Bioscope - Progressive Voyages Review PV011
Bioscope – Gento PV011
Bioscope is the name chosen for this collaborative project from Marillion’ Steve Rothery and Tangerine Dream's Thorsten Quaschning, the first but possibly not their last full collaboration together, Although Steve did guest with Tangerine Dream for a very special concert at Coventry Cathedral in 2022 that is captured on the recent K Scope release From Virgin to Quantum Years cd set, well worth getting for the tracks which Steve appears on! As is the Blu Ray of the concert.
This album is a little different in that it is essentially created and formed from a series of jams recorded over several years and meetings and has a mere 5 tracks, this being composed of 3 longer pieces and 2 shorter tracks.
Tangerine Dream fans will possibly find this more to their liking than Marillion ones due to the very laid back nature of the album, you could say that it is a soundtrack searching for a film, Given that both men are lovers of booth Cinema and Film equipment and camera’s and photography there is a meeting of kindred spirits in this music, It is very gentle and the changes is sound and structure are what dictates the pieces. You are really seeing a piece of music evolve as you listen. This is what Tangerine Dream have excelled at for many years, they don’t perform they create music that will have certain reference points or markers as they meander along the way. This Is very much the case here. It is essentially an album of instrumental Ambient jams recorded over a 5–6-year period.
This is a really interesting release, as there is a lot of subtlety at play here between Thorsten’s keyboard textures and Steve’s very fluid and atmospheric guitar lines.
Opening track Vanishing Point being a good case in point, Almost 20 minutes in length during which time there is a steady evolution of the piece from deep synth notes that open the track moving onto a floating guitar line that uses both delay and reverb to define its excellent sound and tone, during the 20 minutes the track builds in its sound sort of similar to how waves rash against the seashore, this is music that is beautifully crafted, Presented and performed by musicians who are in perfect symbiosis and almost telepathic communication. The track opens with a deep Synth bass note as Steve adds atmospheric touches in his guitar sounds,
There is a steady sequencer part to this track against which Steve adds his guitar and effects magic, With both musicians sounds adding to the whole piece, Steve told me a lot of what you think is keyboard may actually be his textured guitar lines, you can certainly hear his reverb and chorus pedals at play here along with his delay and other effects, it builds in its intensity like a pan coming to the boil but never boiling over, more simmering than boiling, at the 7.55 mark t he music reaches a crescendo before falling back to the steady sequencer part and drums from Richard Jupp who’s playing is subtle and never overwhelming, I guess you would say it is sensitive to what the music calls for and he plays that, it isn’t over fussy but it is precisely what is needed at the 11:25 mark Steve plays a series of arpeggios and uses some volume swells to great effect, this is wonderful, sounding very expansive and cinematic even, it certainly makes a positive impression on you, it’s a great opening track that works as a great opening salvo or statement of intent.
The interplay between Steve and Thorsten is excellent and a joy to hear such great innovation and creativity shared between them.
You can hear elements of the sounds Steve uses in his day job with Marillion and you can also sense his enjoyment at being totally free to build his parts in this track,
If like me you 3njoy Tangerine Dream’s longer pieces than I think you will feel comfortable with this album and music of considered playing and experimenting.
The album continues with Gento which is a shorter track at 7:36 in length
This again has a sequencer pattern running through it, very effectively too I must add with Steve content to add subtle embellishments where needed, his guitar is there but you have to listen really closely to find it, it’s mostly in swells and small flurries of notes, effective you would miss it if they weren’t there, allow burner of a track, however next track Kinetoscope is better as it has a longer running time of 12 :45 minutes and this has more guitar than Gento does, and it is certainly more to the fore on this track, often doubling underneath a keyboard run that Thorsten has laid down, some of the synths again are actually guitar by Steve, this is confusing but still interesting to listen too and work out for yourself, I really do like this track, it shows all parties working in tandem to make some excellent music together.
A strong sequence arises at the 8-minute mark as Steve’s guitar roars a little bit before settling back and the reappearing more forcibly at the 9:39 mark, it’s like game of cat and mouse with Steve being hounded by Thorsten’s synths but never being completely beaten.
It is a great track which set you up for the track Kaleidoscope which follows, This is a far Jauntier track with strong drums from Richard Jupp and also a strong melody with Steve’s guitar threading a melody throughout along with some meaty rhythmic playing that sounds great. It’s only a short track and unsurprisingly was chosen as the single to support the album, you can see why its brevity would certainly help with that task, its ids quite simply a wonderful encapsulation of what the album offers.
Final track of this fine album is another lengthier, It is the albums title track Bioscope
Coming in at 13:04 in length, this has a great mood setting scene of a brooding soundscape of delicate keyboard textures and lots of Steve’s guitar swells and flourishes to complete the sound along with Richard Jupps strict drumming both supporting and driving the track along, this is another slow burning track that allows the musicians to experiment a little in their interactions completes all over this track, This track reminds me of the fabulous Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays album As falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls from 1981.
As that has a similar use of soundscapes, Bioscope continues with scenic sound until at the 7.33 marks Steve’s guitar takes centre stage, in a set of liquid lines that float over everything else before retreating into the background a little but still very present in filling the sound, it’s all very subtle and very comforting to hear this music delivered so gracefully. As a partnership this really does work, one hopes there will be more forthcoming from these musicians who together have made some unbelievably fine music on this album.
If you are expecting fireworks then this isn’t for you however if you want some real interaction and intriguing music that you can relax to quietly then this great album may well fit the bill for you
Spend an hour with this fantastic album of sound.
Info here: marillion.com | Racket Records Store https://share.google/E3NInrzeodatA6pk5
Author - John Wenlock-Smith