Biosphere – N Plants review

I was given the opportunity to review a rather revered figure in the Ambient music community; Geir Jenssen AKA Biosphere. Since 1991 Biosphere has released a number of records, each defining the boundaries of Ambient music, and then going on to break said boundaries. The album i’m reviewing, N Plants, is one of great substance. It pertains to the post-war economical miracle of Japan, and as a writer with Japanese roots, this record spoke to me on multiple levels. Though I did not let this detract from the technical aspects I will be reviewing. This record was inspired by the beauty and surreal futurism of Japan’s nuclear plants, specifically the Mihama plant. If you’re curious to see what inspired this, it is definitely worth looking up.

N Plants is a very minimalistic record; there isn’t ALOT going on, but that appears to be its greatest charm. I respect Biosphere for staying true to the roots of ambiance, but I was expecting alittle more in terms of experimentation. Speaking of which, I personally wasn’t a fan of the house elements on some [if not most] of the tracks, I felt that they polluted the base track in a way. When you really listen to whats going on in these songs, you will come to appreciate the use of atmosphere, but I feel this atmosphere becomes tainted whenever the electronic kicks come in, or any techno related sounds. I think it might have been much better without it. The songs in general are well composed in terms of placement.

This is definitely a record worth checking out for yourself, you may agree or disagree with my gripes with it, but it’s still something you should get a feel for yourself. Anyone unfamiliar with this type of music may be alittle bored though, as it does seem to be very specific to the crowd who generally pick up these records. I did enjoy N Plants quite a bit, for its imagery, social commentary and subtle sounds.