Looking at physical photographs that were taken more than a century ago, you might be inclined to shriek and then throw them in the air in response to how mildly haunting they are as a result of time’s passage. Fortunately, Biosphere a.k.a. Geir Jenssen doesn’t exude a borderline-crippling level of sensitivity, so when the work of pioneering Russian photographer Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky recently captured his discerning eye, his response was to consider their history and harness them as partial inspiration for a brand new studio album, his first of the solo variety in five years, Departed Glories on Smalltown Supersound. The new album’s out September 23, and if you’re familiar with the oeuvre of Produkin-Gorky already, then you know that he was one of the first to establish a method of adding color to his early 20th-century shots.
The historicity and unique quality of those photos were also complemented by the Norweigian Jenssen living in Krakow, Poland for a period. This was when work on Departed Glories began, and a now confirmed rumor has it that Jenssen was constantly reminded of how jointly significant and occasionally awful the history of his surroundings was. A mention of World War II needs no elaboration, and certainly civilization goes back centuries when you’re referring to Eastern Europe in particular.
Here’s the track “Sweet Dreams Form a Shade” to get a sense of where this all led from a musical standpoint. The ambient legend remains infallible, if you ask me:
Departed Glories tracklisting:
01. Out Of The Cradle
02. Well And Purpose
03. Down On Ropes
04. Free From The Bondage You Are In
05. With Their Paddles In A Puddle
06. Than Is The Mater
07. Sweet Dreams Form A Shade
08. Aura In The Kitchen With The Candlesticks
09. Departed Glories
10. Whole Forests Of Them Appearing
11. Invariable Cowhandler
12. Behind The Stove
13. You Want To See It Too
14. In Good Case And Rest
15. Tomorrow Then We Will Attend
16. With Precious Benefits To Both
17. Fall Asleep For Me
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