| Dropsonde | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 January 2006 (CD) | |||
| Genre | Ambient, jazz | |||
| Length | 37:30 (LP) 69:52 (CD) | |||
| Label | Touch | |||
| Biosphere chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Dropsonde is an ambient album by musician Biosphere (alias Geir Jenssen). Unlike his previous output, the album has a notable jazz influence.
The title refers to a dropsonde, a device designed to be dropped at altitude by parachute to collect data as the device falls to the ground (on Earth or sent to another planet.)
A Dropsonde sampler was pre-released on vinyl as a mini album on 27 September 2005 and the full album released on compact disc in January 2006 (though the track "In the Shape of a Flute" remained exclusive to the vinyl sampler).
Unlike Jenssen's previous output, there is a notable jazz influence present on this album (such as on the tracks "Birds Fly By Flapping Their Wings" and "In Triple Time"), evocative of Miles Davis's 1970s jazz fusion works. [2] Some tracks also integrate material Jenssen recorded in late 2001 during his climbing of the 8,201 meters mount Cho Oyu in Himalaya. (The raw material itself was released some months later as Cho Oyu 8201m – Field Recordings from Tibet .) [3] [4]
All tracks written and performed by Geir Jenssen. Photography by Jon Wozencroft. Mastered by Denis Blackham. [5]
Geir Aule Jenssen is a Norwegian electronic musician and composer who records as Biosphere. A resident of Tromsø within the Arctic Circle, Jenssen is well known for ambient and ambient house pieces, often inspired by Arctic or mountain settings, and his use of loops and peculiar samples from science fiction and natural sources. His 1997 album Substrata was voted by the users of the Hyperreal.org website in 2001 as the best all-time classic ambient album. He has also composed several film scores.
Pete Namlook was an ambient and electronic music producer and composer. In 1992, he founded the German record label FAX +49-69/450464, which he oversaw. He was inspired by the music of Eberhard Weber, Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chopin, Wendy Carlos, Tangerine Dream and Pink Floyd, and most importantly Klaus Schulze.
Out of the Cool is a jazz album by The Gil Evans Orchestra, recorded in 1960 and released on the Impulse! label the following year. The album was one of Impulse!'s first four albums, released together, and featured a gatefold design and high production values.
Patashnik is the second album by ambient house musician Biosphere. It was originally released in 1994 by Origo Sound in Norway and by Apollo in the rest of the world. Its track "Novelty Waves" was used for a 1995 Levi's ad campaign.
Fodder on My Wings is an album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone. It is part of her later works, and can be regarded alongside Baltimore (1978) as one of her better achievements of that period. It is however a rather obscure album and not widely distributed. The album is one of Simone's most introspective and personal works, with songs about her father's death and her stay in Liberia, Trinidad, and Switzerland. There is some confusion about the actual title of the album and the song with almost the same title on the album, being called "Fodder on My Wings", "Fodder in My Wings", "Fodder in Her Wings" interchangeably. In 2015, the album was reissued on CD in the US by Sunnyside. In April 2020 the album was reissued on vinyl, CD and digital format with an alternative track-listing and new album artwork.
The jazz album United Notions with Toshiko and her International Jazz Sextet was recorded in New York in 1958 and released on the Metrojazz label. The recording features pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with Nat Adderley or Doc Severinsen alternating on cornet/trumpet, Bobby Jaspar playing tenor and baritone saxophone and flute, Rolf Kühn on alto saxophone and clarinet, René Thomas on guitar, Bert Dale on drums and John Drew on bass.
Consider the Birds is the second album by David Eugene Edwards' Woven Hand. The album's title comes from the Sermon on the Mount. When asked why he chose this as his album's title, David Eugene Edwards replied, "I wanted to remind myself of the birds. I am often anxious. I need to fall on my faith more."
Off-Centre is a release by Meat Beat Manifesto which follows the album At The Center. Drums and percussion from tracks 1-4 are credited to David King. Steinway Grand Piano, Fender Rhodes and Hammond B3 instrumentation from tracks 1-4 are credited to Craig Taborn. Jack Dangers is crediting for writing, producing and engineering the album in addition to playing bass, bass flute, bass clarinet and everything else on tracks 1-4. Tracks 5 and 6 were recorded at Metro, Chicago, June 22, 2005. The live line up was Lynn Farmer on drums, Mark Pistel on sampler, and Ben Stokes and Jack Dangers on video sampler. One month before release Postcards and Maintain Discipline where available as free MP3s for download from Amazon.com. The album was released in CD format and 12" vinyl.
Mingus Dynasty is a jazz album by Charles Mingus, recorded in 1959 and released on Columbia Records in May 1960. It is a companion album to his 1959 record Mingus Ah Um, and was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The title alludes to Mingus's ancestry, which was partially Chinese.
Cho Oyu 8201m – Field Recordings From Tibet is an ambient album released by artist Biosphere under his real name Geir Jenssen. Recorded in 2001, it was released in 2006.
Atomic Roooster [sic], also spelled Atomic Ro-o-oster on some later CD reissues, is the first album by British rock band Atomic Rooster, with keyboardist Vincent Crane, bassist and vocalist Nick Graham and drummer Carl Palmer.
White-Out Conditions is the first album by the Norwegian band Bel Canto.
Sunrise in Different Dimensions is a 1980 live jazz album by the Sun Ra Arkestra documenting a concert at the Gasthof Morhen in Willisau, Switzerland from February 24, 1980 which was released on the hat Hut label. The album intermingles a variety of Sun Ra originals with covers of jazz standards.
Asante is an album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner released on the Blue Note label. It was recorded in 1970 and features performances by Tyner with alto saxophonist Andrew White, guitarist Ted Dunbar, bassist Buster Williams, drummer Billy Hart, percussionist Mtume and vocalist "Songai" Sandra Smith appearing on two tracks.
Bluesiana Triangle is an album by American jazz musician Art Blakey, as well as the name of the short-lived American jazz, blues and funk group that recorded it, consisting of Blakey (drums), Dr. John and David "Fathead" Newman.
Mustang! is an album by American trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances by Byrd with Sonny Red, Hank Mobley, McCoy Tyner, Walter Booker, and Freddie Waits recorded in 1966 and released on the Blue Note label in 1967 as BLP 4238. The CD reissue included two bonus tracks recorded in 1964.
African High Life is the debut album by Nigerian drummer and percussionist Solomon Ilori recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note label. The album was reissued on CD in 2006 with three bonus tracks recorded at a later session.
Wireless: Live at the Arnolfini, Bristol is an ambient live album by Biosphere. It was recorded on 27 October 2007 at Bristol, United Kingdom. Biosphere performed tracks from some of his previous albums and also three new pieces.
Gemini is an album by American jazz guitarist and flutist Les Spann released in 1961. It is Spann's only studio album as a leader, recorded when he was playing as a sideman with Dizzy Gillespie's quintet and Quincy Jones' big band. The title of the album corresponds to Spann's zodiac sign, born on May 23, 1932. For this work Spann led a quintet formed by Julius Watkins, Tommy Flanagan (piano), Sam Jones and two drummers sharing the two recording dates, Albert "Tootie" Heath and Louis Hayes.
