User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 397 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 247 out of 397
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Mixed: 53 out of 397
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Negative: 97 out of 397
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EricC.Jul 7, 2008If you're in to ambient, this will be one of the most incredible albums you've heard in years. If you're not in to ambient, well... just read the low scores below.
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freekOct 20, 2007simply beautiful, never thought a dance album would deserve a 10. this one definitely does, the critics are right. it offers sublime emotion in all it's simplicity, just perfect. strange experience live though, in between other (less sophisticated, but also great) Kompakt artists.
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AndyPMay 2, 2007This is a stunning album which, as an earlier reviewer said, becomes unbelievably good when played through headphones. There is so much going on, that although it could be classed as minimal, every listen reveals new fabrics and layers. I particularly love Mobilia - it just pummels my brain into submission every time I hear it. Album of the year so far without question.
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IsaacLMay 3, 2007WOW. This is microhouse at its very, VERY finest.
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JesseJMay 3, 2007This a great album. Yes this isn't a groundbreaking album, and yes, it probably shouldn't be the number one album of the year, but instead of deconstructing and analyzing it, try to just enjoy it.
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KelvinO'CMay 5, 2007Fantastic minimal album. For all those who feel these is repetitive,you really don't get it do you? Stop reviewing electronic albums and go back to the cosy land of pop music and soft rock,where you'll believe there's no repetition simply because some "star" is singing some song overthe top. Leave the real musical art reviews to real music listener's
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GarrettMMay 9, 2007minimal techno is an acquired taste, I think. I don't blame noobs for blasting this album, however a few in particular are blasting the listeners. I'm not a snob or elitist and I enjoy this album and this site. I'm sorry you don't.
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arthurdogtrashJun 1, 2007Album of the year? No damn way. It's actually kind of boring and mind-numbing. Once again the readers vote is a far better representation of it's actual status. Avoid the media hype and make up your own minds.
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MothraJul 20, 2007i hated it at first, the album lacks immediacy but rewards greatly with repeated listens. i now understand the praise, i gave the album another shot after i heard "Kappsta", an incredible track by the same artist, the track is featured on the Pop Ambient 2007 album and is truly sublime
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OpenMindJul 20, 2007The only people who don't like this are listening to it for the wrong reason. This isn't the instant satisfation the MTV crowd thrives on. This is straight up minimal techno, meant for quiet grooving. Grow some patience, people.
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jaJul 3, 2007
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DanSAug 10, 2007I enjoy listening to this album.
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PatrickMApr 15, 2007It's not the methodology, it's the results that matter in this instance. this is an album for those who like music that is effective; music that effects them, rather than affecting some "ideal techno type"
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JoseA.CApr 16, 2007I always complain how techno or its many variants, while appealing, can sometimes be souless and monotonous... The Field's sublime CD is all the opposite: powerful melodies, full of life and simply gorgeous. Highly recommended! Go! Fetch!
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everythingisniceMay 11, 2007
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MichelleTMay 10, 2007
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NotDaveWhatatoolMay 1, 2007
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MuzSMay 21, 2007I love this CD. Amazing how something so minimal can be so damn effective!
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AndyRMay 2, 2007Just when I thought trance had had it's day. The Field do it just the way I like it.
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EricFMay 20, 2007
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JohnJMay 23, 2007A little repetitive? Yes, but that's what holds this amazing album together.
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BrianWMay 24, 2007This is a beautiful and chilling collection of microhouse techno.
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EspenHMay 7, 2007Beautiful minimal! :)
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DarnellMay 9, 2007Say Hello! to SUPER-HYPE! What is new here? It sounds so repetitive and boring that any slight nuance is considered profound (in the ears of critics). I tried, let me tell you, to like this. It's OK, and that's as good as it gets.
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MycroftWMay 9, 2007It's not bad, but this is surely way to lacking in ideas or originality to get a 93 score? That would imply there's a second Strings of Life on here somewhere, but instead it sounds like a poor man's Isolee
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JohnDMay 9, 2007
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jimmyj.Jun 30, 2007
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steve-oJun 4, 2007
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brendanpJun 5, 2007to say the approach is original is wrong, just see william basinski and panda bear. but its by no stretch gorgeous, warm and delicate. its a trip.
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[Anonymous]Jun 6, 2007I don't think this album is the best of this year, but it is still definitely above average. "Over The Ice" and the title track are amazing, and the rest of the album is an emotional trance trip that rarely bores. Definitely worth it for techno fans.
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jobberlJun 7, 2007
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MichaelKJun 8, 2007OK, if you don't like repetitive beats you won't like this. Natasha K you are trippin or a fool! Sounds great to my ears! Funky, beautiful soundscapes.
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BramJul 3, 2007This is very abstract music. And like with all abstract art wether its a mondriaan painting or minimal music, people think they can recreate it with great ease. But believe me you can't. It's a good album but it's a little to clubby for my taste.
