Sequestered Keep "Sorcerous Steel" (2022)

 

 

Its been five years since The Vale Of Ruined Towers, a Dungeon Synth adjacent release that I remember fondly for its its lush medieval fantasy direction, one similar to Fief. Sorcerous Steel has little in the way of surprise, having now unearthed these fruits from the niche scenes of bandcamp. Without a lick of darkness, the record peruses through the pleasantries of natures charms. Its got melodies to fill the meadows of a warm summers day, set a few hundred years back of course. Splendor gushes forth as each song gently drifts along rivers of cleansed historical imagination.

The five years of its creation don't amount to anything remarkable. Its arsenal of virtual instruments, pan flutes, trumpets, plucked harps and tambourine led percussion are brought forth crisp and clear. They harness the sweetest, most welcoming of melodies. The record is a constant wash of jovial notation and serine warmth forged from a fictional nostalgia of Medieval days that sweeps hardships out of sight.

These songs consistently dance in their own moment. Gradual progressions and structures emerge but the very nature of these joyous, spirited melodies keeps one locked in the present moment. Conjuring similar tones of bright monarchistic wonder, the riches of the day, the albums own progression too is just a series of moments. Each song fades out in a similar state to where it started and thus the whole project feels like background music for a setting, perhaps in a video game. This might sound negative but sometimes its exactly what you want. This is music for the background, something too sooth you with its purposely romanticized nostalgia.

Rating: 5/10

Stellardrone "Between The Rings" (2017)

 

I was somewhat surprised to see I had not written about Stellardrone before. Then again, all their music was released before I started this blog. The exception being this EP which had passed me by, so the opportunity to delve into this unique space was a welcome one. As a self described amateur composer, Edgaras has a distinct emotive sound, competently channeled into a stunning, inspiring experience.

 Its cosmos theme hinted at in title and album art sets a president that's hard not to absorb. Thinking of whats beyond the stars in the great mystery of the universe comes naturally, unless the suggestion aligns perception? These are slow brooding songs that ride the waves and crash into the beaches with big emotional surges once the momentum has built. A mix of soft adorning strings and synths breath in and out as swirling arpeggio melodies pluck away with a computer characteristic to them.

The percussive grooves are held back, lurking in the shadows and slowly fading in to focus, then complimenting the big surges of emotion that arises. Its fine instrumental ambient but on this occasion feels rather bold and ambitious as its humble beginnings become inescapable, the curious endless inspiration of space and time takes over.

Its probably the absence of Stellardrone in rotation that made these five tracks so potent. It was a welcome experience to get back into this sound again. Between them the variety isn't massive, the formula describe plays out with a few aesthetic and compositional differences but its mostly about the meditative mood that can be achieved with their music. And yes, it turns out I had written about this artist before! Seems I made a spelling mistake with the name "Stelladrone", what a derp!

Rating: 6/10

Dark Sky "Othona" (2017)

 

My resistance to the algorithm was foolish! Once again I've been served up a fantastic electronic artist delving into the Ambient, Ethereal, Downtempo vibes that I just adore! Othona is a soothing record of deceptive simplicity and meditation, a series of soft synth resonances exploring unraveling energies. Gently gathering its gusto, these surges of groove and melody flourish out of the soothing states, morphing into animated flashes of color, sometimes in passive friction with its slight dissonance.

These tones and aesthetics achieved through configuration of saw waves and synth osculations, seem to always carry a slight unease. Its as if something is always marginally out of tune yet also fostered by the other instruments, at a distance. The vision and inspiration at play is clear and thus births a sweet magic from this careful curation of the subtle dissonance. Its brilliantly handled, steered to a warm place.

Othona's array of buzzing synths aren't the soul focus! Across this record, the pace holding percussion often morphs into classic House and Dance beats with deep pumping bass and tight shuffling grooves. Its always a gentle process, as much of the music incrementally grows through the motions, so do the percussive lines. It allows these songs to be in a consistent state of evolution, moving us from calming serine meditative soundscapes into easy crooning Downtempo drives of flow.

