Create – Biospherical imagery

7 reviews for Create – Biospherical imagery

1. 

   Steve Humphries / UK – 2022-11-22

   The theme of the album is that of an explorer discovering a lost world, Biospherical Imagery is about the journey to and landing on the lost world and the remaining tracks cover its exploration.
   This is also the first Create material which as well as using Reason also featured hardware synths.

   2006. Steve Humphries / UK

2. 

   Roy Jackson / UK – 2022-11-22

   I have to start out by saying I think Steve has created a bit of a classic here.

   The 47 minute opening tack is simply brilliant, and in the tradition of the best of the epic 70’s and early eighties Tangerine Dream concerts pieces, without really sounding anything like them.You have it all here. Great back beats, sequencer rhythms, soaring synths, deep bassy droning synths, choral segments and much more, all superbly intertwining, morphing and contrasting. There isn’t a dull moment to be found in this epic sonic journey. It’s the sort of track you’ll want to play again and again, as you’ll keep discovering new qualities and depths within it. Wonderful stuff!
   The rest of the tracks are equally brilliant. Some are atmospheric, at times reminding me of Early Mark Shreeve. The third track Signs of Life has a wonderful bouncy sequencer line running through it, that put me in mind of early Enterphase.
   The final track, The Day After, is simply fantastic. Great beats and soaring synths abound,which really get my blood flowing. Love it!!

   This really is a great album, and I highly recommend it.

   2006. Roy Jackson / UK

3. 

   Sylvain Lupari – 2022-11-22

   Create cest lAnglais Steve Humphries. Un nouveau venu qui avait agrablement surpris avec son premier opus Reflections from the Inner Light, paru en 2004. Depuis, cest la cohue. On voit et on entend le son particulier des synths de Create un peu partout dans le petit monde de la M. Dailleurs, il a eu lhommage de participer luvre posthume Robert Moog, Analogy, en donnant le ton avec le fougueux Analogue Revival, un titre possder. Biospherical Imagery est son 3ime cd, et cest tout un vrai. Prs de 80 minutes de purs dlices. elle seule, la pice titre vaut le dtour, vaut les deniers. Un long 47 minutes qui est dans la foule de ce Analogue Revival. Il ne faut pas se fier son intro atmosphrique o bruits htroclites croisent des sons de mtal et des vagues cosmiques qui retiennent leur fougue avec dtresse. Car graduellement, une fine ligne synthtique se dandine et les premiers coups de squence se font sentir. Le beat est hachur et frappe avec des percussions rotatives.

   Sur une bonne ligne basse, les cris de synths fusent avec force et Biospherical Imagery senvole. Tout au long, les rythmes croisent des squences qui alternent entre un ambiant fragile et des tempos soutenus. La basse, les percussions sont nerveuses sur des lignes de synthtiseurs en constantes bullitions. Latmosphre bourdonne sur des churs synthtiques graves et des sonorits aussi perantes que mordantes. Du grand art synthtique. Un 47 minutes bien plac, l o a compte.
   Aprs un titre aussi fou Endless Corridors nous repose un peu. Comme Mystery Voices, cest un titre aussi atmosphrique que sombre. Des atmosphres qui se poursuivent sur lintro de Signs of Life avec un synth qui siffle dans la noirceur de la nbulosit. De lourdes notes pulsent et dansent un air hypnotique. De lourdes squences qui reviennent et modifient leurs tonalits sans changer le cours anesthsique de leurs pesanteurs. Un titre, vous laurez devin, pesant, mais trs pesant.
   The Day After clt sur une avalanche synthtique. Le rythme est lger et baigne dans une paisse nappe synthtique qui saccroche une ligne basse groovy. Un bon titre squentiel pour mettre la touche finale un solide opus.

   Amateurs de sensations fortes, de musique exprimentale et lectronique, Biospherical Imagery est lun des solides titres de 2006. Avec ce titre, Humphries dmontre une tonnante maturit et une arrogance artistique digne des grands noms. Le genre duvre cimetire, tant il est audacieux et ingnieux. Un habile mlange entre les atmosphres et les rythmes dbrids. De la haute voltige synthtique comme on en entend que trop rarement ces dernires annes. La pice titre est absolument gniale. Prs de 50 minutes infernales jouer haut volume, et l ce nest pas garanti que la peinture va tenir sur les murs.
   se procurer sans fautes

   2006. Sylvain Lupari

4. 

   Artemi Pugachov / Encyclopedia of Electronic Music / Russia – 2022-11-22

   Steve Humphries: Reason 2.5, Alesis Ion, Korg Prophecy, Novation K-Station, Korg Electribe EA-1, Yamaha CS1X.

