remastered and expanded digital reissue of the highly acclaimed 'bioloophorm 1' album by subradial, previously released in 2003 on dataobscura records + 4 bonus tracks

music, mastering & artwork by tomasz szatewicz / subradial

tracks 1-6 created between 1998-2003, remastered in 2020
track 7 created in 2004, previously released in 2006 on 'perceived distances' compilation by dataobscura records, remastered in 2020
tracks 8-10 created between 2020 - 2021

download includes pdf file with album artwork.

Reviews of 'Bioloophorm 1':

Bioloophorm, granting us an opportunity to bask in his unusual soundworlds for over an hour. I'm duly impressed with the offerings from Databloem/DataObscura, as they continue to reflect upon past electronic musics while still maintaining a fresh and creative sheen--Subradial's debut is no exception.

None of the tracks on Bioloophorm are titled, which allows for an album-length flow of subtly (and not so subtly) shifting textures. Each of the five parts of the album is distinctly different, but the mood is maintained throughout, creating a slow, lengthy journey through dark and light.
During the first part, deep tones reminiscent of early sections of Namlook and Laswell's Outland 2 mix with phasing and haunting choral synth.
Subradial is clearly indebted to Biosphere (in fact, Jenssen is thanked in the album credits)--the icy textures and isolationist drifts are dead ringers for Jenssen's work on Substrata and Cirque.
Echoes of Thomas Köner are also present, making for a singularly appealing sonic drift on the order of Aubrite. The minimal atmospheres fade into part two--suddenly all organic machinery, water movement, birds calling--with the Biosphere touch. I also note a resemblance to the early work of Woob; the layered soundscapes somehow rapturous and compelling, though completely exotic and unfamiliar sounding. These layers fade in turn to allow a drone to take command--if we were at forest floor level before, we are now somewhere below ground allowing the humus and detritus to shroud our observations. This is extraordinary deep ambience; with unusual sounds and static breaking up the low sonics. While the mood is ominous here, it is never cloyingly frightful.
By this time, the Biosphere similarities have been dispensed with; track three begins with gonging tones similar to the quieter work of A Produce.
The music has achieved a stasis of metallic undertones, always anchored by metronomic gonging. Other sonic elements are introduced, including a texture that sounds like wind in leaves. A guitar is added, and the track starts to seem like an impossible combination of Alio Die and Windy & Carl--all strange chirrups, nature's sonic delights, and hazy guitar atmospheres.

Found sounds play a large part in Bioloophorm's construction. The sheer number of different sounds and textures are a pleasure in and of themselves to pick out and enjoy. There's a lot going on here beneath the obvious, and tracks like this make repeated listenings a joy.
Part four is somewhat darker than the previous sections, featuring strange scrapings and post-industrial atmospheres that would appeal to fans of Andrew Chalk and certain Cold Meat Industry artists. Later, I am reminded of the bizarre mechanical lullabies of Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works, Volume II--music that will always operate somewhere out of time. Indeed, even the breathing music of Vidna Obmana is present here, making this track a strange melting pot of modern ambient art.
Here is where Subradial's strengths are most readily apparent. He is able to assimilate recent classic ambient work,
cobbling together what he needs to create a new, original work that reminds one of his influences but never slavishly follows the original sounds. For me, this makes the work all the more appealing--Subradial creates music with respect to past works but with talent enough to make these touchstones his own.

Part five is similar to Alio Die's work, creating deep drones coupled with processed "other sounds" that are hard to recognize. Muted sound in the background hints at vocalization, but one is never sure what exactly one is hearing. It's a mysterious journey that offers little more than hints as to its origin. The latter half of this track creeped me out a little--reminding me more than once of movies taking place on other planets; complete with alien lifeforms chattering ominously off-screen.
And there shall come soft rains with part six, along with soft guitar playing and slight, tapping percussives. At just above eight minutes, this is the briefest track on the CD. It is also something of a stylistic shift, offering an extremely listenable ambient-techno groove. Perhaps it is out of place on the album, but I found the unusual percussion and sonic tones to be a pleasing and welcome finish to a very memorable debut.

