Circular Nanotopia CD - Import

Norwegian ambient, intelligent electronica.Nanotopia is the adventurous debut release from Circular. With its highly unusual and twisted angles of sound, Nanotopia presents a futuristic vision from a different world. Comparable to Orb and Future Sound of London. Released in May 1997.Reveiw by Jon Aanensen, May 2007:The third and last Future Proof release from Origo Sound was Nanotopia from Circular, which consists of Bjarte Andreassen and Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik, formerly of Neural Network. Nanotopia was Circular's first album, and the album visits several different areas of electronic music through one hour of playing time. First track Organic Access is the longest tune on the album, running for almost twelve minutes. It starts with scary sounds and effects before a certain melody line and rhythm enter. The music is filmic with a peculiar string-sample, but the song offers little development and is not very original or exciting. Towards the end of the track a really bizarre part enters - a girl band singing Neil Young's Rockin' In The Free World in the background! I would really like to know what the thought was behind that part. Surface Scan is next, it's a flowing Biosphere-inspired tune co-written by Erik Manshaus, rhythm and sequencer enter, before an interesting electric guitar-sample appears in the soundscape. Sound effects closes the track that is in the typical ambient genre where we also find artists like Future Sound Of London and The Orb. Track 3 Sequent is based on sound collages and is not exactly easy on the ear, before Gateway starts with a fresh rhythm and an up-tempo repeated part that sounds like the soundtrack to a big city of the future. A bit alien but nevertheless danceable. Thorazine is atonal and scary, would have suited a horror movie well, but it's a demanding listen. Harmony returns with the next track Sedated, with a certain Erik Wøllo-feel before the tune becomes more "busy". Melody lines and a wondering theme make the song immediately more interesting than several other tracks. Being is the shortest tune on the disc. It starts with sounds, samples and rhythms, but suddenly Circular decide that they want to surprise the listener once more and incorporates a jazz theme! The album closes with the title track, which is possibly the best track on the CD. It's a melancholic and sad melody, once more the Wøllo-feel enters, waves crushes towards the beach and a voice sample appears. The tune is very different from the rest of the album, and it shows that Circular is perfectly capable of making interesting music. Nanotopia is an album that demands an active listener, if not the music may become frighteningly anonymous. It's not an album without flaws, but it's another interesting document in the history of electronic music from Norway.Rating: 6 of 10Also: Check out our one-stop shop for everything electronic & ambient music - www.PlanetOrigo.com is the world’s newest specialist mailorder website & magazine for electronic music (CDs and downloads).www.PlanetOrigo.com offers popular electronica, ambient, Berlin School, spacemusic, EM soundtracks, psyambient, experimental electroacoustic music, new age, jazzotronica, downtempo, lounge, chill, and much more.www.PlanetOrigo.com in a nutshell:* Free postage on all products* High quality MP3 or lossless FLAC downloads* Collect bonus points on all purchases* Planet Origo staff are all fans and knowledgeable of what we sell* Planet Origo supports independent artists and labels with bigger cuts of the cake* A state-of-the-art custom website* Secure https ordering with 3D verification* All our products are new, we do not deal in used items* We have 200+ suppliers in all five continents* We use recycled material in our packaging and have a green operation philosophy* No registration required to read our interviews, reviews and news items* And did we mention - free shipping, no postage, no hidden fees, all included?Check out the other Origo Sound websites:http://