Bioscope – Gento (Album Review)
Bioscope brings together two extraordinary musicians:
Steve Rothery, best known as the guitarist with Marillion, where his lyrical, atmospheric style has shaped the band’s sound since the early 1980s. Beyond Marillion, Rothery has released solo work (The Ghosts of Pripyat), guested with Steve Hackett, and performed with many other artists. His playing is often described as cinematic and emotive, making him a perfect fit for this project.
Thorsten Quaeschning, long-standing member and current musical director of Tangerine Dream, a band synonymous with electronic soundscapes, sequencer-driven textures, and pioneering ambient explorations. Quaeschning has also worked on solo projects (Picture Palace Music) and film scores, further cementing his reputation as a creator of atmospheric, immersive sound worlds.Together, under the Bioscope name, they’ve produced something truly special with Gento.
Formats and Presentation
I’ve been looking at both the double vinyl edition and the CD/Blu-ray edition.
The vinyl comes in a glossy gatefold sleeve with a full-sized art booklet. The tracks are expansive, longform pieces spread across four sides, with titles like Vanishing Point, Kaleidoscope, Kinetoscope, and Bioscope. The pressing is excellent, though Endel Records haven’t gone with anti-static sleeves. Still, it looks and feels like a premium release.
The CD and Blu-ray edition includes the same artwork plus additional photos that give more of a sense of the collaboration between Rothery and Quaeschning in the studio. The big difference here is the Dolby Atmos mix on the Blu-ray – which is where things get very exciting.
The Music
This is not an album to dip in and out of. Gento is designed to be experienced in one sitting – a journey where you allow the sound to unfold and immerse you.
People have called it “cinematic” or “theatre for the mind,” and they’re absolutely right. It feels like the soundtrack to a film that hasn’t yet been made. Driving through Cornwall with this on, the music seemed to merge with the landscape – expansive, hypnotic, and utterly transportive.
If you’re a fan of Tangerine Dream, particularly their late ’80s and ’90s material, you’ll feel right at home. Quaeschning’s pulsing sequenced keyboards provide a foundation over which Rothery’s guitar floats – those long, sustained notes that hang in the air and connect straight to the heart.
Highlights include:
Vanishing Points I–III – hypnotic, flowing, and full of tension and release.
Gento – my personal favourite, with that unmistakable Tangerine Dream-style percussive pulse at its core.
Kaleidoscope – the closest the album comes to a “rock” track, with more chord-based guitar figures.
At times, the interplay reminded me of collaborations like The Orb with David Gilmour, or even the instrumental explorations of Ronnie Montrose in the mid-’80s. But make no mistake – Rothery and Quaeschning are doing something unique here.
The Dolby Atmos Experience
The Dolby Atmos mix on the Blu-ray takes this album into another dimension. Even with my 5.1 setup (folding down the overhead channels), the sound was astonishing – guitars, sequencers, and textures moving around the room in a way that makes you feel like you’re inside the music.
If you’ve been wondering whether Atmos mixes are worth it – for albums like this, they are essential. This is how the artists heard it in the studio, and it’s the most complete way to experience Gento.
Final Thoughts
Bioscope’s Gento is a mesmerising, deeply immersive album that rewards full attention. If you love Tangerine Dream, Marillion, or cinematic instrumental music, you’ll find yourself returning to it again and again.
While the vinyl is beautifully presented, I recommend the CD/Blu-ray edition for the Dolby Atmos mix, which takes the experience to a whole other level.
ORDER THE CD / BLURAY VERSION HERE
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
