Track Listing

1. As The Sun Kissed The Horizon
2. Poa Alpina
3. Chukhung
4. Things I Tell You
5. Times When I Know You'll Be Sad
6. Hyperborea
7. Kobresia
8. Antennaria
9. Uva Ursi
10. Sphere Of No Form
11. Silene

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #294769 in Music
• Released on: 1999-08-23
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

A definitive work from one of the great Ambient artists
Substrata by Norwegien artist Biosphere is one of the all-time classic ambient albums.Mixing chilling atmospheric tones with ambient samples of ice, snow, forests and Russian radio broadcasts from the artist's homeland Substrata is difficult to describe in words alone.This is one album that every Ambient fan needs to hear if not own. For my own part the album is never far from my stereo. From the initial drone of an aircraft high overhead to the rambling monologues of later tracks every minute sends a chill down your spine.Simply superb.

Perfection
This is, as others before me have said, the greatest ambient/chill out album of all time.

Over the years, I've bought a great many long players that fit into this category, but none even come close to Substrata. I still remember picking it up in Adrians years ago, a shop in Essex that always had a huge back catalogue of electronica. The cover caught my eye first, but, to be honest, I'd only ever heard of one or two of Geir's tracks before then (eg Novelty Waves). The names of the tunes on the back finally hooked me line & sinker and I bought it.

After my first listen (on my lovely Marantz CD player that's currently sitting in storage, godamnit), I was transfixed. After my second, I was telling everyone I knew who loved electronic music (and some who didn't) to buy it.

Goodness knows how many times I've listened to it since, but it is still one of the single greatest albums I've ever bought. Period.

Each section of the record has its merits, but without question 'Sphere of No Form' is a moment of genius. I still can't stop visualising being trapped in a wet, cold, pitch black labyrinth when listening to it - with something rather nasty lurking just around each blind corner...

I always did have one of those imaginations.

Buy it. Treasure it. Love it.

Thank you, Geir.

An excellent piece of relaxation and atmospheric ambience
I have never heard of Biosphere until I heard a tiny snippet of a track called "botantical dimensions" (on the other CD) which prompted me to find more about them/him.

This album is an awesome collection of atmospheric ambience which really creates a "place" with the sound.

Personally it feels like you are in some cold artic wastes with the wind blowing around you and the cold wind blowing through you.

I think this album is an absolute classic and should be owned by anyone even slightly into ambient music.