Samarbeid mellom Espen Sommer Eide (Phonophani) og Dag-Are Haugan. Bygd opp av dunkel, atmosfærisk elektronikk og akustisk>digital perkusjon over assortert, håndplukket lo-fi, abstrakt felt-mikrofon og usymmetriske hardisk-klikk. Meget behagelig. Kompatibel med Phonophani og Oval.

ALOG: DUCK-RABBIT CD  EUR 15
The Wire, UK: "It´s techno, minimalism, electronica, post-rock. It´s original, it´s derivative, it´s spontaneous, it´s contrived. Familiar instrumental sounds leave their mark then merge or transform into shadowy traces. Alog make composed music in which sounds coincide in ways that seem unplanned. An acoustic guitar coda adds a neatly perverse finishing touch to this intriguing album."

Urban Sounds, USA: "For those enamored of recent Biosphere releases such as Substrata and Insomnia, Nordheim Transformed will undoubtedly appeal. Bearing the same sort of icy, impressionistic ambient as those celebrated recordings, both Jenssen's and Sten's remixes fit neatly into a contemporaneity of unusually high quality Norwegian electronic music. (See also the recent Phonophani CD, debuting Jenssen's own Biophon label.) Sten's mixes, in fact, are the big surprise here -- probably as much for the comparative obscurity of their author -- although Jenssen's "Transparenza," a tense triumph of reverse-scan electronics and reverberant gamelan sharply reminiscent of his Insomnia score, is the set's strongest cut. A significant aside in Nordheim Transformed's press materials is that Nordheim himself, apparently, very much approved of the two young artists' take on his work -- a fact, of course, as above, both interesting and totally irrelevant. Rating: 7.5"

ARVE HENRIKSEN: SAKUTEIKI CD  EUR 15
The long awaited solo debut from one of Norway´s most distinguished instrumentalists. 15 unique moments of quiet contemplation inspired by his fascination for Japanese music and culture, all beautifully recorded and produced by fellow Supersilent member Helge Sten (Deathprod).
Motion, UK: "Henriksen invests fifty quiet, contemplative minutes in tentatively searching for the right place to put his notes, and succeeds brilliantly in his quest. A surprisingly vast and colourful array of sounds emerge from the bell (and mouthpiece) of his trumpet, very occasionally accompanied by sparse organ, harmonium, voice or discreet electronic percussion. Agile production by fellow Supersilent member Helge Sten, aka Deathprod, himself no stranger to creating fragile atmospheres, as was amply proven by his shared album with Biosphere, "Nordheim Transformed", on the same label. Delicate and engrossing."

INFORMATION: BIOMEKANO CD  EUR 15
Stephen Fruitman, Motion: Let's get the cliche out of the way first: "Fans of Biosphere will love it...." Yadda, yadda, yadda. A shame to lump together very singular artists just because they all come from the same country, employ electronic instruments and have an International Star in their midst, with whom they will inevitably be compared. Because the duo comprising Information really are off on their own tangent, even if (sigh) fans of Biosphere 'will' indeed find this stuff enchanting. A debut release several years ago on Beatservice, 'Artifacts', culled from music for a variety of installations and whatnot, showcased the creative breadth of Jorgen Knudsen and Per Henrik Svalastog of Bergen, Norway.
Their aptly-named follow-up, Successor', refused to tread the same path, gathering some ninety-nine snippets of musical information one disc, but quantity does not always equal quality. However, on 'Biomekano', they have combined the Arctic ambience of their debut with the glitch excursions of their sophomore effort in a beautiful, warm suite which both deepens my admiration for this duo and takes me to places I didn't know existed previously. Surely one of the finest products thus far released on the already excellent Rune Grammofon label."

JAZZKAMMER: TIMEX CD  EUR 15
Jazzkammer = post-minimal. New coy genre tags aside, it's inherently useless & silly trying to work with the constraints of the english language to try and paint even a vague picture of the musical treats on this record. These are subconscious sound collages, incorporating field recordings, turntables, vinyl crackles, tape hiss, guitars, and various bits of static sine waves, where any senseof rhythmic structure seems more incidental than premeditated...though, I won't go so far as to call this "improvised". Argue all you want about whether this is or isn't "music", but when i'm looking for something that sonically explores the microscopic DNA that lives in the music ideas that make my motor run fastest, Jazzkammer hit the nail right on the head. "Neon Express", with an almost non-existent electronic blurp hovering in the background, incorporates the sound of a stylus slipping in and out of a run-out groove at the end of an lp side. It's hard to tell whether the field recordings on "Elevator Necklace" are the sounds of subway cars passing overhead, women screaming through an airport, or the sounds of the lake superior zoo once all the cages have been opened at 3:00am on a dark, wintry Friday night and the cries of "freedom!!" have reached even the reptile barn. "Bacteria Less Thermo" effectively conjures up images of the sonic architecture of chemical reactions: humming static, ambient drone, what sounds like the amplified uncoiling of electric guitar  strings, all occasionally interrupted with some downright crippling moments of exploding static/noise. It's hard to make out in the final track, "Happy New Year", just when the transformation occurs from the CNN report-style gunfire to 4th of July fireworks, but it all sounds right when all you're left with at disks' end is the head-under-pillow muffled sounds of distant,  low-to-ground explosions digitally processed a thousand times over. another ace from norway's Rune Grammofon label - quickly becoming a consistent favorite.

