The Oscillation - The Start of the End [DINKED EDITION 288] (LP)

Following a series of meditative explorations in the form of the Singularity Zone series of releases, The Oscillation have returned with a new sense of vigour and purpose. Refreshed and re-energized, the result is The Start of the End, an album that casts more light and shade than ever before to create a mood of hope and rebirth. Be it the celestial majesty of the title track, the melodic infusions that drive opening track War on the Mind or the pulsing grooves underpinning Faraway and Body Electric or even hypnotic repetition at the heart of Mantra and The Eternal, this music brimming with zeal and confidence. And to crown it all, closer Sovereign is akin to communing with angels.

At once warm and welcoming, The Start of the End is an album quite unlike anything that The Oscillation have ever released before. Fuelled by optimism and taking stock of what's good about life and what needs to be jettisoned, the record is a result of spiritual and physical re-charging and cleansing.

Leaving the claustrophobic environs of the big city for a more bucolic backdrop, the change in location has left a profound mark on Demian Castellanos, the creative force behind The Oscillation. Where the exorcism of dark emotions of previous album Untold Futures left Castellanos wondering if he'd ever make music again, his new surroundings stirred something within him.

"When I made my new home, I allowed myself time to do nothing for a while," says Castellanos, "and I then started some new songs without worrying about them being on an album. I just wrote with the mindset to put out something positive."

He continues: "I did a lot of reflecting on the past and really wanted to change something in myself, but not knowing how and thinking that a lot of people must be feeling the same way."

Recalling the creation of The Start of the End, Castellanos says, "Writing and recording in an environment where I had little contact with people, no hanging out or partying or even having conversations was very interesting."

The result is an album that's recognisably the work of The Oscillation while pointing to a variety of new directions. The Start of the End is a line in the sand and one that points to a better tomorrow.

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Tracklist:

1. War on the Mind
2. Far Away
3. The Start of the End
4. The Eternal
5. Body Electric
6. Mantra
7. Sovereign