I'm impressed at how this record comes together. Song after song holds my attention with a soothing nature. I could drawn attention to some similarities in style with other artists but I really think Dark Sky holds their own for the most part. Just one song, Angels, could hold a candle to Brian Eno's legendary An Ending (Ascent), as quite the comparable vibes emanate. This one is worth checking out if you're even mildly curious from my words. The mood it educes is worth it alone. Great Stuff!

Rating: 7/10

Rachel Chinouriri "Fourº In Winter" (2021)

With calming, softly sung wordings and crafty subdued instrumentals, singer Rachel Chinouriri steers R&B to the shadows with gentle Ethereal vibes to forge a unique sound. These eight tracks fit snugly together as they ebb and flow through the cloudy ambiguity of dreamy sound manipulation and tight traditional arrangements driven by sharp percussive grooves. Throughout it all she remains present as both the focal point and as an embellishment of textural layering, the music being interwoven with vocal manipulations. It gives the music a warm and curious tone where shadows, darkness and limbo, the usual arsenal of words in my vocabulary for description. They just doesn't feel quite fitting for the direction she drifts towards.

At twenty three minutes its an indulgence that never falters, crooning through these timeless spaces where melodies have devolved into brief surges of ambiguous sound. Its an amorphous experience. Give Me A Reason kicks us off straight into its curious mood as the slow tempo and pallet of odd sounds work there easy wonder. The ending however sours, a collaboration injecting a plain talking male voice with a verse structure to switch the vibe up, a contrast that didn't offer much in my opinion.

All between is a wonderful ride. Instrumentally its vaguely reminiscent of Jan Amit, possibly some Post-Rock artists where sparse acoustic guitars and airy synths take over. Vocally its Billie Eilish but more so because of her soft and breathy, intimate performances. In borders ASMR on occasions, which more often that not, doesn't rub me the right way. In this instance it works so well with the dreamy atmosphere, most of the time... In one or two moments she goes a bit far with it. Otherwise I really enjoyed this gem, very unique, occupying an interesting space between genres.

Rating: 6/10

Lena Raine "Oneknowing" (2019)

 

Having only gotten to know her music through the Minecraft & Celeste soundtracks, Ive set out to hear Lena Raine's voice through her own lens on this debut album release after the remarkable music of Celeste. Its a high bar of comparison but as a solo artists expressing her own vision, Oneknowing is a comparatively ephemeral experience. Distorting time with its dreamy pace, the soft Ethereal tone has much of the gentle music drifting through lofty ambiences of thick, lush, airy synths. Its the framework for a small variety of ideas in rotation that make up the track listing.

The excitement croons when Lena brings in her remarkable percussive grooves. They rock and rattle with subdued momentum on the back of rather harsh and sharp drum and glitched sounds. The mix is magical and births many of my favorite moments as one is snapped out of the inertia and into the power of her beats. A subtle alternative element at play is the inclusion of strings, in more classical leaning tones which tend to build up with a Post-Rock like growth. A stead swelling which ends up at unexpected intensities in comparison to the songs humble beginnings.

The third of three elements that caught my ear is her voice, something I'm not sure she used on Celeste. I've got to be blunt and say it caught me off guard. She sings with a quite timid and fray tenderness, hinging on either a foreign language or vocal inflections that make he presence wordless and rather shy emotionally. Its an odd performance, possibly all to flat in tone and power as she meagerly drifts into a songs with lots of reverb and effects to carry it through. I like the end result but get a feeling she might be making up for lost ground in some capacity.

Blown away by her other contributions, this solo experience has a mix of that exceptionalism and a more typical Ambient experience which mirrors many sounds Ive heard in recent years. When her music breaks the mold of that softness, like on Insomnia and Momodani, it feels very unique. Along with that I get the distinct feeling the music is packaged through the lens of a story, as if shifting from scene to scene in a computer game. Oneknowing is a strong album but time will tell just how much.

Rating: 7/10

Devin Townsend "The Puzzle" (2021)

 

Having heard the story of The Puzzle unfold through The Devin Townsend Podcast, this album is an expected disappointment. That's not to say the music here isn't to be enjoyed but It seems the activity at play hasn't produced anything special other than a meandering ambient detour. It groans and croaks with oddities between its often smoothed out exterior. It felt like this would be the case. Hit by last years lock-down woes, Devin set out to collaborate with his colleagues online, given the situation.

