Rhian Sheehan: Tiny Blue Biosphere

Reviewed by REBECCA BARRY

Herald rating: * * * *

Three years ago Rhian Sheehan's debut album Paradigm Shift proved the computer can enhance the imagination rather than replace it. Through his haunting soundscapes, bleak electronica and acoustic guitars the Wellington-based producer made a futuristic yet sublimely nature-inspired album, despite one of his tracks ending up on a TV bank ad.

The follow-up is a continuation of that sound, a journey somewhere between the earth and the cosmos, warmed up by the ethereal voices of Gramsci and Anika Moa and some lush, bohemian instrumentation. It's an exquisitely crafted album that works as a sum of its parts, from mystical mood pieces to hip-hop-based funk, brooding vocals to Maori-inspired themes. Hopefully he'll license something to a film soundtrack this time.
Label: Loop