Biosphere
Shenzhou
CD / 12 tracks / 56.30 mins

Apparently the first ten pieces are based on orchestral works by Claude Debussy. Whether he would have approved or would be spinning in his grave, I don't know though I would guess the latter! Well, the title track certainly is intriguing consisting of looped brass and string sounds being played very quietly.

'Spindrift' also has a rather low volume. Again strings are deployed (some sounding if they are played backwards). It settles into an undulating pattern with white noise backing. It's all fairly minimalistic stuff. 'Ancient Campfire' deploys more individually recognisable string and even clarinet lines so it is a little more tuneful. The sound of crackling flames gradually gets louder in the mix as does the ticking of a clock. This is extremely atmospheric in the same way as Waller Carlos' 'Sonic Seasonings'. It really is a very inventive and effective number.

The 'tick' eventually develops to become much more than that, a percussive line which holds together everything around it eventually becoming the main focus and drive of the number. Wonderful stuff. 'Heat Leak' is suitably sultry, soft drones and heat shimmers mixing well. It's another very minimilistic offering. 'Houses on the Hill' initially sets new records with the lowness of the volume, the main loop reminding me a little of the opener. From time to time there is an almost imperceptible swelling of the volume but it then settles down to gentle undulations of string sounds. 'Two Ocean Plateau' is the most orchestral sounding piece so far but it is still restrained. 'Thermal Motion' on the other hand is the most 'electronic'. Bright metallic shimmers and almost buzzing, insect like, pads giving a late night tropical feel. 'Path Leading to the high Grass' uses pizzicato effects over soft bowed strings and subtle percussion.

It and the next track 'Fast Atoms Escape' are the most genuinely 'classical' sounding pieces here. Indeed the later could actually be a short snippet from a recording of one of Debussy's pieces just looped time after time with another slightly longer different section also looped and placed over the top. Curious. Massed stings gently swell on 'Green Reflections'. It's all very gentle and relaxing. We then move to the first of the two tracks not inspired by Claude. 'Bose-Einstein Condensation' is more like a modern piano piece with the instrument used for its percussive abilities rather than to form a melody. It's rather short and certainly different to what had gone before but not too intrusive- though certainly strange. 'Gravity Assist' is something of a montage of drones, metallic percussion and odd sounds; maybe processed samples or even created direct from an electronic source. Having said that there was a sort of fascinating pattern to it all which held my attention more than some of the earlier tracks which instead acted as true ambient music, that is something to have playing whilst you are doing other things. Sort of like a soundtrack to daily activity. (DL)

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