Bleep

Geir Jenssen longstanding reissue series revisits one of the greatest expeditions his Biosphere moniker has led us on yet, with a triple vinyl remaster of 2002's Shenzhou.

Originally released as a limited run via Touch, Shenzhou stands out as one of the most desolate vessels of departure within Biosphere's early to mid-2000's catalogue. While many of you who were around then may have turned off from this stuff during the 00's (Shenzhou came a decade plus on from the peak time interest of Biosphere's work, namely Microgravity and Patashnik) revisiting Shenzhou now with history on its side and the glitch and dub techno graveyard being packed tighter than a minimal techno 12" bargain bin, it's striking how as a listening experience both physically and on many levels, emotionally Shenzhou truly is.

Benefiting massively from the deluxe vinyl pressing, the induced downtime served up by having to get up and flip over or change the disc offers a brief break from the intensity of the albums drowned world. This also adds to the easing of digestion for those looking to lock in for the full trip, while adding an easy entry point for anyone in need of a brief dab of sonic escapism. Based on orchestral works by Claude Debussy, La Mer (The Sea) and Jeux, Shenzhou draws parallels with The Caretaker's exploration of memory loss through classical music sampled and looped, yet the cloudiness that hangs over Shenzhou is of a more abstract horror than the one of memory being slowly engulfed by nothingness. While it may be 'modern classical' in style, the music here projects far ahead into the future, a journey through undiscovered lunar landscapes and sea floors not of this world.