Morceau Subrosa

BT | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 2012)
• Original Release Date: June 19, 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Laptop Symphony
• ASIN: B008CTJ11K
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,695 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #76 in Music > Miscellaneous > Exercise

Editorial Reviews

In a minimalist abstract of ambient forms and computer music languages, Grammy® nominated composer and technologist BT delves into the realms of child hood heroes from Cage to Eno. This collection of ambient works represents the first in a series of non-rhythmic electronic tone poems composed at four hundred and thirty-two hertz. Reminiscent of everything from Debussy to Music for Airports, Morceau Subrosa is a dazzling cocktail of granular sound fields, ambient recordings and undulating vocal and acoustic instrumental works. Suited for everything from meditation and yoga to pre-sleep or relaxation, Morceau Subrosa is a hushed electronic lullaby for the new millennia.

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Meditative and Masterful Ambient Work June 24, 2012

By P. White

Format:Audio CD

In a music world dominated by three-minute pop songs, it takes courage to release an album comprised of just a single 46-minute track. And, in contrast to derivative, loud and forgettable chart fodder, BT's latest offering is original, quiet and enduring. By providing just one track, the listener must engage and cannot simply pick and choose between different songs, as is the way of the MP3 generation. The best way to listen to Morceau Subrosa is to lie down, put in/on a high-quality pair of headphones and focus on the music, free of distraction. In doing so, I found that the combination of BT's classical training and mastery of modern production techniques has created one of the most intricate works I've encountered. Slowly building crescendos that never quite peak, sweeping synths and the sounds of nature fading in and out are a treat for anyone who enjoys ambient and/or classical music. It is a study in restraint, melody and a breadth of sound that offers new rewards during each subsequent listen. The sleeve notes state that Morceau Subrosa is the first of a series. I can't wait to see where BT takes my eardrums on future installments.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Like nothing BT has ever done before July 6, 2012

By Adam Powell

Format:Audio CD

Morceau Subrosa is unlike any work BT has created before. This 46 minute track is one continuous, microedited masterpiece of humming, nature sounds, and indiscernible chanting. The overall track has no real rhythm, but is quite peaceful. Unlike This Binary Universe, Morceau Subrosa is a soundscape that does not conform to any traditional musical structure. Unlike BT's concurrently released work, "If The Stars Are Eternal So Are You And I", Morceau Subrosa contains no real sequences of beats. I'm always impressed by BT's musical genius. It takes true genius to release a dance / drum & bass mix (Laptop Symphony), an ambient album (Morceau Subrosa), and an experimental electronica (If The Stars Are Eternal So Are You And I) all in the same month. I cannot think of any other musician or group with this versatility, except perhaps for Underworld, which pursued different styles over time rather than concurrently.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars More a series of ambient sounds than music March 31, 2013

By Nicholas Vinen

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

It's no secret that many BT fans, who had become accustomed to his mix of ambient sounds and up-beat tempos, were very disappointed with "This Binary Universe", a much more laid-back and even jazzy electronic album.

While there were some undeniably good tracks on "This Binary Universe", overall it just lacked the energy that we'd come to expect from BT. "If the Stars are Eternal, So Are You and I" came along later and similar complaints could be leveled at it but I would say that this is one of BT's better albums and strikes the right balance, returning somewhat to BT's more ambient roots (a la "Ima").

This album though is rather at the extreme end of "ambient". There's barely any discernible melody or beat for pretty much the whole disc, which consists of one nearly 47-minute long track. It starts off with some piano and ambient sounds, which seems promising, but then never really turns into anything.

The first eight minutes are worthwhile to listen to at least once but after that you might as well just open your window and listen to the birds outside.