2005 marked the release of what is in my opinion one of the greatest psychedelic ambient albums of all times: Solar Fields “Leaving Home“. Magnus Birgersson had already released two albums before but no other showed his incredible sense of production, composition and originality like this one.
Since then I’ve been a huge fan and waited impatiently 4 years for the the follow up: Movements. And it was… ok. The production level was still very high and we had some real gems there (“Sol”, “Discovery” and “The Stones Are Not Too Busy” are among his best) but something was missing. Everything was so “right as expected”… I couldn’t help to feel a little disappointed. But I knew he still had this creativity and desire to break the rules on him. It was only a question of time…
…and suddenly, out of nowhere, comes “Altered – Second Movements“. He had already done an remix of one of his own albums (“Extended“) but what he attempted (and succeed) here is something else. I have no other way to describe it as “Movements” on acid. He abandoned all the strict rules of how a song should be arranged and that seems to have guided so much of “Movements” and permitted himself to create freely, without beginning or end. You can still hear and identify most of the tracks but they are so transmuted and realized that I wonder if they were written at the same time or even before the others!
It’s much more experimental than any other thing he has done before but very rewarding as a complete journey. And what a journey! Together with Carbon Based Lifeforms “Interloper”, the deepest one of the year. Extremely recommended!
Tags: ambient, psychedelic, solar fields, ultimae