   The title track is one big chunk of synthesis that clocks at 46+ minutes. Drones, cosmic flashes, distorted sequences let us fly through the cosmos being surrounded by poisonous gas nebulae. The atmosphere is that of immense grandeur and epicness. A rhythm develops that only supports the soundscape, without dominating. A sequence appears and the melodic motifs make our cosmos a slightly more hospitable place. However, a solo rips through the miasma of sounds like a lightning bolt through the sky. The rhythm abandons us, but not the sequences that now have us flying through space at quite a pace. Everything calms down and we prepare for another vista. Engines roar while a bass sequence develops and mutates, the rhythms supporting it. This is EM that has guts. Heavy stuff.
   Melodies and sounds from the first part return and haunt us like ghosts on a hungry day. Sequences pulsate like hot hearts of the planets we pass on our journey through space that’s full of wonders, excitement and adventure. We are then left alone in dark space once again, awaiting, wondering what comes next. Mysterious lead line warns us of the coming danger. Beeping notes hurtle forward like radar signals that let us know about the alien ships coming. The rhythms that appear are much heavier this time. However, we are soon left with yet another atmospheric section. We see colourful gas clouds passing by as the aliens escort us to their homeworld. Otherworldly fx and distorted spacey notes herald our entering into the alien realms. Everything around you is so unfamiliar, but beautiful. Strange sampled-voice effects only add to the strangeness of it all. Pulsing sequences appear as we enter the alien solar system, a green star warming a planet that’s so similar, and yet so different from our own Earth. Rhythms pulsate as you can see all the alien machinery in work and the large stations they’ve created orbiting the planets. Everything glows with different colours, resulting in a rainbow-like experience.
   At this point there’s a hell of a lot of sequences to be heard, from the bass ones to the higher register pulsations. Deep drones, ethereal pads and the subsiding sequences end this enjoyable trip on a mysterious, but not dark, note, as if we are left alone in the space once again, wondering when we can achieve what this ancient race has. Maybe once we give up stupid things like always fighting each other for our own prejudice? Perhaps.
   Track two is called Endless Corridors” and indeed

5. 

   DC – 2022-11-22

   ‘Biospherical Imagery‘ is the new album from Create, AKA Steve Humphries and is the follow up to his ‘From Earth to Mars’ album, which according to the notes states was recorded entirely on virtual/soft synths. However with a studio upgrade during 2004 he made the transition to hardware keyboards. Work started on the album way back in June 2004 and some of the music on offer here is represented as studio versions of live material dating from that period and indeed the first Create gig in November of that year.
   The album itself features a decent blend of both analog and digital equipment and is quite varied throughout, with the five tracks on offer ranging from three minutes to a whopping forty-six! It is in fact this epic piece that opens the set.

   ‘Biospherical Imagery’ starts off with a low string/drone sound over cosmic effects. A ‘square’ type lead then enters just after the first minute which is then followed by a slightly metallic sounding sequencer pattern. Further chord patterns are added before a string theme is introduced. Just after the six minute mark a rhythm pattern is introduced, closely followed by a new theme and a pleasant mix of sequencer patterns, creating a somewhat powerful sound field. An analog lead then enters before the sequencers and percussion loop disappears right back to the standard drones that opened this piece. However it is not long before a bass sequencer pattern emerges over light percussion, the former becoming slightly resonant. Bass percussion elements take hold together with light string textures and further percussive elements. By the fifteen minute mark the piece is once again, back where it started with the dark string/drones section. Another percussion loop enters and another ‘square’ lead theme is introduced. A slightly off tempo sequencer pattern emerges adding slight obscurity to the proceedings while quite far back in the mix lies a decent percussion loop. The sequencer pattern pushes forward adding a new dynamic theme, which intensifies this particular section of the piece satisfactorily. At twenty three minutes it’s back to the dark drones again and a minute later a cosmic theme is introduced with an array of underlying synth patterns and occasional effects. High string chords appear in the mix later and at thirty minutes it’s back into cosmic effects and synth chord mode. In a slight change of direction obscure voice samples are added and a sequencer pattern emerges together with an effective high string theme. Deep cosmic effects help to expand this section and the sequencer part becomes more prominent. Another theme begins over a bass percussion loop and eventually new sequencer effects are added. The piece ends almost as it started with the metallic sounding sequencer pattern over washes of chords and effects.
   ‘Endless Corridors’ in complete contrast at just over five minutes is a minimalistic piece relying on low drones and effects. There is a high level of obscurity in this piece through the effects but this eventually leads into an atmospheric lead theme above high choral and string textures. Completely sequencer free.
   ‘Signs of Life’ appears via some decent high cosmic, panned chords. Bass effects are then added closely followed by a low drone. A theme is introduced with occasional white noise effects. The cosmic chords re-emerge later and at around five minutes a rather simplistic sequencer pattern is generated. This eventually becomes delayed over washes of effects building in intensity. Past the seven minute mark the sequencer pattern becomes more intricate and light percussion elements are added. At eleven minutes a metallic bass pattern begins and the piece eventually ends on washes of light cosmic effects and resonant chords.
   ‘Mystery Voices’ not surprisingly is a piece shrouded in mystery and features what sounds like a Mellotron choir sample. Extra themes are introduced but the piece manages to remain stubborn not deviating in its mysterious structure.
   The final track, ‘The Day After’ begins with a mid range cosmic drone. Before the first minute is out light percussive elements enter over synth chords. A string theme carries the piece forward and a more stable percussion loop takes hold, slightly off tempo. A theme is introduced at just over 3 minutes but the piece subsides slightly leaving just a drone and the main theme. The rhythm section returns at around four minutes over further synth chords and an analogue styled theme before finally coming to rest on a bed of effects.

