Biosphere - Autour De La Lune

A very minimal album indeed, and more soundsculpture/concept album than ambient. It had made more sense to release it under an alter-ego, but then i guess it wouldnt sell just as well. That being said; its still a decent release for what it is, and most pieces have that distinct cold warmth to them, which has probably become the most important Biosphere imprint.

When I listen to this album, all I can think about is being in space. Possibly in a shuttle or space station, just looking out the window at the universe. I believe visions like this is what Biosphere intended for this album. This isn't his typical style, but I welcomed the change because this album has a real magic. There isn't many albums out there that can truly create an image and scenerio in your head like this one can. Minimal space ambience.

I think this is a wonderful album, and I'm surprised at all the negative comments. Also, Geir as Biosphere may usually have a little more going on than this, but it seems to me a very natural progression from his other works, esp. after ShenZhou. Excellent minimal ambient.

An interesting release. You really need a very good speaker system and room acoustics in order to appreciate this album fully.

I really wonder though why Geir Jenssen didn't use a different alias (or just his own name) for this release because it is -so- different from any other Biosphere release that came before and after it.

Wow ... What can i say! Im really impressed by this album. It makes all the prior Biosphere albums seem like pop music. This is deep, this is dark, this is minimal, this is actually disturbing. Some of these tracks makes your ears hurt, even though it's ambient music, but still you can't help listening. I have never heard ambient music as deep as this. Biosphere on this album, really experiments with the extremes. The bass is so deep that you can only really hear it with headphones, otherwise you'll just feel the rumbling below you ... it's really that deep ... And then we have the disturbingly high pitched monotone sounds, that almost makes your ears bleed ... wow! ... This is the deepest ambient i have ever heard, makes everything else obsolete ... I hope Biosphere will continue this style in the future ... Respect! ...

Without a doubt, quiet environments are convinient in order to get the "right" perception of this. To say something else than just brag about it being way too minimalistic for allround listening, I'm starting to accept the album after many listenings without success. Read an adventurous book, do yoga or whatever you find extremely relaxing (I had bad dreams when falling asleep during listening, though). Immersive gifts and a pair of speakers with good low-frequency expression are required.

As for direct description and references: your enlightment might at first eventually be track 3 using Sigur Rós' "Ny Batteri" in background, but then you're back in hypnosis once worse, deeper and more phobious hallucinations enter the soundscape. Beautiful minimal melodies and evil basslines cut each other like there's no going back. Once you're getting it, the last part of track 1 suddenly fades in and repeats itself and Autour De La Lune is over. Indeed a crossing between gramophone and audio-visual art. Try it.

This does develop at a much different pace than Substrata, etc, but it's still quality work. It's got a lot more drone, and shares common ground with Coil's 'Time Machines' disc. You might miss out some with the headphones on though - some tracks are in large part bass vibrations that benefit from proper woofers.

It's unfortunate to read all the negative reviews above. Perhaps the above readers have the wrong perspective. Biosphere may not be giving them something they expected to hear, but he is giving us something altogether different - and it is grand.

Most importantly, Autour De La Lune simply must be heard on headphones to really "hear" it, or else one is bound not to perceive its true depth. All the subtle sounds carefully placed have the effect of expanding the brain and opening it up to a unique sonic experience. Turn on a blacklight, pop in Autour De La Lune on headphones and sit quietly in meditation for twenty minutes and you will feel the impressions and effects of Autour De La Lune; it is sublime. You can never ever lose with Biosphere before bedtime, he is the ambient master.

As stated, this album is quite a departure from Biosphere's earlier, more melodic works. Don't buy this if you're expecting another Substrata.

Having said that, this release is still an excellent piece of minimal ambient. Try putting it on at an almost inaudible volume and go do something else. If you manage to forget about the music, the subtle drones and buzzes will unnerve the hell out of you. It's a bit like being in a horror movie with someone else controlling the soundtrack.

It's very hard for me post a negative comment for one of my fovourite artist ever, but i really don't understand this release, i am always for experimentalism and pushing the envelope but in music! this release hasn't got any music at all. Inexplicable.