- 2LP
- Recommended
- New Release
Higher Intelligence Agency & Biosphere
Birmingham Frequencies
Headphone - Cat No: H013V
- updated:2026-10-03
Higher Intelligence AgencyとBiosphereが1997年に録音、2000年にCDリリースしたアンビエント名盤「Birmingham Frequencies」が初アナログ化！両者によるコラボレーション2作目として制作されたもので、バーミンガムの街の音風景を録音、それらを基に作り上げられた「鮮烈な深夜の都市のサウンドトラック」であり、Lynch/Badalamentiによるサントラ・スタイルとも評される名作。見開きジャケット豪華2枚組ヴァイナル。Stefan Betke（Pole）による入念なマスタリングが施された7トラックを収録。
Track List
Birmingham Frequencies, a landmark ambient classic recorded in 1997 by Higher Intelligence Agency and Biosphere, receives its first release on vinyl.
The follow up to Polar Sequences, a previous collaborative project between Biosphere & HIA, Birmingham Frequencies features location recordings of the city’s sonic landscape, captured by Bobby Bird and Geir Jenssen, which form the basis of the compositions.
Birmingham Frequencies was first presented in concert on 4th October 1997 within the sublime circular rhythms of the Birmingham Rotunda, and was released on CD in 2000.
Described as a ‘vivid late night urban sound track’ with an ‘exquisitely burnished, Lynch/ Badalamenti soundtrack style ‘ two of the tracks, ‘Narrowboat’ and ‘Midpoint’, feature in Peter Mettler’s recent epic visionary cinema release ‘While the Green Grass Grows’.
Now made available as a deluxe double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, & meticulously remastered by Stefan Betke (Pole) at Scape Mastering, this release forms a complementary counterpart to the recent vinyl release of Polar Sequences, and is an essential addition to any collection of works by these two artists.
Boomkat Review (2019 CD re issue)
Birmingham Frequencies is Biosphere and Bobby Bird’s atmospheric reading of the Brummy pulse at the turn of the millennium
The album explores intersections of location recordings with filigree ambient tones between dual poles of rugged, range-finding dub and exquisitely burnished, Lynch/ Badalamenti soundtrack styles to present a portrait of Birmingham that’s much more romantic and dreamy than you may imagine, especially if you know the place.
20 years later, the album effectively marks a midway point between original, late ‘70s/early ‘80s ambient pioneers and the modern field. It trades in a mixture of crisply polished, well established, classical ambient notions that reflect foundational forms by Eno and Hassell, and a strain of more technoid investigation that’s perhaps prescient of producers such as Uon or Pendant.
“Explores intersections of location recordings with filigree ambient tones between dual poles of rugged, range-finding dub and exquisitely burnished, Lynch/ Badalamenti soundtrack styles to present a portrait of Birmingham that’s much more romantic and dreamy than you may imagine, especially if you know the place. ”
Boomkat — Boomkat
“Beautiful, evocative ambient soundscapes from two of the masters of the genre.”
P CURTIS — Amazon review
“This is a golden nugget. Urban soundscapes intertwined warmly into a collage of pulses, pads and peacefulness. Polar Sequences was a brilliant chilly nord wind driven collaborative and the follow-up is just as brilliant or supersedes depending whether you like the more beat oriented vibe”
Expansive09 — Discogs
“I highly recommend both this album and the earlier collaboration between HIA and Biosphere -”
Cleve — Rate Your Music
“A collaboration with HIA, it's probably my favorate Biosphere album of all”
TuioMaedda — Reddit
“This album may help one realise how much one appreciates the urban environment, despite its alienating effects. The first track,”
WhiteBlur2 — Rate Your Music
“Career highlight for both artists. The arctic setting of Polar Sequences has been replaced with a walk through Birmingham. The first track makes me want to go to Canon Hill Park and feed the geese. Inspiring.”
Hitherto — Rate Your Music
“This album is warm,lush, and full of life. Canon hill made me want to leave my house and enjoy simple beauty of nature. Gone are the arctic tundra and replaced by youthful energies of Cannon Hill park with various other places in Birmingham.”
electronic coat — Rate Your Music
“A more vivid late-night urban soundtrack I can barely imagine. Make sure you get the remastered 'Polar Sequences' album to compliment this release”
Patrick Dubby — Bandcamp
“In 1996, Biosphere (Geir Jenssen) and Higher Intelligence Agency (Bobby Bird) released an influential concert recording (Polar Sequences) of live ambient soundscaping and chilled electronics atop a mountain in Biopsphere’s home town of Tromsø. With a distinctly more urban feel for obvious reasons, Birmingham Frequencies is every bit as excellent as its predecessor”
Normam Records — Normam Records
The follow up to Polar Sequences, a previous collaborative project between Biosphere & HIA, Birmingham Frequencies features location recordings of the city’s sonic landscape, captured by Bobby Bird and Geir Jenssen, which form the basis of the compositions.
