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Review

Various artists

Full Immersion

Oscillating was a somewhat ambient, beatless venture, and although it had strong rhythmic undercurrents, the sound was excitingly different. The thought of turning the whole thing upside-down into some sort of remixed beat-fest is a worrying propisition, and that is what makes up much of Full Immersion. Most of the invited remixers have simply taken the original track, removed most of the interesting bits, and bunged a relentless dance loop over the top.

Some have managed to get the balance right though—notably Robin Rimbaud (of Scanner fame) who adds a shuffling beat to Water Walker, mashing everything together into a dreamy, psychedelic stew. Mick Harris' Walkabout is also worthy of merit, with its slowly building collection of fragmented percussion and watery sounding electronic riffs. Craig Wharton's mix of Oscillating Between is also worth a mention, building into a dance-edged mix, but one handled with tact and subtlety.

The original Immersion album was a real surprise release—a rather graceful, warm, and organic slice of electronic music. Full Immersion simply lacks the magic of Oscillating. Although none of the artists can be accused of musical karaoke, too many of these pieces have been turned into fairly typical club dance takes, with some electronic burbling in the background. For best results: stick with the original.

Craig Grannell (April, 1999)

Cover artwork