The Glåsbird project began as an anonymous detour from Harry Towell's previous production work under his own name and as Spheruleus. It embraced Modern Classical composition techniques whilst also exploring the world, through the comfort of his living room. Harry is a lifelong geography enthusiast and on accepting that he will never be likely to experience the remotest corners of the world, he created the 8 album ‘A Sonic Expedition’ series.

Through hours of research including Google Earth explorations, documentary films, YouTube videos, vintage maps and archive footage, each album centered around a particular part of the world as Harry imagined that he'd been commissioned to compose a soundtrack for the chosen location. The series began in the North Pole, descended through Greenland and then over to Svalbard. It continued along the Norwegian fjords, over to Novaya Zemlya and then to Siberia for a double album. The series continued through the Himalayas, right across the Pacific Ocean and the journey concluded at the South Pole, with an exploration of Antarctica. This compilation brings together this series as a compilation, with two curated tracks from each album and ordered in the sequence of the series.

The aim was to evoke an imaginary trip for the listener, through beautiful land and seascapes, so that they might contemplate the enormity of the world around us and how its delicate eco-systems are affected by every change, every action, every inaction.

The music is evocative and adapts according to its environment; the sound for the Greenland album feels vast and perishing, Svalbard feels cold and charming, the fjords glisten with acoustic timbres which reference the colourful wooden cabins that adorn the rugged green landscape and Novaya Zemlya feels harsh and remote, yet both dramatic and sad as the events of 1960s nuclear testing are reflected upon. Siberia feels fittingly enormous, as the largest region on the planet is explored, with more than a hint of a theme around climate change in the longest album of the series. The Himalayas reveal a subtly eastern charm, starting off subdued before the tension builds to a euphoric crescendo, as if to represent the challenges and elation of climbing a mountain. The sound diverges significantly in Pacifica, as exotic rhythms, sun-drenched tape reels and tropical birds tell stories from various islands in the world’s largest ocean. The album concludes with a dramatic and beautiful Modern Classical sound, with its frozen strings, whistling winds and epic choral flourishes.