Stumbling into his own musical puzzle, Dev found himself intrigued by the task of assembling together all the pieces his fellow musicians sent him. As suspected, the curiosity of such an interesting and difficult task mostly remains with him alone. For this listener, the outlines of each piece are blurry and its final composition seems more like wedged pieces lining up to be stretched and twisted into shape than a picture.

The Ambient framework is a crutch that has an array of bold musical ideas punching through its pale tranquility. From whirls of machinery electronics, to guttural shouts and spoken word. Pan flute adventures, whispering vocals and choirs in unison. Dramatic pianos, animated drum fills and frenetic Saxophone leads. These wild variety of contributions never quite escape themselves, however which such a deep web of sounds, its hard to know where his contemporaries parts start and end.

With that though comes a fair helping of obvious offerings that get wedged in, feeling indifferent and out of step with the vibe and pace, mostly because it meanders and uses foggy washes of sound to transition and move in any direction. It all just feels a little meaningless and where Dev leans on his traditional stylings, they too emerge from the haze rather than setting structure and form which would off aided this greatly. As said, this was a expected disappointment. A difficult task for any musician. I didn't expect much other than a couple of curious listens and that is all I got.

Rating: 4/10

Devin Townsend "Snuggles" (2021)

Having followed along with the Devin Townsend Podcasts during the pandemic, the unfolding story of this particular record has loosened in my mind after several release delays. I remember its counterpart, The Puzzle, as a project revolving around distant creative collaborations in which Devin has to figure out how the pieces fit together. This additional, shorter companion piece, locks in thirty eight minutes of ambient indulgences which feel like a refractive lens cast over the last twelve years.

It starts with a shift in tone that began with The Devin Townsend Project. The various inflections of ambience and a gentler still side of his craft emerging, this endowed some of those albums with soft flushes and swells of a calmer, serine energy. Much of that is explored here again as echos of acoustic guitars, pan flutes and electronic leads are engulfed in a wash of dense reverberations that play to his thick wall of sound production style. Even in such a mellow, soothing setting does Devin conjure a dense mist of cloudy ambiguous sound for us, the listeners, to fall into. Its a welcoming wash of warm colors and dazzling sparkles, continuously moving without intent. A gushing of easy tonality with no hint of anything remotely negative. 

It serves mostly as a background experience with all its moments seemingly falling in and out of each other, structure and direction left a miss. Its purpose too feels somewhat vague too as its aesthetic crown seems more like a veil of sound design than song writing with a point. As a result the whole thing drifts by like a care-free dream. A pleasant experience but one thats a little shapeless and without a proper focus on closer inspection. The one recurring theme I picked up on were the words "Its thee ocean" which seem to drift in and out of consciousness on occasion as Snuggles drones its way through its definitely snugly and fuzzy atmosphere.

Rating: 5/10

Izioq "Kyokan" (2021)

 

Three years on from Hey Listen! The return of Izioq comes with a big shift in style as this supposed game soundtrack ushers in moody atmospheres and a restful pace in the wake of its often upbeat, energetic and wondrous childlike playfulness. I say supposed because I can find no information on what game this is for, however it might simply be a creative exercise in writing music to compliment a particular vision.

  Having played the short twenty minute record often while playing Minecraft, I've found its composition to be minimally apt for conjuring a setting. Each track finds its flavor with the bare bones of instruments and percussion required, often leaning into the power of the space between sounds. Tonally they can be quite different acoustic guitar tones offering a contrast to the synth keys and snappy drums heard.

The album art suits its emotional resonance. A setting sun, the end of a day, finality, conclusion. Kyokan feels lightly sombre and melancholy. With no fear, dread or darkness, the music still comes from a place of warmth and safety but its odd poise suggests a sadness that sometimes visits at the end of something beautiful, hence a setting sun, bringing to end a day filled with joyous memories.

