Biosphere - Departed Glories

[kichiguy]

Pre-order dispatched from blerp today!

[vertsk8er419]

 

 

 

 does anyone know what instrument he's sampled on Sphere of No-Form around 1:15 seconds in? It sounds like a massive horn.

 

 

 

 

tibetan longhorn or dungchen

 

 

 

 

Awesome thanks!

 

Awesome, my favorite Biosphere track. Coolest sound ever

 

 

yeah, you like? here's more for your ear holes!

 

[fumi]

More previews now on Bleep and full streaming if you pre-order.

[xfxf]

Streamed this a few times now from Bleep.  It has its moments, but I kinda regret pre-ordering it.. hopefully it grows on me

[dr lopez]

Whoops

[fumi]

Really stoked to hear this now. I keep thinking about a really old 4AD release I enjoyed many years ago called 'Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares'. I don't think the music is really like it I guess. Maybe it's just the album cover.

 

[user303]

ordered 

[fumi]

Had a few listens to this. The first few tracks are just ambient noise - standard stuff that has been done a million times - don't care if I ever hear them again. However the latter half of the album has some nice pieces - the voices/choral stuff is good. It's an okay album but certainly not Substrata quality.

[dr lopez]

i listened to about 4 of his albums last week. substrata feels like a 90s bond movie soundtrack in places but god its so good. dont understand why its so good but it just is

[lamourfou]

Going to wait and find the LP irl but in the meantime... https://biosphere.bandcamp.com/album/departed-glories

 

You can stream the full album from bandcamp.

[kichiguy]

satisfying first listen last night! looking forward to sinking my teeth into this properly

 

pitchfork review

[Herr Jan]

Wasn't expecting much but because of that more than decent 4 track EP that was bootlegged last year I was quite curious for a full-length. Just finished my first listen (well, second, but last night I immediately fell asleep when I put it on) and have to say I'm really digging it already, definitely need to give it more time.

[kichiguy]

I'm really digging this as well.  I like all the vocal, classical and folk samples he's used. Its a dense and layered listen with lots to chew on.

 

On another note, Geir has also done two fresh interviews to promote this beautiful album.

 

FACT Magazine

Resident Advisor

[MDF]

I'm really digging this as well.  I like all the vocal, classical and folk samples he's used. Its a dense and layered listen with lots to chew on.

 

On another note, Geir has also done two fresh interviews to promote this beautiful album.

 

FACT Magazine

Resident Advisor

Thanks for the links. I am liking this album a lot, first listen on bandcamp, I think its a return to form. His last few have over stepped the line between field recordings and ambient pieces, this has good form and depth. It's certainly not the Biosphere of Microgravity era but a return to his cirque type stuff, will definitely be buying it.

[xfxf]

I take back my previous comment, a few listens now and I'm really enjoying this.

[Entorwellian]

The midpoint of the album is absolutely beautiful. There are hints of Substrata's drone sound and Shenzhou flakes of orchestra loops. It sounded like bits and pieces of all of his eras and have been remixed with enough of a common theme between all of them. I really like his wispy distortion and reverb he has going in most of the tracks too. Its a great study album for sure.

 

The beginning is really slow in terms of progression and the end kind of peters out. Few of the tracks go on a bit longer than they should too. It's not a revolutionary album, but his tranquil and dry production technique is very pleasing and hypnotic to listen to on headphones.

 

8.5/10

[dumplings]

 

 

Well, actually, I was more into this program where I can upload a track, this kind of merging thing—it's like a blender almost. You can change the music completely. What I want to do is to make some new music based on these recordings, and it should not be recognisable. You know you shouldn't hear that and say, "Ah, this is taken from this record." 

 

What's the software? 

 

For this project I was using this software made by Akira Rabelais. I think he's a professor in California. He created an app called Argeïphontes Lyre, a super abstract program. For example, you don't have any buttons called "frequency" or "LFO." It's more strange titles, like, "See how eagerly the lobster and the turtle all advance." You just have to try it out and see what happens. 

 

I've been using the program for over two years and I found a few settings where I can, for example, upload a track with some old Ukrainian women singing. What comes out is something completely different—there was one track that sounded like Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins. You always get these surprises; you never know what comes out. So I just picked the best parts of it and re-sampled that, and made the tracks from these short snippets.

This sounds awesome! has anyone used this software at all?

 

I love his influence for this piece of music too, a forest inhabited with ghostly drones from mournful pasts. I'm not sure i'll be playing this out loud at home as it might irk some but it's lovely on headphones, very visualising when you set your mind to the sounds and what they might contrive.

[triachus]

Hah, funny how Akira Rabelais has something indirectly to do with it. I was about to make a post on how Departed Glories reminded me so much of Spellewauerynsherde in some parts:

 

https://www.discogs.com/Akira-Rabelais-Spellewauerynsherde/release/324269

 

 

 

 

 

I mean, to me the album doesn't have that "Biosphere sound" at first listen... Seeing how much the album reminded me of Rabelais, and he used a Rabelais software, he's basically using Rabelais his sound. I think. Not sure what to think of that. Maybe there's something wrong with my ears. I need to digest further on this.

[mcbpete]

If you are familiar with his first works you can clearly hear the processed parts made with AL. If you have a friend with a mac try it out. You won't be disappointed.

Alas that's kinda what I was worried about from hearing some of the tracks on Bandcamp - Lots of elements appeared very similar sounding with really strong (almost too harsh) resonant frequencies. So it kinda makes sense that it's because it was all processed in the same way. Like when I hear stuff that's clearly just been Paulstretch'd I feel it's a little lazy that all that's been done is run a recording though one effect and be done with it

[dr lopez]

halfway through..... meh 

[mcbpete]

Weird I'm sure I posted a message here about the Argeïphontes Lyre use, but it seems to have been removed. Is there some Biosphere police 'round these parts ?

[purlieu]

You did, I remember reading it.

[mcbpete]

.....I'd posted in the Argeïphontes Lyre thread instead of here but meant to have quoted something here and quoted something in the other thread..... I IZ IDIOT. It's back again ....

[digman]

I've listened to this album a lot, its been my go to reading music. Its really good but it doesn't have as much of that foreboding atmospheric sound that Mr Biosphere man is known for. Still an excellent album

[Panoptic Sweep]

Forked out for this album after hearing about 10 seconds of it.

 

I did regret it a bit at first because there's not much variation, or probably much new about it at all. On listening more though, there are moments of quite singular beauty that make it worth the money. I do wish there was more continuity though, a lot of the intervals are quite abrupt stop/starts which throws me off my blisscloud.