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Mirror's Edge - Original Videogame Score

 ( E.A.R.S. ,  May. 2009 )


1. Solar Fields- Introduction 5:34 2. Solar Fields- Edge & Flight 6:55 3. Solar Fields- Jacknife 6:25 4. Solar Fields- Heat 7:01 5. Solar Fields- Ropeburn 7:15 6. Solar Fields- New Eden 7:52 7. Solar Fields- Pirandello Kruger 7:08 8. Solar Fields- Boat 7:30 9. Solar Fields- Kate 7:13 10. Solar Fields- Shard 7:16 11. Lisa Miskovsky- Still Alive 4:34 12. Lisa Miskovsky- Still Alive (Instrumental) 4:29

Is there a possibility to get enough Solar Fields? The answer is no. Deep down in all of us lives a little Solar Fields junkie just craving for the next fix. It wasn't long ago that this craving got its satisfaction, namely when Movements was released. A tremendously great album praised among the community, and one would think that the wait for the next installement would be long. But no.
What we get is not a typical Solar Fields album. This is in fact the game score for the critically acclaimed multiplatform game Mirror's Edge. A great game that any psyloving gamer should have played through at least once. It's a game developed by Swedish based game studio DICE. The look of the game is very clean, with bright white, strong orange, blue, yellow and green makes it feel almost as a city placed in heaven. It surely is not. And who would be more perfect setting the ambience in such a place than Magnus Birgersson?

As said, this is not you're normal music album. Magnus had to create ambient music that would fit into either designed areas of the game or dynamic to the situation assessed in the game. Comfortable music when wandering around a shiny white rooftop on a sunny afternoon, and darker stressing music when being chased by the police for example. To me Solar Fields has always had that futuristic, clean, heavenly kind of sound which would be a perfect match to Mirror's Edge, and it obviously is. Having that said, the album doesn’t have any real direction or storytelling, since the story was being told by the gamer playing the game in symbiosis with the music. But Magnus has managed to put the tracks together well to form a rather cohesive journey, and most tracks are great on their own.

One the most Solar Fieldish track is to me Introduction, which is actually the music for the main title screen. It's a great track with perfect production skills, use of uplifting sounds to really create a feel of being in a pristine bright environment, just as the game setting. There's a little bit of Movements here, and it surely has to do with the game score and the album being produced somewhat alongside each other. But overall the game score is much more uptempo and frantic. Since the game focusing on platform action and chases rather than relaxed sightseeing around the city, there is almost no track without any uptempo parts in it. Somewhat it feels as a reincarnation of Reflective Frequencies and Blue Moon Station. Those of you who liked these albums will surely appreciate this more than the Leaving Home and Extended fanatics. Jacknife is also a favourite track, with some amazing sensations towards the end. It's amazing how much detail is put into the tracks, just as on Movements. It's funny, since when playing the game you could never be fully concentrated on the music and many who played it, might just have taken the music on a subconscious level. Magnus obviously takes his work seriously, wanting to make the best out of what he is currently doing, love for the art. Shard is one of those tracks that just feels like pure Solar Fields to me, pure bliss. One can only wonder how it feels to be Magnus Birgersson.
The last track Still Alive is a more pop oriented track, by singer Lisa Miskovsky. Kindly enough we get the instrumental version for those not keen on hearing singing.

Recomendation:  Magnus said that this was the biggest challenge he's done so far, and it's understandable when having to create music for a certain set of visual impressions and story, not having the freedom to just let the music go in the direction it pleases. The outcome is great, and this will please both more uptempo lovers as downtempo. Sure there is the lack of storytelling and there is a kind of repetitiveness in the overall sound, but all these are minor issues. Even so, there are a few gems that solely makes the album worth for purchase. As of now it's only available on mp3 but might come out in flac/wav format, which should please everyone with a decent stereo/headphone set. If you are in big need for you're Solar Fields fix you know what to do!


Review by : Melancholyman

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