Circular – Nanotopia

3 reviews for Circular – Nanotopia

1. 

   Steve Brown – 1998-11-22

   Circular is Bjarte Andreassen and Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik of Norway. Nanatopia is their debut album and is an ambient lover’s dream from start to finish. Reminiscent of the Future Sound of London and KLF‘s Chill Out, Nanatopia is intense, dark, brooding and chock full of samples and flowing melodies that often extend and evolve over time. The tracks are many times long, but Circular is able to avoid being self indulgent in the pace they set in the album, not spending too much time on any one concept. While many tracks are beatless, the few that do really kick hard, and set a nice contrast to the album as a whole. A very mature album. I’m impressed!!

   1998. Steve Brown

2. 

   Steinar Larsen – 1997-11-22

   Look out for a guy called Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik. I suspect that within electronic music from the Nordic countries, he will be one of the most interesting artists in the years to come. Jostein was first part of Neural Network, who created a new standard for urban ambient electronica with their album Modernit. Circular is the new band project from Jostein and Bjarte Andreassen, but their musical style is somewhat along the same lines; atonal boingy sounds jumping out of nowhere, supported by a weird symbiosis of industrial and organic sound.
   A breathing, living album, not very melodic but still able to grab you. The music also has a unique sound design which makes it hard to compare it to other albums.
   Furthermore, it’s no disadvantage that the sleeve is among the coolest cover artworks I’ve seen in a long time!

   1997. Steinar Larsen

3. 

   Jon Aanensen – 2022-11-22

   The third and last Future Proof release was Nanotopia from Circular, which consists of Bjarte Andreassen and Jostein Dahl Gjelsvik, formerly of Neural Network. 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 Wllo-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