Three Fields Opens Up

Three Fields is as expansive as a name like that would seem to imply. Consisting of men and machines that have been embarking on instrumental electronic journeys into the mind’s eye for nearly thirty years, Three Fields is the sort of thing that would make Mike Oldfield nervous. The groups latest album Cambridge Blue is a textural wonderland of analog and digital sources that combine into a wondrous tapestry of sound that's illusionary and beautiful at the same time.

At times sounding like missing tracks from the Twin Peaks soundtracks and at other times sounding pastoral and organic Cambridge Blue is a rich and otherworldly soundscape that never ceases to make you wonder. Utilizing a whole host of electronics and more synthesized sounds than Yanni could shake a stick at the songs are constructed carefully and meticulously. As a result Cambridge Blue is a well thought out and arranged series of pieces that while sparse at times is lush beyond compare throughout. This record, simply put, is utterly gorgeous and so otherworldly that most of its sounds wash over you without you even noticing. It's epically beautiful stuff.

Three Fields is awesome at creating never-ending rolling landscapes and visas that seem to get lost in eternity. Cambridge Blue is an example of their architectural skills and while the songs aren't necessarily complicated they are amazing and imaginative. There's a reason why Three Fields have been making music as long as they have and you can hear why throughout Cambridge Blue. It's nice to have a good ambient record to latch on to every now and again and this is my pick for the year’s best.