Rating: 5/10

Lena Raine & Kumi Tanioka "Minecraft: Caves & Cliffs (Original Game Soundtrack)" (2021)

 

Following in the footsteps of C418's iconic Minecraft Soundtrack could of well been a daunting task. It doesn't seem to be so for Lena Raine, who has assumed the role of lead composer with no hiccups or birthing pains. Her contributions so far have been both apt and inspiring. The folks at Mojang have made the smart decision to stick with the powers of soft ambiguity and melodic resonance that powered the original music. Lena however brings a different flavor that suits the games spirit yet deters from its electronic origins a little. This new collection of songs stands tall alongside the originals, adding a new and welcomed variety to Minecraft's stellar atmosphere.

With four of her contributions, the influence of great ambient composers is a clear one. The luscious reverberations of minimal yet spellbinding pianos has an immediate parallel to Brian Eno & Harold Budd's memorizing The Plateaux Of Mirror. The airy ambience and spacious echos give magic to the enchanting piano performance. With it, however, comes a more adventures spirit! Chirpy key chops and subtle percussive drives on Stand Tall bring a playful charm. Left To Bloom and Wending brood groaning textural tones into the songs, worming from humble beginnings into dense swells of mood. The latter brings in these dreamy slices of bass guitar, crashing down to earth with slabs of notes. Song four, Infinite Amethyst, perhaps comes closest to home.

Left out of the game itself, for now, Ancestry is exciting in its embracing of the darkness. Set for the Deep Dark biome, its pushes into the shadows with deep swells of bass noise and shimmering sounds held only to the light by the echos of a piano that gently pulls the explorer through. Its conclusion is thrilling too as chilling alien voices can be heard, perhaps the voice of the Warden itself? Otherside Is the other track to break the tone. As an in-game record disc, its lively drumming, skipping pace and layered composition somehow holds over a little of that classic ambiguity, as the main upbeat melody and lead instruments feel sent from anothers quirky dream.

Sadly, Kumi Tanioka's three contributions feel underwhelming in comparison. If intentionally sparser songs to pace the games soundtrack, then so be it. To me, they mostly play like stripped down versions of the first four mentioned tracks. The sombre piano performance often wanders into lonely territory devoid of magical reverberations. Its swells of atmospheric pads below don't have the same intensity to blossom the music. They do however sound lush and moving in the peaks which make up a small portion of each song. These compositions just lack that little sparkle of oddity that made C418 and Lena's contributions resonate so wonderfully.

All in all, these songs only add to the game and with this soundtrack released approaching the final part of the update, I am hopeful that maybe each future update will come with some complimenting soundtrack to enrich the experience. The rest of the game has evolved over the years, so why not its music too?

Rating: 7/10

Humanoid "Remembering Universe" (2008)

Reaching out from years gone by, my music archive now has many callings, records that carve their own niche and frequent the mind of this explorer. How I found Remembering Universe is a mystery to me now but I fondly remember the fascination with its cold and sombre astral temperament. As a Metal adjacent project, this acoustic guitar performance and its reverb soaked atmospheres glide from grace into tangles of abrasive complexity not far from metallic onslaught. With flourishes of cosmic sound design wedged in between its blooms of warm color feel chained to the shivering tone of its steel acoustic strings. Despite the name, it feels all so impersonal and inhuman, like an alien observation of wonders found through the universe.

The music is an indulgence of stringed instrumentation. With the textured bends and moody slides of a fretless base guitar accompanying this twelve string acoustic and "synth guitar", the Canadian musician operating under the name Humanoid pulls a warm range of texture and style from a small collection of instruments. Its style and atmospheric execution always felt so distinct to me yet with analytic ears I now hear similarities to the dexterous fretwork of Animals As Leaders & Gru. However this predates both of those, suggesting deeper origins in the Progressive Metal scene.

That is, however, just a footnote on this meandering journey of exotic, Jazzy instrumentation exploring ambiguous melody and distant moods through sways between simplicity and complexity. Its musical arrangements wander aimlessly, perusing its own passing by. Its most structured songs arrive in the four part Passages. It brings onboard distortion guitars for texture and an artsy, expressive drumming performance, devoid of simple beats to rock with, they groan and moan with surges of energy and moments of quite that lull between.

