For the better part of thirty years, the Swedish duo operating under the name of Carbon Based Lifeforms have produced some of the most rhythmic ambient music of our time, starting with Hydroponic Garden (2003) and World of Sleepers (2006), adding to their previous band name, “Notch”, which released The Path (1998). Their most recent studio album, Seeker (2023) is unmistakably of their now highly identifiable sound that provides science fiction atmospherics that is too engaging to be just extremely pleasant background music, but captures your focus with profound gentleness.
The lengthy eponymous opening track is moderato-paced with excellent layering invoking the space odyssey that will come. The next two tracks, “Bloom Pt 1” and “Bloom Pt 2,” have a greater transition that ties their drifting softness which then leads in ‘Fauna’, an incomplete narrative in many ways, but one which is reminiscent of their 2015 studio album Interloper. This is followed by two similar tracks, “Nukleator” and “Starfish,” the former of which is particularly notable for some complex admixture, but neither of which progress greatly.
If they album continued on this trajectory it would have been pleasant but disappointing, but fortunately it provides stronger content and progression with the following track, “Departed,” before “Gone” provides a nice introductory tribute to the faerie story Nattväsen, from the Derelicts (2015) with ominous cathedral sounds. As a big departure from their usual fare, the next track Rymden3000, actually has some rather lovely uplifting and optimistic lyrical content which flows into the lengthy ‘Sync2n’ with its deep and distant rhythm, before the complex concluding track “… and On.”
Overall, Seeker starts with an excellent track, follows with a few middling but pleasant pieces, and concludes with a few positive pieces. There is a definite strength in the album that is referential to earlier works, providing a greater narrative for a partnership that is spanning decades now. With such excellent prior productions to compete with, Seeker cannot be counted as their best album, but it is certainly a very good one and a worthy addition to their catalogue of compositional excellence. One waits, again, in eager anticipation for the next piece of work from these genuine artists.
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