Biosphere ‎– Substrata

Having Substrata on vinyl FINALLY...is a dream come true.
Sides C /D do have some distracting noise, unfortunately. It's tough to press ambient music on vinyl without noticeable vinyl noise. Quiet music. The vinyl for N-Plants seemed to have less noise.
I do appreciate this was released as a 2x12". Cirque needs a better 2x12" pressing as well.

No way around it: SUBSTRATA is an astounding piece of ambient work. The slow, creeping melancholy of "Poa Alpina" and the smooth pulses of "Chukhung" lull the listener into a glacial landscape, where everything is tinted blue by the ice. At other points, he helps you enter a dream-world, as on "Hyperborea" or on the floatation device that is "Kobresia." Elsewhere, "Antenmaria" extracts a choral sample and sets it into an angular background, while the steamer ship that blows its way through "Sphere of No-Form" suggests a long journey. But for me, the track that takes the icing is "Times When I Know You'll Be Sad." It seems simple: some ringing bell tones, a guitar lick, a voice sample -- but somehow it builds into something meaningful and, yes, sad. On the second disc, _Man with the Movie Camera_, Jenssen once again delves into soundtracks, but this time, on his own terms, using Vertov's silent film as his basis (the Cinematic Orchestra would do the same). Jenssen throws in surprises -- the sudden strings of "The Silent Orchestra," the low beat of "City Wakes Up," the odd instrumentation of "Ballerina." Of the two Japanese tracks that occupy the remainder, "The Eye Of The Cyclone" has an almost tribal element to the percussion, but morphs, hinting all the way back to "Baby Satellite" from his first album, while "Endurium" heads back into a thicker bass, though in much more abstract surroundings. Excellent nonetheless.

Great vinyl! I love the new artwork. Perfect for Biosphere fans and collectors.
It's nice to have a signed copy!

If you're a Biosphere fan, don't hesitate, just buy it.
Support the artist and buy it on discogs from Geir Jenssen himself or the Biosphere website.

After listening to the CD for years and the way it flows I find the vinyl a bit disappointing. Also I found the vinyl to be a bit crackly.

Absolutley stunning! Great! Im a big fan of Biosphere(Geir Jenssen) So its great to have a signed copy.
I love the bonus track Laika! This should have been given out much earlier.

Over the years i have missed a vinly version of Substrata.
Its pretty cool that Geir has given this out on his own label.

Support the artist and buy it from him(or his website).

This is a phenomenal pressing. This should have been pressed on vinyl years ago, but I'm happy to have it in my collection now. Simply brilliant.

Only careful listeners would truly appreciate the timeless brilliance of this album. Listening from start to finish would equate to having read a brilliant book or visited many new horizons. This album is unique in every sense and proven pinnacle of the Ambient music genre. In addition to this, it's a great mix for testing the quality of a decent sound system.

My only regret is not having discovered it earlier...

I have to say I will always be grateful for this man. First time i heard Substrata i was not so into it, probably inappropriate mood or time, but then I listened to it for couple times more, and, my god, i was obsessed. Really, i just simply got sick with this album listening to it EVERYWHERE over and over again - at home resting, working, sleeping and walking down the streets. That frenzy is already gone after listening to it for a thousand times, I believe, but still it is nice to listen to it from time to time. Substrata is the best ambient album ever.
I really hope he will break that existing silence lasting for sixth year already (i don't consider that live release as an album at all).

It's probably pointless to add another praise of this release but I'll throw in mine just as well.

For me, this is one of those unique pieces of music that while offering a cold and secluded sounscape at the initial hearing, on subsequent ones allows you to enter it's domain and fully appreciate it's scope. But this music is suspicious, wary, you must first gain her trust. But when you do, underneath the icy harshness there is warmth, understanding, even a faint smile.

Human feelings rarely feel so...human.

This is one amazing album. It was in my collection for quite some time before i decided to give it a thorough listening to. As it happens i was tripping hard on acid at the time. For the first three and a half songs i was completly immersed in space. And then it happened... the phrase uttered by the giant:

"Sorry to wake you...I forgot to tell you something. The things I tell you will not be wrong."

I think something in my brain melted at that stage. The following minute or so of sounds was the best music i have ever heard. Period! It is now a week later and i still am not over the chillness of that one track. The rest is awesome too! Only minor is track 5, dont kwno why but i just have to skip that one...