All in all, Remembering Universe is a very distinct project that's hard to put a finger on. Similar to some yet oddly alien, cosmic and cold. Although I have never been too overwhelmed by its company, the inhuman beauty and flushes of atmospheric winds have always called back to me. Its spell is calming and clambers into the background when one is preoccupied. The flow is sporadic, unstructured and its best moments are sprinkled throughout, however they have always warmed me.

Rating: 8/10

Old Tower "The Old King Of Witches" (2021)

 

Embarking with a renewed spirit and refined aesthetics, The Old King Of Witches is both familiar and surprising. Having established a niche within the confines of Dungeon Synth, this ten track release of three to five minute spells has Old Tower side stepping their current conventions mastered on The Last Eidolon. Now we have what feels like the background ambience to a Horror movie, an impression marked by its ghastly jump scare conclusion on the opening track Wych Totem. At its conclusion a harrowing, tormented scream lunges out of the dark as the song then fades to black.

The following Night's Spell gifts us an astral respite, a contemplative soundscape not adrift from the likes of Steve Roach. From here, the plunge begins as ambiguous atmospheric ambiences and mischievous eerie sound design conspire. Brief reprisals of that astral charm can be heard infrequently but otherwise is lost between its dark, lonely voyages through shadowy caverns and hallowed grounds. It takes on a burdensome delusional experience, as flourishes of unsettled synth drones briefly add disorientation with a psychedelic quality, akin to a tiresome paranoid mental trip. Although the horrors of the opening track are never quite as vivid again, this spooky journey does end with a warmer note as closing track, Temple Of The Blue Sun, brings about a little of that cosmic charm again with its final passing cry.

Reflecting on Old Tower's previous sound design, the difference here is staggering. The temperament of its esoteric suggestions and the brooding ambiences of emotional unease are ripe for the imagination to run wild. The balance is charming and satisfying, feeling complete as a collection of songs. I'd also bring praise to the album art too. Corpse paint is a tired tradition but paired with the creepy skeletal fingers and candid nature of the photo, its suggestion of stumbling across a beast in a cave is fantastic and really ties up what this record is about. You can picture that cursed creature lurking around for eight of these ten songs. The Old King Of Witches is a very well inspired and executed concept.

Rating: 7/10

C418 "Cookie Clicker" (2021)

 

A return to always be welcome with open arms is that of C418! Creator of wonders such as 148 and the timeless Minecraft soundtracks, excitement always blooms with news of fresh music. Three years on from Excursions, Daniel gives us a short twenty two minute release most alike that of his signature Minecraft sound. These new songs compliment that niche well, as I have learned, binging Cookie Clicker on repeat while residing within the blocky virtual realm. Its five songs connect like a single thread, carrying its main musical theme and melody from start to end.

It's a typically dreamy, whirling affair of progressive arpeggios bustling on with the ebb and flow of surging synths that rise and fall to briefly fly alongside it. Initially percussion is bare bones, building intensity and design with its steady pace as the music moves through several sudden shifts, eventually finding a burst of light for its crescendo. The mood is one of ethereal beauty, lost in a passing day dream.

With Grandmapocalypse that all changes as deep baselines and brooding waveform synths muster a little night life Synthwave flavor to lure us into a lean and dark corridor for the charming main melody to navigate. Danger lurks but one is always safe. Ascend then deforms much of the music into clusters of ambience and soundscape design, passing by before Click Forever brings back the arpeggio for one last swing.

The freshness of this music is exciting but ultimately it is one main musical theme fleshed out and thoroughly explored in its twenty minutes. On an album it could be but one single track. With more repetition I wouldn't be surprised if its magic dulled a little but thoughts aside its just nice to hear this musician again! His sound is still his own.

Rating: 5/10

Secret Stairways "Drifting..." (1995)

 

If you've followed this blog for Dungeon Synth and Fantasy music, then today you are in for a treat. The micro-genre's resurgence over the last decade seems to routinely unearth forgotten artists, demo tapes and prototypical material from time gone by. Secret Stairways, a name so fitting for this genre, is one mans symphonic vision. Sadly now diseased, Mathew Davis's work has been shared with the world again, finding a new audience over twenty five years since its creation.

