Biosphere - Autour de la Lune (Touch)

...Sub-sonic sound collage from dusty radio tapes...

The Norwegian Orb. The Scandinavian Sun Electric. Biosphere is all of those things and more. The work of isolated, arctic hermit Geir Jennsen, his albums and 12”s on Apollo Records were landmarks of the early 90s ambient house scene and pointed to its myriad of possibilities and longevity.

This latest work recalls Scanner’s Sound For Spaces and Sylvian’s Ember Glance with its stripped down environmental electronics based on a specific installation or commission. The roots of this piece go back to Radio France Culture who contacted Jennsen for music for their ‘Festival de Radio France’. He was given access to the radio station’s historic archives where he found an early 60s radio play of De la Terre à la Lune by Jules Verne. This dialogue was then woven into own recordings of the MIR space station to create something that’s startlingly unique.

Word of warning, though, it’s not quite as exciting in practice as it sounds on paper. Jenssen stays true his ambient roots and what results is like a sequel to Brian Eno’s Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks, as opposed to some kind of mashed-up voyage through the archives that a DJ might put together. Sub-bass, clicks and cuts, there are many hallmarks of an ambient classic here. And Rotation and Disparu have a wonderful sense of grace, but I couldn’t help but be left with a sinking sense of ‘anticipointment’...