Favourite Biosphere album

[Satans Little Helper]

I'm currently listening to Microgravity. The "reissue with bonus album" edition. And I'm wondering what you guys' (inclusive for all genders and sexes!) favourite Biosphere album is.

Mine is probably either Microgravity or Patashnik. Never been properly grabbed by his more concept/ambient releases. So I might be missing out massively. And, to be fair, if you're into 90s artificial intelligence IDM, both of these are rather obvious choices. A bit too obvious perhaps. Because the period and style are pretty on the nose.

If you also love his older albums, leave a shout. And more importantly, add suggestions for the people who got their head stuck in the early 90s ('90-'95).

Btw, I love his combination of samples, melodies and rhythms from that early period. He does stand out from the rest of the pack, imo. Although, admittedly, it's very much music from that 90s artificial intelligence/ IDM period. And the juxtaposition of fast beats and spacious ambient on a track like SETI project rubs me in all the right places..

[Alcofribas]

there is only one correct answer

[kichiguy]

Substrata - Cirque - Shenzou was a perfect run in my books. 

Edited May 18, 2023 by kichiguy

[Alcofribas]

29 minutes ago, kichiguy said:

Substrata

correct

[NewSchoolScience]

Substrata. End of.

On 5/18/2023 at 4:47 PM, Alcofribas said:

there is only one correct answer

 

On 5/18/2023 at 4:47 PM, Alcofribas said:

there is only one correct answer

Substrata. End of.

[cern]

Yes this topic has been up alot before and there is only one and it is amazing: 

Substrata 

So strange that Pitchfork didn't list it higher up in their "Best Ambient Albums of all time"
For me it is a easy top 10 maybe even top 5. 

Microgravity is a total different album but good for being early 90's techno kinda vibe 

[Freak of the week]

i'm gonna be original and say The North Pole By Submarine

[theburglar]

I have to say Patashnik for sentimental reasons. I had a crush on a sub teacher who lent me the CD in 7th grade and I was obsessed with it.

[purlieu]

Substrata, yup. Although the run from Substrata through to Dropsonde is pretty great. That said, the only album of his I'm not fond of is N-Plants.

Anyone after more recent releases like his first couple, I'd definitely recommend last year's Shortwave Memories.

And of course Fires of Ork I, his first collab with Pete Namlook, is very Microgravity-esque. The second volume is closer to the jazzier bits of Substrata / Cirque.

[kichiguy]

Yep those Fires of Ork collaborations are immaculate!

[e-mertz]

Shortwave Memories.

Microgravity is amazing as well.

Think I'm not a reliable source as I've only heard five of his albums and substrata isn't one of em.

[cern]

I start to like Crique alot, it is a pretty quiet album but so enjoyable. 
I can't even post a track because in my opinion the whole album needs to be listen in one go. 

[cichlisuite]

Cirque is amazing even though it took me a long time to accept the vocal samples in it, mostly because it's like a musical interpretation of nature through time, nature is very close in Geir's sound and I appreciate it deeply

Substrata has the best album intro (the whole album is great, but As the Sun Kissed the Horizon is forever the best intro for me)

Shenzhou is probably my favorite if I really had to pick one (Bose-Einstein Condensation!!)

Polar Sequences and the recent Shortwave Memories are both great

One day I hope Biosphere does a collaboration with Chris Watson

[NewSchoolScience]

Substrata.  Sensational.

[th555]

Substrata is nice but I have a real soft spot for Dropsonde. Might be my desert island pick after all. Also Man with a movie camera.

Edit: oh and Nordheim Transformed! Les Fleurs du Mal is so good.

Edited June 11 by th555

[splesh]

I need to dive into the discography I think I've only heard Biosphere and maaaaaybe also Patashnik

[chronical]

One time I was at this art school for a year. We had a great group of students and the rowdy ones usually met on weekends to smoke joints in the park or to get hammered in the city's nightlife. I was planning on moving there with two classmates but had trouble finding an apartment, so the owner of the school just rented a place for us because he liked our little group of oddballs so much. The guy owned and managed 4 schools in total, sometimes he just sat around his office until 2AM, calling me into the room for cigarette breaks and late night coffee, he was doing spreadsheets I was doing Renoise/Reaktor experiments and maaybe the assignment for the day after. Anyways after a while he gave us a key for the school. Which was this big old wooden house with 5-6 floors, charming place really. So of course the next weekend we took the key, loads of beer, weed and MDMA and had a big fat party in the attic. Someone brought LED party lights, I think we even had a smoke machine set up. Eventually the partying died down and the few people who decided to trip that night were lying on the pillow-covered floor around a big projector setup. I was tripsitting more or less, so I put some cozy visuals on the projector canvas and queued up Substrata. The next morning they all walked up to me with little stars in their eyes, asking me what the hell that music was, saying they never heard anything like it before. Suffice to say they loved every minute of it. I love this memory, when I listen to Substrata now I'm right there, sitting on the windowsill smiling at everyone's antics. So that's my favorite

[cichlisuite]

Anyone speaks Norwegian or Finnish around here?

The track Snurp 1937 on Sound Installations 2000–2009 compilation sounds some hillarious stuff. I wonder what's all about, sound mental, love it

[dr lopez]

i really like autour de la lune although I agree that Substrata is easily the best album.

 

this is the best biosphere track however:

 

[Ivan Ooze]

Biocyst rules

[Boxus]

Cirque is definitely my favorite. Substrata is amazing too but Cirque resonates with me more for whatever reason. The way percussion is used on the album is so intoxicating, it's woven into the soundscapes so well, especially on Algae & Fungi. Really all of his albums up through Dropsonde are endlessly listenable classics for me.

The reissue bonus tracks for Cirque are all great too, especially Minuarta.