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MuzAug 15, 2007On first hearing a track by The Field I knew I had found something fantastic. Now this album is out and I have it I can see why so many critics agree it is a great album. I agree it's not for everyone, but it is brilliant music.
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CIaranM.Aug 7, 2007Sublime, subliminal, this album really sorts out the people with a good ear for music from those who don't. The howls and protestations in the previous comments are hilarious. Anything that gets such people into such a reactionary fever is usually really good. For me it is easily the best album of the year
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danSep 12, 2007It's got a strange mesmerizing quality but i can't help but think wtf? when i see the ratings for it. pretty much what everyone is saying here is right to some extent. it's a good minimalist techno album that's way overrated. I'm feeling it despite how repetitive it seems.
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PatrickBSep 26, 2007Subtle, sometimes to the point of being static, but tracks like "Everyday" and "A Paw In My Face" are pretty blissful. The beats are simple, sure, but they're not the point; they're just there to give the tracks a bit of extra momentum. Most of the rhythm comes from the sample-processing. Reminds me a lot of Seefeel.
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GoldNSep 30, 2007Gorgeous piece of work here. Sure it's not for everyone, but what good album is?
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xoxiaxSep 3, 2007Exuberant and perfect.
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Hansfranz1962Sep 6, 2007Genius. Love it.
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BenJan 10, 2008I'm not going to say its good or bad. i'll just say that i like it a lot. the fact that he drags out "3-note loops" for 10 minutes is my favorite part about it. i personally love the having a great song on repeat without having to suffer the guilt of playing it over and over again to get your fill. some of the warmest sounds I've found and it seems like they never end.
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TrevorWAug 4, 2008It's the perfect mix of heavy bass-lines and short melodic synthesizer phrases. The ambiance each track gives off is slightly different, yet the whole album keeps you in the same mood or trance if you prefer. I eagerly await their second album.
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MichelEMay 1, 2007Very good, i love this music !
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NatashaKMay 30, 2007An incredibly overrated album. I could understand appeal resting in the bland, sentimental accessibility
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MichaelNov 4, 2007I loved it from the get go, the sound is just so heart-warming. It's so wispy, so up in the clouds, I feel like I could listen to these songs forever. It's very simple, but very brave and vivid. Absolutely lush. A very personal album, and as such many are going to be completely confused by it. The rest of us will just drift away.
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stemMay 10, 2007When these others say "minimal", take it to heart. It sucks.
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BibianeNMay 21, 2007THE BEST, sublime, idiliac, delicious, eletronic album of the last 5years. love it. i'm still asking myself how did i live without it
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AaronS.May 28, 2007Overrated. It's really nothing special.
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BigSurMay 4, 2007Nothing that hasn't been done in a much more creative way before, even in mainstream music. To have this as the best rated record in 2007 implies the critics aren't mastering their craft. Listen to more music, guys!
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TonyE.Jul 4, 2007If this is the best electronic album of 2007, let alone best album of 2007, we are all in trouble musically. Repetitive junk.
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onyxE.Jul 9, 2007I love electronic music but this album is so overhyped it's ridiculous. TOTALLY OVERRATED!
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GlenGOct 1, 2007
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AlexPApr 30, 2007AMAZING!!! One of the best electronic album ever!
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ShaneequaJMay 23, 2007It's just great. Plain and simple.
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argeXJun 3, 2007simply a great album. various,fun, absolutely enjoyable.
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PaulCSep 25, 2007Vastly overrated, every album in the top ten is better than this one, and I've listened to them all.
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chrissOct 14, 2007There was nothing really ground breaking about this album. Just became extremely repetitive.
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JenSep 20, 2007What a waste of a really awesome title.
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ToxtethO.Sep 24, 2007I dearly hope that something comes out that knocks this out of the top spot. This album was unlistenable to me.
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STeveOct 14, 2007I'm a big fan of electronic music of all kinds, but this really isn't a very good album. I agree with the previous poster's point that all the other albums in the top ten are better than this one. How can you compare this tripe to Radiohead's "In Rainbows", for example? Insulting.
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SimonC.Oct 30, 2007This is literally the worst album I've ever heard, It is ridiculously repetitive it sounds like your computer froze while playing music and its playing the same thing over and over again. It might sound alright at times but I can';t see how any talent in this music. Maybe I just don't understand it but in my opinion it should defiantly not be #1 let alone the top 10
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JonathanOct 6, 2007Electronic music thrives on novelty - so I'm amazed that this album has received such glowing reviews. This kind of lush minimal proggy techno has been done a trillion times before. It's well crafted, but dull.
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mikehApr 18, 2007absolutely amazing, one of the best releases so far this year. think early aphex twin for the dance floor
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SteveCMay 1, 2007Has a couple of nice moments. Someone's been hacking Kate Bush up, which always triggers a warm feeling...