MONOLIGHT: FREE MUSIC CD  EUR 15
The second solo album from label founder Rune Kristoffersen is centered around a series of impulsive improvisations using a very basic electronic setup often resulting in strange, freefloating and rhytmic abstractions that occasionally take off in unexpected directions.
The result is nothing less of impressive. The control over the sonic patterns gives the compositions an incredibly organic feel, as they seem to seamlessly evolve from one structure to another. Intricate melodic shapes and mechanical rhythmic configurations form and disappear at random, never interacting with each other more than necessary. The cohesion of the work presented here, and it´s fragility, gives it a very human touch. The Milk Factory (UK)
It sounds like free improv played on analogue synthesizers then post produced and sculpted, or maybe early sentience in the circuits. Two reference points? Autechre´s Confield and Tetsu Inoue´s Psycho-Acoustic, but more personal, animate and graphic than either. BBC Online (UK)
There´s plenty of melodic playfullness in these synth-improvisations. It´s minimalistic, dynamic and unpretentious but definitely more complex then the first meeting suggests. Image creating music, just have a look. 5/6. Dagbladet, NO
Behind a unusally brave title hides small treasures of lasting value. As with most releases from Rune Grammofon, "Free Music" rooms music with direction towards renewal, new thoughts and openness. With a mix of cool elegance, free floating, balanced presence and rhythmic playfullness Rune Kristoffersen cathes your interest in his calm way. 5/6. Aftenposten, NO
A minimalistic stroke of genius that in it´s subtle power is an important contribution to Rune Grammofon´s growing catalague of music from the tonal outskirts. Dagsavisen, NO
The music has elements of electronica, ambient, jazz, pop and contemporary music. Never indifferent, never without commitment. Warmly recommended. 5/6,Spot, NO

ARNE NORDHEIM: DODEKA CD  EUR 15
"It is with great joy and honour that we are able to celebrate our 30th release with a new album by one of the most distinguished personalities in Norwegian music. Not only that, Dodeka, meaning twelve in Greek, is a small sensation in that the twelve pieces presented here have never been available on record before. These compositions are made from the building blocks and basic elements from Nordheim´s work in Warszaw between 1967 and 1972. Considering the primitive working methods and the equipment available at the time, Dodeka is also special in that it´s sonic qualities are quite astounding with a clarity and character all of their own."

PHONOPHANI: GENETIC ENGINEERING CD  EUR 15
The second album from Phonophani, aka Espen Sommer Eide (Alog), his first from 1998 so far being the only release on Biosphere´s Biophon label.
Phonophani’s work is characterized by various manipulated “live instruments” seamlessly integrated with pure electronic sounds. Espen will not admit to this being a concept album, but says of the title that «sampling is a form of gene manipulation where you arrange and rearrange soundparts from your own playing and the works of others to create new organisms of sound».

SPUNK: FILTERED THROUGH FRIENDS CD  EUR 15
Central artists from Norway's flowering electronica and noise scene join forces to remix female chamber anarchist quartet SPUNK, the source being the group's debut album from 1999, "Det eneste jeg vet er at det ikke er en støvsuger" (RCD 2010). Contributions from Martin Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist), Kim Hiorthøy, Upper Rooms, Phonophani, Svalastog, Kristin Andersen (SPUNK), (X, Y, Z), Andreas Meland (Düplo), Jørgen Træen, Sun Demon, Risto Holopainen, Lasse Marhaug (Jazzkammer) and Andreas Mjøs (Jaga Jazzist, Rotoscope).

FARTEIN VALEN: THE ETERNAL CD  EUR 15
Kjell Moe, Kulturspeilet: En velkommen gjenutgivelse
Herlig! Her er det bare å lene seg tilbake og nyte stemningen i den absolutte roen og stillheten i denne musikken, laget av en komponist som vi ennå ikke tilgodeser med hva han er verdt. Fartein Valen (1872-1952) var - og er - den store ukjente komponisten i norsk musikkliv. Langt, langt større enn hans beskjedne plass i oppslagsverk og leksikon tilsier. Internasjonal er han også anerkjent i betydelig grad. Det sier en god del at selveste Glen Gould 'fant' Valens klaverstykker og har spilt inn noen av dem.
Valens minimale tonelinjer siger vakkert inn til oss. Her er det ingen klanger og pling-plong men musikk de aller fleste i dag uten vanskeligheter burde være i stand til å ta imot. Merkelig å tenke på at denne komponisten ble isolert i tiår av sitt liv for den 'uforståelige musikken han skrev! Vi ønsker denne CD-utgivelsen mer enn velkommen og håper det vil føre til fornyet Fartein Valen-interesse.

NILS ØKLAND: STRAUM CD  EUR 15
Nils Økland med anti-urban vestlandsromantikk dominert av drømmende, meditative bevegelser med violinbue over lavmælt jazzgitar, religøs-ambient orgelklang, luftig trompet og norsk folketone. Barndomsassosiasjon: Stillheten i huset på søndagsettermiddagene mens de voksne hviler middag. Årets beste norske?

© Biophon Records 2006