   Overall this is a fairly good album, with plenty going on in the mix throughout its duration. It’s difficult to compare this artist’s work with other musicians but I would recommend this album to those who prefer their music with a more cosmic orientation.

   2006. DC

6. 

   Sylvain Lupari – 2022-11-22

   Create it is the Englishman Steve Humphries, a long time Internet friend. A newcomer, who had agreeably surprised lots of people with its 1st opus Reflections from the Inner Light, released in 2004. Since, its the mob, great sells, top ten and appearances on several EM Festivals. We hear the so personal sound approach of Create synths here and there on Festivals and compilations. Besides, he was part of the big names who gave a posthumous homage to Robert Moog on Analogy, by kicking the opening the with impetuous Analogue Revival, a title you have to put your hands on. The more furious electronic swirl I heard since Roachs Empetus and Stormwarning.
   Biospherical Imagery is, already, Create 3rd opus, and hold your hat with iron wire.

   Just the title track itself is awesome and a good reason to buy this cd. A long 47 minutes track which is in the Revival Analogue stride. Dont trust, or judge the track by his atmospheric intro where heteroclite noises cross sounds of metal and waves cosmic which retain their ardor with distress. Because gradually, a fine synthetic line is dandle and the first blows of sequence are felt. The beat is hatched and strikes with rotary percussions. On a good bass line, synths screams fuse with strength and Biospherical Imagery flies away. All along, rhythms cross sequences which alternate between fragile ambient and constant tempos. The bass, the percussions are nervous on synth lines in constant effervescence. The atmosphere drones on grave synthetic choirs and sonorities as acute as corrosive. This is 47 minutes of great synthetic art.
   After a so insane title, Endless Corridors gives us a break.
   Like Mystery Voices, its a title as atmospheric as dark.
   A similar ambiance reigns on Signs of Life intro where a synth whistles in nebulosity blackness. Heavy keys pulsate and dance a hypnotic air. Heavier sequences modify their tonalities without changing the anaesthetic course of their gravities. As you could guess Signs of Life is a very deep and heavy track.
   The Day After closes on a synthetic avalanche. The rhythm is light and bathes in a thick synthetic pad which hangs to a groovy bass line. A good sequential title to end a solid opus.

   Feel for big thrills of experimental and electronic music? Biospherical Imagery is one of the solids titles so far this year. With this title, Stephen Humphries shows an astonishing maturity and an artistic arrogance worthy of the great names. The kind of cemetery work, so much it is daring and audacity. A skillful mixture between atmospheres and powerful rhythms.
   The title track is absolutely brilliant, a must. Nearly 50 infernal minutes to play at high volume, and there it is no warrant that the painting on the walls will hold. To get without faults.

   2007. Sylvain Lupari

7. 

   LouLou / Prog-rsiste – 2022-11-22

   Stephen Humphries aurait-il lu ma chronique sur son opus prcdent, o jvoquais le manque de vritables synthtiseurs? Jen doute mais jose le croire. En ralit, cest sans doute une volution normale de son cheminement artistique, et cela sentend! Mme si cest encore lge de Reason (!) pour le studio. En fait, cet album est du premier concert de Create, avec une pice ponyme de presque 47 minutes qui vaut le dtour. Elle est un pur produit de lcole berlinoise dans ce quelle a de meilleur : grande technicit, lignes de basse et de percussion impeccables, longues squences rptitives, atmosphres prenantes. Un must ! Entre les morceaux live, Humphries se permet deux respirations ambient qui donne une ide de la largeur de sa palette et lui ouvre encore dautres portes.

   En somme, il a remis les pendules lheure et cet album peut tre considr comme celui de la maturit. Profitez-en!

   2010. LouLou / Prog-rsiste