Gaia Theory, put forward by environmentalist James Lovelock in the 1970s, regards Earth as a self-regulating, breathing organism. On this aptly named album, composer Henning Fuchs laments our role in the planet’s destruction with a poignant album charting its birth and evolution. The result is a stark reminder of what we stand to lose. The vivid soundscape of “Gaia Rises” describes the dawn of time, before Fuchs tells Earth’s story (“Time Drops”, “Protozoa”) with music of often breathtaking melancholy. Through his use of Western and Eastern instruments, he concocts an intoxicating, cinematic musical fusion. “Thrive” marks our arrival on Earth, before the prayer-like “Miracle of Life” and the ritualistic repetitions of “The Tribe”. If “Home” feels like a warm embrace, its final moments are a powerful warning, as sounds of nature abruptly fade to black.