Biosphere – N-Plants album review

Geir Jenssen uses science fiction as a source of inspiration for his music behind the recording name Biosphere. But the lines separating fiction from non-fiction are being freakishly blended in his newest release N-Plants. Besides the fact that it sounds like it could be the soundtrack for the Twilight Zone, N-Plants comes close to predicting the future. Produced in early February it was inspired by Japanese nuclear power plants – architecture, design, and location. Questioning, at same time, the potential danger of them, seeing that they were so close to the shores that had been swept by tsunamis in the past.

About a month later at finding ourselves bombarded with news headlines about the epic toll of disaster Japan has taken on due to the tsunami along with its nuclear damage repercussions we can’t help but wonder if some otherworldly source lay behind the inspiration of this album.

N-Plants sounds like a doomsday journey, creating scenes of ambiance, conflict, and resolution. Adding and stripping layers between songs, each sounding like its own chapter in thriller/horror/science fiction novel. You can hear the gentle wails of a siren alarming a nuclear breach, so soft and soothing, yet behind them you get the sense of danger camouflaged. Like in “Shika” and “Ikata”, which both echo cooly with drum machine taps and feather light synths. “Joyo” on the other hand sounds like a boss battle anthem. In this way the songs jump with different characteristics like a dark collection of play acts, sometimes completely mellow, sometimes with a pinch of upbeat bounces, two songs contain an ominous voice recording of a man and woman speaking in Japanese.

Together everything blends to create a story of impending danger, a danger we’ve all come to realize.