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ChristianKMay 16, 2007
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WTFJul 7, 2007wow this is seriously bad. I mean if I were in charge of this site I would be embarrased to have let such a mistake slip through.
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TomWAug 14, 2007If this is the best album of 2007 we should all pack up and go home. Electronic music has never sounded this dull.
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pix101Sep 3, 2007Must agree with what others have said, there is much better electronic music out there! I can't believe the hype for something so boring.
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KristNJan 3, 2008I'm in shock and awe over the scores at metacritic and here. This is not good music nor does it sound like the group put any real heart into it. I bet they are all looking at each other and wondering how they got voted 3rd best of 07. I'm sure they are getting a big laugh over it. Truly horrible. I mean every song has the exact same beat. It's rave music...that's it!!!
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BenjaminB.Mar 10, 2008I guess if your into this style of music you will enjoy it. I will give anything a chance and try to be as open minded as possible. With that being said this stuff is pretty weak, way over-rated, cause I wanted to hear what others are raving about but it wasn't there.
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TomP.May 1, 2008
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YouS.Oct 26, 2007The Chemical Brothers make this record look like toddlers. I did make this shit when I bought FL studio back in 99 as an amateur. This is garbage.
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JoshB.Oct 5, 2007wtf is up with this? Sound like derivative, repetitive, boring electronica from 1997 to me.
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EvanMApr 15, 2007Repetitive. Minimal predictable beats that go exactly where you think theyre going.
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JSIlvaApr 18, 2007I really don't know why such a high note. Very repetitive, I cant see any fresh ideas, and by the 3rd track it starts to get really boring...(no, make it 2nd..)
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GazApr 20, 2007Not sure what the fuss is about. Sounds the B-side of a Paul van Dyk single from the late 90s. Seriously.
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DanielAApr 27, 2007This is highly overrated.
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RockofGibraltarApr 29, 2007I don't get why this album has a 95 avg score! It doesn't break new ground and is extremely repetitive!
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GiterdoneMay 16, 2007the score would place this album as being one of the greatest of all time....this site is officially broken and has lost all credibility.
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shootsybootsyMay 24, 2007"...oops I'm sorry I was looking for the music department."
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StephenEMay 28, 2007Why is this rated at the top of Meta Critic? Terrible.
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BrendanDMay 3, 2007
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AlunpMay 6, 2007Not sure why the reviews are so high? There are no bad songs but the rating on Metacritc ranks it as one of the best albums of all time? After listening theres not really much you can remember of the stand out songs
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AlanPMay 7, 2007All I have to say is that the music does not live up to the critics hype. simple.
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MattD.May 9, 2007This is just goopy techno stuff. Big on sound effects but nothing else. It often amazes me what gets high and low ratings from critics. Just follow your own taste.
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esssJun 2, 2007I found it very repetitive and was disappointed. Maybe it would have been more impressive if I'd been tripping balls on E or something. My gf can't even be in the same room as this CD.
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emilywJun 26, 2007Finally this boring cd's rating is coming down a little bit. It still saddens me though that this has a 90 when stellar stuff like The National, Of Montreal, and Feist deserve to be the top three albums of the year thus far. Boo to boring electronica that goes absolutely nowhere. Give me a laptop and while put out something at least ten times as interesting as this tripe.
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ChrisCJun 7, 2007
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AlfR.Jul 10, 2007It's never better than ok and frankly, most of the time it's a snooze. As an EP, it might've worked but the lack of ideas or even a different tempo make this pretty damn soporific.
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ChrisHJul 21, 2007One of the worst albums I ever heard - it would be annoying if it was not so endlessly boring.
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StephenUJul 25, 2007
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RichieHJul 4, 2007Absolute rubbish. Those rating this album highly have been spoon-fed an opinion. Fucking conformists.
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JodieLJul 6, 2007
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SteveRAug 18, 2007He, you reader, you've got only one single life; don't waste your time by listening to this music. He, you metacritic, I demand more professional reviews to decrease the high score this album really doesn't deserve.
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RobSAug 20, 2007This album has inspired me to create my own electronic music.
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TiagoMAug 25, 2007
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MusicfanSep 17, 2007This album, I believe, is good for what it is - an electronic album strictly for electronic fans. It has zero value for most of the other people.
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SteveF.Sep 9, 2007The only track that really commands your attention is "Mobilia" - and it gets old *really* fast. The most overrated record of all time.
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BlabBlabJul 30, 2008terribly boring. best album of the year? jesus, by the end of track 1 you've heard the entire album 4 times. dull
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VerticalPigJan 15, 2008Sublime - throwing off the shackles shackles shackles shackles shackles shackles shackles shackles shackles shackles weeeeeeee!
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Awards & Rankings
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If you like minimal electronic music at all, you must seek it out.
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This is one of those rare albums that makes you wonder how you ever got by without it.
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This is an album you could easily hate -- especially if you like things like change and development.