Tomasz Szatewicz (the man behind Subradial) is clearly a man well-grounded in past ambient works--but with a level of talent that allows him to utilize these past influences and make them distinctly his own. While sonic trailblazing is clearly not the name of the game here, Szatewicz's command of treated found sound is top notch and a definite highlight of the listening experience.
Fans of any of the artists I've mentioned above will surely agree that Subradial has crafted a memorable debut; one that would not be out of place with the work of many an ambient master. Szatewicz is definitely a talent to watch, and I'll enjoy hearing more Subradial material in future'
- 2003. Brian Bieniowski / The Ambient Review
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'A stunning album, with 6 tracks that really don't bear comparative analysis. Simply named parts 1 to 6, they are six journeys through dark ambient depths that bear repeated listening. Up there with Datacide, Bill Laswell's 'Dark massive', Lull's 'Continue' etc, etc, this is music that elicits an altered state of consciousness. Best listened to in the dark or in the glowing presence of unadorned nature ....'
- 2005, Rinchen Choesang, online customer
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Bioloophorm : 1 is another prime example of Databloem/dataObscura having bottled a unique twist on ambient electronica that I can't get enough of. Tomasz Szatewicz is the man behind Subradial.
Simply titled Parts 1-6, this 67-minute sojourn offers yet another worthwhile venture into the sonic unknown.
"Part 1" is dark and swirling.
"Part 2" pulses like many a cool Biosphere track, although it takes a turn into the murky depths about halfway through. There are at least three distinct phases to this passage, each more interesting than the last, difficult to describe on paper. Abstract ambient pieces by Pete Namlook or other FAX artists might give at least a starting reference point for comparison's sake.
"Part 3" has a simple two-tone phrase that pings along as atmospheric touches echo all around. A wall of white noise builds, surrounded by dissonant piano and various electronics, which continue after the noise fades. This is daring and exceptional.
"Part 4" is subtler and brighter than the tracks preceding it, with distant flutes and water sounds - but then it changes to a dark synthetic soundscape.
"Part 5" combines earthy organic tones with otherworldly ones, dropping into near silence midway through in perhaps the darkest moments of the disc, although it is so captivating that it is more fascinating than frightening.
"Part 6" is a particularly refreshing light touch after so much darkness, enjoyable as that was.
Lush but simple musical phrasing surrounds a soft regular beat for a nice finish.
- 2004. Phil Derby / Electroambient Space
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"The lightness is the dark - starting with a dark ambient feel, you still sense a silver lining on the cloud. Imagine what Rapoon would sound like without the beats and made a little bit more electronic. I know this is a bit of a reach, but it is also a good example of what you can hear here. It build to a slightly beaty ambient song at the end. This is the dark side of the moon, Bioloophorm 2 is the sunny side."
- 2004 Don Poe / EAR/Rational Music
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A recent release on dataObscura, a label that can do no wrong in my books. It contains parts one to six of the title. Deep drones come in waves like the sound of some immense beast from the depths. Brighter touches are added as well as wind effects. It's as if we have now moved to the surface- a little lighter maybe and less sinister or foreboding. The bass rumbles become even deeper around the five-minute mark.

More noises of some strange creature can be heard though the overall feel is still rather relaxing. It is also quite intriguing. The second part again uses what I assume are synthesized animal noises but this time the atmosphere is more shimmering and warm. Eventually all bestial sounds depart just leaving drones and textures, getting hotter all the time. They do come back near the end along with some curious crackling noises, which could even be parched vegetation bursting into flame. Part three is the first to deploy any obvious structure as two notes, like the gentle striking of gongs are repeated time after time. The backing is rather complex, an ethnic type wind instrument, further percussion and hissing sounds being heard from time to time. It all combines together to form a quite hypnotic experience. The notes fade away as the hissing gets louder over the faint sound of machinery.

It's like being on the top of a hill in the rain, listening to the muffled sound of a factory in the valley below. Things mutate after a bit to train sounds and wordless chanting- very curious indeed. More machinery can be heard on part four but this time mixed with the animal noises. It's all rather muffled to start off with but settles down in less than two minutes to quite a sparse setting out of which scraping crackling noises then running water can be heard. Again it's rather intriguing in a way that draws the attention. I found myself listening intently to try and piece together the full aural picture. By the fifth minute the water sounds had become the main feature. A minute later things change so that most of what can be heard is of a metallic nature, like being in a deserted, derelict factory in the middle of a storm. Some of it reminded me a little of 'Imaginarium' by Ma Ja Le and Vir Unis. Sort of 'half' melodies herald a section where changes in the sonic tapestry start coming thick and fast as the mind's eye is diverted this way and that.

Some of the 'images' are reprised from before but others are new. It's the watery / metallic / windy sounds that predominate most. Part five uses a similar sonic palette and again images are of dereliction though initially in a somewhat calmer setting than the previous number. There is a surprise in the last couple of minutes however when the mood is lightened considerably with the addition of a rather nice melodic loop, which made me think of Roedelius. The final part combines water and insect sounds taking me back to warmer realms. A piano melody can be heard as well as a gentle rhythmic loop. This is the most accessible number, slowly building in complexity with the addition of further rhythm but still retaining a relaxed feel- even a sort of curious charm. In the second half the rhythm submerges in the mix, the melody coming in waves. An acoustic guitar type lead line then provides yet another twist in an absolutely captivating track. It's an excellent way to finish a highly inventive but also accessible ambient album.
- 2004, Synth Music Direct (SMD)
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