Sphere marks a sort of turning point in the evolution of Landing. Having explored many aspects of the quiet understated tryyp, we decided to see if we could get a bit louder without seeming forced or contrived. A few songs on Sphere, such as "Fluency of Colors" and the title track, feature motorik beats and blurry guitar solos that engulf the song- sounding not too unlike our sister band Surface of Eceyon. The guitars are louder on this album, maybe hearkening back to the guitar sounds on Oceanless and Fade In/Fade Out. The difference here is that rhythms are present throughout the album, often shifting the focus of the songs from the textures that have been consistent throughout all of our releases. One of the main reasons for the shift in sound has been Aaron's newfound love for playing drums in music other than metal bands. On past releases, Daron, being a non-drummer, has held down the drumming duties with understated grace. On Sphere, however, Aaron explores krautrock inspired beats and faster speeds. This is something that just happened naturally, as Daron has been more satisfied in returning to playing bass (what with Dick switching full time to guitar). This is definitely the most labored-over Landing album, taking many months to complete due to all of the various overdubs and experiments (and maybe a bit of laziness thrown in). Most of the songs here have been somewhat transformed from the time they were initially brought to the band. Vocally, Sphere recalls the vocal style of earlier albums in that there are no uneffected vocals. The tape delay has been dusted off once again. While Sphere presents some new directions, there are many sounds that are vintage and comfortably recognizable. "Solstice" is from the Fade In/Fade Out sessions, and "Where the Leaves..." is a re-recording of a song from the Windy & Carl/Landing split CD.