Birmingham Frequencies was first presented in concert on 4th October 1997 within the sublime circular rhythms of the Birmingham Rotunda, and was released on CD in 2000.
Described as a ‘vivid late night urban sound track’ with an ‘exquisitely burnished, Lynch/ Badalamenti soundtrack style ‘ two of the tracks, ‘Narrowboat’ and ‘Midpoint’, feature in Peter Mettler’s recent epic visionary cinema release ‘While the Green Grass Grows’.
Now made available as a deluxe double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, & meticulously remastered by Stefan Betke (Pole) at Scape Mastering, this release forms a complementary counterpart to the recent vinyl release of Polar Sequences, and is an essential addition to any collection of works by these two artists.
Boomkat Review (2019 CD re issue)
Birmingham Frequencies is Biosphere and Bobby Bird’s atmospheric reading of the Brummy pulse at the turn of the millennium
The album explores intersections of location recordings with filigree ambient tones between dual poles of rugged, range-finding dub and exquisitely burnished, Lynch/ Badalamenti soundtrack styles to present a portrait of Birmingham that’s much more romantic and dreamy than you may imagine, especially if you know the place.
20 years later, the album effectively marks a midway point between original, late ‘70s/early ‘80s ambient pioneers and the modern field. It trades in a mixture of crisply polished, well established, classical ambient notions that reflect foundational forms by Eno and Hassell, and a strain of more technoid investigation that’s perhaps prescient of producers such as Uon or Pendant.
“Explores intersections of location recordings with filigree ambient tones between dual poles of rugged, range-finding dub and exquisitely burnished, Lynch/ Badalamenti soundtrack styles to present a portrait of Birmingham that’s much more romantic and dreamy than you may imagine, especially if you know the place. ”
Boomkat — Boomkat
“Beautiful, evocative ambient soundscapes from two of the masters of the genre.”
P CURTIS — Amazon review
“This is a golden nugget. Urban soundscapes intertwined warmly into a collage of pulses, pads and peacefulness. Polar Sequences was a brilliant chilly nord wind driven collaborative and the follow-up is just as brilliant or supersedes depending whether you like the more beat oriented vibe”
Expansive09 — Discogs
“I highly recommend both this album and the earlier collaboration between HIA and Biosphere -”
Cleve — Rate Your Music
“A collaboration with HIA, it's probably my favorate Biosphere album of all”
TuioMaedda — Reddit
“This album may help one realise how much one appreciates the urban environment, despite its alienating effects. The first track,”
WhiteBlur2 — Rate Your Music
“Career highlight for both artists. The arctic setting of Polar Sequences has been replaced with a walk through Birmingham. The first track makes me want to go to Canon Hill Park and feed the geese. Inspiring.”
Hitherto — Rate Your Music
“This album is warm,lush, and full of life. Canon hill made me want to leave my house and enjoy simple beauty of nature. Gone are the arctic tundra and replaced by youthful energies of Cannon Hill park with various other places in Birmingham.”
electronic coat — Rate Your Music
“A more vivid late-night urban soundtrack I can barely imagine. Make sure you get the remastered 'Polar Sequences' album to compliment this release”
Patrick Dubby — Bandcamp
“In 1996, Biosphere (Geir Jenssen) and Higher Intelligence Agency (Bobby Bird) released an influential concert recording (Polar Sequences) of live ambient soundscaping and chilled electronics atop a mountain in Biopsphere’s home town of Tromsø. With a distinctly more urban feel for obvious reasons, Birmingham Frequencies is every bit as excellent as its predecessor”
Normam Records — Normam Records
アンビエント・レジェンド才人2人、Higher Intelligence Agency（Bobby Bird）とBiosphere（Geir Jenssen）による、バーミンガムの街の様々な音風景フィールドレコーディングと、繊細なアンビエント・エレクトロニック・サウンズ、ダウンテンポ・テクノ・トーンが、交差する領域を探求するロマンティック・ダブワイズに美しく抒情豊かな都会のアンビエト・サウンドスケープ7トラックを収録。
リリースから26年の歳月を経て、本作は70年代後半から80年代初頭のアンビエントの先駆者達と、現代のテクノ・エクスペリメンタル、エレクトロニカ、IDM、モダン・アンビエント・シーンを繋ぐ中間的な役割を果たした重要作ともなっている。
本作は、1997年10月4日、バーミンガムの象徴的な円形建築「ロタンダ（Rotunda）」にて初めてライブ演奏され、2000年にCDとしてリリースされたもので、リリースから26年を経て待望アナログ化がなされた！！見開きジャケット（ゲートフォールド・スリーヴ）仕様ブラックヴァイナル2LP。フィジカル珠玉アート名品。 (コンピューマ)