Mathew certainly leans more in the Fantasy direction with a dreamy direction and melodic gleam. His keyboard work here is stunning yet amateurishly produced to suck the cheese out of Korg and Yamaha tones, embellishing them in soft reverbs to create a classy, magical yet fidelity lacking sound that is utterly charming. With no percussion or base in sight, the music is mostly a stream of string arrangements, yearning with beauty and natural wonder, fit for the scenic beauty of secluded forest covered mountains, blossoming with life fed from gushing rivers on a summers eve.

 Each song brings a different temperament with an icy chill breezing in on its closing track to see these scenic moments off into the night. Before it, Dream Of Lorien is a standout, deploying an illusive, mysterious melody on repeat. Shimmering instruments pass by in the dreamy haze of its backdrop. The atmosphere is wonderful, a brief peering into a wonderful imagination with a soft touch of darkness.

As a five track demo it leave one with an appetite for whats next and curiosity for what inspired these musicians at a time of great disconnect, in comparison to the Internet age. Although not strictly Dungeon Synth as it leans in a different direction, this piece of music predates even Depressive Silence. The roots of this music seem to deepen and enrich as time passes and more discoveries are made!

Rating: 6/10

Devin Townsend "Ghost" (2011)

Is it possible to completely forget a record? Of course, butt one you have great adoration for... Well that was me a while back as the lengthy, wandering Texada song comes on shuffle and an eerie feeling washes over. Prompted to give Ghost a proper spin again, it occurred to me its been a criminal amount of time since it last cross my mind. How many years had it been? I felt as if I was looking in a mirror and slowly recognizing my own reflection. The experience was a revelation of locked away memories, the key turn clicking as each track brings a flood of familiarity and feelings. This album was once my therapy, a force of calm to visit in times of need and yet somehow it had drifted away from me, despite all of its beauty and charm.

To me, Ghost feels like a further exploration of the magic Ki offered two years back. Stripping out the metallic grooves and sailing into the lofty indulgence of his deeply reverberated guitar tones, the inclusion of soft airy synths, dreamy electronic ambiences and the dynamic woodwinds of Kat Epple, illuminates a wholesome spirit most these songs embody. The opening is strong, Devin unloads his passionate pleas, gushing emotion forth in the wake of serine atmospheres and rapturous melodies plucked from his bright acoustic guitar. Its fine song writing, wandering in and out of soothing ambiences with himself and Katrina Natale swelling in the rises of voice and melody that form structures within the flowing river of sound.

The web of instrumentation is stunning, dense yet inviting, one can get lost of the layers of soft sound that breeze by. Dave Young's key work with the synths add an endless sparkle of cosmic curiosity with the psychedelic electronic tones he interweaves. The percussion from Mike St-Jean is timely and measured, complimenting the wondrous direction the music steers in. Retreating in its lulls and subtly rising in the surges of song writing, its a performance that understands exactly what the record needs, a textural performance of craft and softness.

Sadly, I feel as if the record falters in its length. At seventy minutes its initial pattern meandering between swooning atmospheres and bursts of life gets weight down at the mid point. Its with monsoon that the tone pivots to the exploratory. With a brief pull back to the spirited rise of traditional song on Texada, and again with a bit of a miss on Seams, the latter half falls victim to its calm as much of the genius in the first half leaves its lengthy final cuts with less to offer, hiding in the shadow of greatness.

Healing is the word I'm left with to describe this record mood. Its a therapeutic experience and a curious one to rediscover again. Its as if it never left but now with the tentative ears of an enthused listener, keen to analyze my own experience, I realize that genius is rare and can be exhausted. I have immense adoration for Devin and his unique sense of inspired identity that comes with his music but he is human after all. It feels like this record was left to fizzle out after hitting the mark aptly with its string of opening songs. Either way I am glad to of found this treasure again.

Rating: 8/10

Emerald Web "Dragon Wings And Wizard Tales" (1979)

 

In recent years my Dungeon Synth curiosity has led me down interesting avenues. Fantasy music, Folksy Ambient works and the Psychedelic inspired early Electronic sound of the 70s. They all seem to have an intersection with this curious record that has outdated much of what Ive discovered, unraveling more of the unending map of musical influences. Id never heard of the Husband and Wife duo Emerald Web before, until hearing them appraised by Devin Townsend on a recent podcast. Described as New Age music, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The promise of flute led songs had old prejudices suspecting I wouldn't enjoy this but for many of my recent discoveries, the likes of a Jim Kirkwood, this dimension has been opened up for me to explore!

