts, before moving into his Goa stuff. It may not be the Oakenfold of now, but at the time this is exactly the stuff he was playing live. A must for any true follower of Oakenfold throughout his changing styles, this album really brings back the memories!

Oakenfold manages to cover a lot of area on this mix though it seems like he hardly makes an effort to mix the tracks together for the most part. The first disc is the really gem here, it starts out with some great jazzy d'n'b that really helps set the mood before pulling out some of the huge trance tunes that he is most well know for like "In the Lab" and "Innerspace". The second disk unfortunately is not able to live up to to first disk. The second disk is virtually all goa and lacks the sense of "movement" that Oakenfold is brings to the first disk. Will probably sound a little dated, but has too many strong points to ignore completely. 3 out of 5.

This CD hits a whole lot of crowds. It has Drum N Bass for those who like that and it mixes into trance for those who enjoy trance such as Bedrock. CD two in my opinion is one of his best mixes. He hits hard when he mixes in Cruzeman - Ohm Sessions into Bedrock. Its a pretty old song but it kicks and you can't get tired of it. I recommend the CD because of the multiple genre it has to offer.

This is a really cool CD from Oakenfold. Not like his stuff today. First CD's made up Drum n Bass kinda Jungle stuff that turns into trance at the end (Bedrock- Set in Stone is really cool) thats unique in it's own form. Second CD is like his old Goa Trance stuff which have fast tempos and melody lines that always sound so dramatic (lots of acid). Worth listening to in my opinion.

I have been an Oakie fan for years and years. I bought this release about 2 years ago, I dont know what he was thinking it is just not the Oakenfold that we know and love. The first CD is unlistenable as far as I am concerned. It's like break-house/break-garage, awful. The 2nd CD is better, it's like hard-trance but really left-field, just not what you want from this DJ. Dont know what he was thinking, maybe bored with his usual, who knows? Avoid this one and but anything else by him.