Carbon Based Lifeforms

Carbon Based Lifeforms is the Ambient production alias of Swedish DJs and producers Daniel Ringström and Johannes Hedberg.  Carbon Based Lifeforms’ sound is a fusion of Ambient soundscapes, Downtempo breakbeats and Trance melodies. 

Early Years: 1998 to present

Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Segerstad have known each other since teenage years and released their first Carbon Based Lifeforms album ‘The Phat #000001 / The Phat #000002’ (MP3.com 1998) on the pioneering online music site MP3.com. 

During this early period they also made a number of demo CDs available on now-defunct file sharing network Audio Galaxy.

Carbon Based Lifeform’s first traditional album released came in 2003 on influential French Ambient and Trance label Ultimae.  The album – ‘Hydroponic Garden’ (Ultimae Records 2003) – combined Trance melodies with Ambient textures and slow breakbeats.   

When creating Carbon Based Lifeform tracks Hedberg usually contributes the melodies while Segerstad focuses more on rhythm parts.
Many Carbon Based Lifeforms tracks reveal a strong environmental ideology, such as the landmark track ‘Photosynthesis’ (Ultimae Records 2006) with its repeating vocal sample ‘What about the forests?' The sample quote is taken from the 1972 environmenatal science fiction movie 'Silent Runne'.

’Carbon Based Lifeform often play the chill out stages at Psy-Trance festivals across Europe. Their most recent album was 'Interloper’ (Ultimae Records 2010).

Though not as experimental nor as diverse as many Ambient artists, Carbon Based Lifeforms have nonetheless built a solid reputation for beautiful, textured melodies that combine the harmonic feel of Trance with the Downtempo sensibilities of Ambient. 

Carbon Based Lifeforms’ Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Segerstad first met when they were 15 years old.