Bloom: 10 Worlds

I wouldn’t waste your money on this version as I did it has lost its vibe the original version is far superior

I don’t know if Brian’s hearing is going or mine, but I find some of the sounds in a couple of these ‘worlds’ pretty piercing. That said, this is a great sequel to bloom, with a simpler, more intuitive interface and the ‘play’ function let’s you sit back and enjoy a new palette of music no one has ever heard before - or will again.

Unless I’m missing something, there’s no control over any of this: no key selection, no control over the sounds, no control over how the music generates, no control over the length of the notes. So.. it’s pretty but sort of pointless and not really usable in any wider musical context. I would like a refund all in all.

Another fine music creation app. At first I wasn’t sure about it compared to Bloom but once I got into its structure everything clicked into place. Great for relaxing during a lockdown!

Finally, we get background play! I still find the app disappointing when compared to the excellent Scape. There is almost no control over the initial input and none whatsoever over the generative process. Surely there must be scope for more interaction?

Brian Eno was one of the first people to popularise the idea of the generative record: a sequence of sounds that while containing similar motifs and timing, would never be the same sequence twice. Technology of the 70s-90s made this feat hard to accomplish outside of an installation setting, but “apps” and the proliferation of mobile phones and tablets (computers in your pockets) have enabled this idea to become very accessible in the 21st century. The original Bloom was a great idea, but limited in mood and texture; “Bloom 10: worlds” enables the listener to navigate 10 environments that correspond to their mood at the time. When this released I was frustrated by the lack of background play; the visual aspect of this app is great, but sometimes I merely want it to play in the background like a little musical automaton while I write or do some other task which requires concentration. I hate giving anything a maximum rating because it seems almost sycophantic, but when you add the cherry on top of what was already a fine piece of cake like Bloom it seems unacceptable not to. Good job Eno/Chilvers. The developer always tries to respond to user complaints / concerns in a way that I believe Bloom: 10 worlds will continue to improve.

Mesmerising. Another triumph for the Eno/Chilvers team who never disappoint. I have all of their apps - generative music is something of a must for me. Bloom was always the cleanest and purest and what they’ve done with this app is take that essential quality and multiplied it ten-fold with new textures and innovative mechanics. Lovely stuff and, yes, background play would be great but I love this for what it is in itself - the graphics are beautifully rendered and executed. Background audio at last! Twice as good. Apple TV a possibility? More please!

Really impressed with this update to an already great app, in my previous review I made a few suggestions for improvement and this version includes every single thing I asked for. If only a few bigger software companies I could mention were this good at listening to their customers!

I love the original Bloom. It had some gentle background chords as you played. This doesn’t, it’s quite flat in comparison and I can’t use it anywhere in my compositions. It’s not compatible with AUM or Audiobus. It doesn’t play in the background. I thought it might be possible to play a few of the ‘worlds’ together, but no. Not impressed, sorry.

This may not suit everyone, why should it? If you already know the kind of thing Brian Eno has been developing since his early ambient experiments in the 70s then you will probably buy this anyway. But if you need a push to fork over the price of a CD a decade ago for an infinite audiovisual installation in your own pocket, then hear this: there are ten tracks, each distinct in texture and tone. These are spartan and luscious, and they evolve in ways that remain interesting while retaining the mood of the overall perimeters. This is true of both image and sound. There’s limited interactive possibilities with the tonal structure. It’s great if you like that sort of thing. I do.