Carbon Based Lifeforms
„Stochastic“
Ambient. Schweden. 2022.

• CD, Digipack
• Original
• Leftfield Records
• LFTFLDCD24
• new

"Stochastic" by the two Swedes Daniel Vadestrid and Johannes Hedberg wasn't initially intended as an album. While experimenting with rarely used functions of their synthesizers, passive melodies emerged, designed not to distract the listener. As the name Stochastic suggests, chance and probability played a significant role. The passive soundscapes were generated randomly by the pulse generator, mixed with random melodies from the sequencer. They listened to the tracks for weeks during their daily work and then decided to release it as an album. Anyone expecting a similar, organic-synthetic album like "Hydroponic Garden" or "Derelicts" will be stochastically disappointed. Even though the first track, "6Equi5," superficially belies its organic nature. This isn't progressive rock, yet for me, it's the most progressive ambient (not rock!) album I know.

Before I attempt to explain why this work works for me in both directions (passively and actively) and why I consider it a progressive ambient piece, I'll discuss the design of the digipak. The structures remind me of mathematical Mandelbrot sets forming random shapes. I particularly appreciate that the tracks are listed with their main components: the electronic instruments used.

To place the album within the CBL (Carbon Based Lifeforms) canon, here is a comparison to “Hydroponic Garden” (2003), “Derelicts” (2017) and “Seeker” (2023).

"Hydroponic Garden" is organic, warm, and ethereal, with a focus on melody and atmosphere. It features spoken vocals in some sections. "Derelicts" is dark, expansive, and cinematic, emphasizing space and density. "Seeker" prioritizes movement and rhythm, is distinctly more spacey, and has a sense of journey.

In contrast, "Stochastic" is more abstract, experimental, and slower in its development. If I say that "Stochastic" works for me in both directions and is by no means boring when actively listened to, it's due to my approach. If I don't want to be distracted by the music or want to unwind emotionally, "Stochastic," with its randomly generated soundscapes, works precisely because the changes are slow, subtle, and fluid. My thoughts can also flow freely, and at the same time, I can relax. That's its great emotional, passive strength for me. 

For active listening, I use either in-ear monitors, because with these the soundscapes are created directly in my head. Open-back over-ear headphones work even better; here the soundstage is wider, floating around the head. This active listening evokes all sorts of associations in me. I feel like I'm floating in space, dystopian and creepy like in the film Blade Runner, or wandering alone through the night in William Gibson's cyberpunk novel Neuroromacer. It's always exciting for me, because my associations change with each active listening session.

I'll leave the descriptive part behind now and try to explain why this particular album made such an impression on me. Initially, I found "Stochastic" incredibly boring and didn't want to waste a review on it. Nevertheless, I listened to it occasionally in the background, but it wasn't until I heard it through my IEMs (in-ear monitors) that I revised my hasty and incorrect opinion. If this is getting too academic for you, feel free to skip to the conclusion.

This album isn't purely accidental, as CBL provided the harmonies, sound, and frequencies. The execution was then partially handled by the instruments using random sequences and envelopes. One could say the composition arose through controlled chance. The album doesn't have songwriting in the traditional sense. Other CBL albums are structured more along the lines of idea, sequences, repetitions, variations, and developments. "Stochastic," on the other hand, was created using the principles of sonic space, rules, chance, and continuous change. Rhythm is also an important element on most CBL albums (bass, sequences, pulse, even in slower passages). Here, it takes the form of pulsations, short sequences, volume changes, recurring impulses, and filter movements.

This is how the music moves, but not purposefully. Microscopic movements replace rhythmic propulsion. This album exists in a space between chance, limited possibilities, and mathematical order. I don't want to delve any deeper into the musical analysis; I hope my examples are sufficient to make my enthusiasm for this album understandable to interested listeners. 

Why do I describe "Stochastic" as a progressive ambient (not rock!) album? It breaks with the typical compositional formula where a composer writes notes or sequences and a musician or synthesizer plays them back. In "Stochastic," the composer defines the rules, the sonic space, and the parameters, and the random process delivers the results. Thus, the question isn't what comes next, but rather what musical possibilities can emerge within this phase space.

There are no complex solos, no intricate noodling, no grand developments like in progressive rock. The experimental aspect here lies in the compositional process. For me, "Stochastic" is the most progressive ambient album, and not because it's more complex than existing ambient albums. CBL consciously relinquished some conventional control over the composition.

The conclusion is short: Ambient music that doesn't distract you. "Stochastic" works best for me when I actively listen, when I start to let my imagination run wild. Its greatest strength, however, lies in the fact that it shifts the conventional notion of progression in music. That's what's truly progressive about "Stochastic."

Audio chain: CD player – hybrid tube/transistor Class A preamplifier – Class AB power amplifier – loudspeaker; additional monitoring with IEM and open over-ear headphones.

The photos are all from my CD. The rights to all motifs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

TheProgThief
©14.09.2026