The Fires Of Ork

Geir Jenssen, former member of Norwegian band Bel Canto but since 1989 working in solo mode - first as Bleep, from 1992 on as Biosphere - is one of the figureheads of contemporary electronic music. On his albums 24454 (1992) and 22797 (1994), both widely acknowledged as records that shaped the ambient genre, he combines found noises, atmospheric layers of sound and trance patterns with hi-tech dance beats. Jenssen's music is clearly marked by his geographical location: living in Tromsø - about 400 kilometres north of the Arctic circle), his compositions evoke his Nordic natural surroundings through the sound of modern technology. Pete Namlook, former jazz guitarist and based in Frankfurt, over the past years gained renown as ambient and dance music composer. He ran his own label, Fax +49-69/450464, which had an output of about two records a week (all limited editions). Namlook recorded under different guises (e.g. 4Voice, Sextant, Air (Air (2))) and also had a nose for finding "partners in ambient": in the past he worked with Mixmaster Morris (The Irresistible Force) as Dreamfish, with Dr. Atmo as Silence, with Richie Hawtin as From Within and with Jonah Sharp of San Francisco's Space Time Continuum collective. Namlook passed away on November 8, 2012, at the age of 51 from a heart attack. Under the moniker The Fires Of Ork Jenssen and Namlook in 1993 combined their talents. During a two-week session in Frankfurt they composed a magnificent self-titled album, a magnum opus that ranges in tone from soothing to haunting, from dark to playful. The title track (appearing in two versions) was also released on a 12-inch which, just as the album, culled rave reviews everywhere. The name "The Fires of Ork" is taken from Roy Batty's monologue at the end of the 1982 movie 'Blade Runner', as sampled on the first album by the duo.