Solar Fields – Reflective Frequencies (Remastered) (Special Digital Edition)

poor remaster, applies to every other remaster of solar fields too. Unbelievable that these people nail it the first time, then decide to butcher with more compression. You'd think they'd know better... but no.

I have to agree with the previous remarks regarding the mastering. I own the cd version and I have been listening to it for many years, in many places, especially while driving (yeah, when cars used to have cd players ;) Repeated listens show without any possible doubt that the prior mastering (by Vincent Vilnius if I'm correct) is by far superior : on the one hand it is flatter, softer, which prevents the listener from exhaustion due to repeated listens. On the other hand it has more details, so more, allowing every layer and every instrument to be audible and sound in its right place. Hard to explain, but I neither can understand why Magnus gave the green light to that new mastering when the previous one was so good. Kindda feel like there is a butcher in charge here... Such a pitty because the album is awesome. I'll keep going with the cd.

I have to agree that the original mastering was much better. It a lot had more atmosphere to it. This was valuable as there are a lot of harsh sounds in this music which were moderated by that atmosphere. Here, the atmosphere was greatly reduced and your ears are subjected to those harsh sounds in the foreground. It's not pleasant.

Sadly, almost all "remasters" are inferior. Why do they do it? I guess they figure that ever-hopeful listeners will keep buying reissues, hoping that the mastering is better. Not here, it's not. It's a real shame that we'll likely never get to hear all these longer form versions prior to the butchering.

Delivery:
More like demaster. Conceptually album is pretty good, but this remaster is ruined (again), because mastering is shit. By some reason, Magnus makes the same mistake the 3rd time by giving the remastering to some uncompetent worker, instead of giving it to Huby Sea, Ultimae, Silent Studio, or at least some normal studio (i don't care, just don't give it to Robert Elster, please!).

Conceptual:
Album reveals extended (uncut) versions of base tracks and some new tracks which add some bright and natural side of album, which feels like some kind of retcon (for example, in track "Blind Signal" there are sounds from album "Until We Meet The Sky"). Also, thorought the extended and new tracks you can hear reused sounds (samples from 2001) that were put there so it would just feel like it's original, but it's not (exposed delay effects in "6.7 (extended mix)"). At least, I don't believe it. I'm pretty sure it's NOT the original state album was left in 2001 after publishing. Also, there are kind of "grim" tracks: "Spherical Noise Disturbance", "Breathing Neutron Empire (long gone edit)" - which tell that something sad happened to humans (Breathing Neutron Empire = human) and they are gone. The last track "Self Transforming Experience (Third Movement)" probably tells that there still happens some kind of evolution independent of that and give kind of fading effect (maybe it's somehow connected that Solar Fields is evolving dream... that will go on..?).

In the end:
I've listened to it for 2 days, and I would recommend to NOT buy it, but torrent or get it without paying until there is normal mastering for this version - maybe then Magnus will consider interests of listeners. Because of added tracks, different (shitty) mastering, phasing, and, as I see, even different tonality, album feels absolutely different from 2001 version. It's like 2021 version, and If mastering would be good, this album would be fucking perfect, but now it's just not bad, and this just pains me.

Also, it feels like there is a third part of album is yet unrealeased, but it will probably make into another (last) album.

Concept: 10/10
Delivery: 0/10
Overall emotions from album: pain

Magnus, if you read this, even if he is your friend, please, give mastering to some good studio or master it yourself instead.

UPD: also, i think I understood the concept of this album (2021 version). In track "Spherical Noise Disturbance" it seems that time machine (mentioned in Origin 2) reverted some bad event to the Animal Land time (in middle of the track you can hear a little part of "Animal Land" track and also in the very end of "Self Transforming Experience (Third Movement)"). Probably, the next album will revolve aroud that.

Also, in disk edition there are images on disks that are in negative display of each other, so there are most probably 2 inner perspectives in album that Magnus wanted to show...

UPD: so ye... I have solved it. This album tells story of the end of former (or current) humankind cycle. You can see this tendency of cycles in Studio Jupiter Live Sessions, for example. A bit overused way in art, but it always works.