What I have discovered here shares much of the mystique for natural beauty and nature I have come to adore in music. It emanates from an inner warmth and inspiration, carried on a care free breeze one can relax deeply to as its Flute is played with a force of personality by Kat Epple, who lends her soft voice too. The woodwind instrument is graceful and timely, drifting in like a leaf caught in the breeze, she swirls and swings through lively iterations between swooning on the soft cloudy texture of its notes, gracefully cruising by with a captivating gleam that I just adore!

Dragon Wings And Wizard Tales moves through many compositions, focusing on melodies from gentle acoustic guitars to creating scenic visions with innovative synths and a little soundscape work between with the blowing of dusty winds. It meanders beautifully, straying subtly into moments of wondrous experimentation that feels ripe of the heels of Progressive Rock. One of its best songs, Chasing The Shadowbeast, a nine minute epic, captures much of what the record offers through its expansive tale that swells with energy and Post-Punk baselines in the end. It gets there through a warm and steady build up resonating on some strong King Crimson vibes.

Leading up to that climactic moment, each of its songs feel like little flowers of inspiration, blossoming in their exposure. Flight Of The Raven captures a little esoteric melody and animated electronics in its conclusion to give a sense of seismic event. Twilight gets scenic with the chirping of birds with its dusky, spooky synths whirling like winds. It all comes together on Firenight as the driving force of its Psychedelic electronic bass line carries the aforementioned ideas on a journey to a full formed entity. The darker side of there sound reminding me of Erang in moments.

Lifeforce Celebration is another standout track as its choppy percussion fading in and out of focus echos of ideas all to common now in music but here a true force of originality. Its so intriguing to put these ideas in the context of the year they were released. Best of all, the music is endearing and has been a constant delight. At only thirty six minutes, its been on repeat a lot these last few weeks!

Rating: 8/10

Burzum "Thulêan Mysteries" (2020)

 A year late to the party, this supposed final album from a musician of genius, wrapped in controversy, encompasses ninety minutes of estranged, spiritual and Nordic inspired ambient music. Labelled as a compilation, I initially passed it up. In fact its a compiled collection of original works from the six years since The Ways Of Yore. In the post-prison era of his career, Varg's ambient leaning creations had not sparkled with the magic of a Tomhet or Hliðskjálf. I wasn't expecting much but found myself pleasantly surprised to hear the peculiar sound that captivated much of my youth emerging again. Alongside a couple of reworked melodies from classic songs, much of this loosely arranged music dives into that special, lonely and timeless place.

With some solemnly spoken word and slightly sung sections, Varg brings a little Norse culture to a handful of songs that break up the flow with a tone rooted in heritage and mythology more so than the mystic. All his songs share the minimalist approach, a handful of simple melodies, steady in pace and calming in their presence. Repetitive and droning, many of these songs need little complexity to hold ones attention. Textural experiments with raveling distortions and whirling psychedelic synths droning on a handful of the longer tracks show he still has the knack for that deeply mysterious and nature inspired sound of a lonely darkness. Both chilling and soothing in its unforgiving starkness and archaic presence.

A Forgotten Realm stands out as a unifying track to bring all thees concepts together. Lumped in the midpoint its arrival is like all the others, without intention. The albums flow is unstructured yet enhanced through repetition as familiarity sets in. The lack of direction tends to aid the already lonesome and wandering mood these songs conjure. With many short one to two minute cuts in the first half there is an impression of ideas left unfinished. In the second stint where longer pieces reside, a notable shift to the denser tone fleshed with experimental reverbs and droning instruments takes place. In this stretch the music enters an entrancing meditative magic I simply adore.

I barely knew what to expect going into this record. His previous ambient works had been a disappointment. Given the nature of its release it strikes me as music inspired and composed without future thoughts to release it, despite that eventually happening. Given its lack of structure or focus the sound feels more lending to a mood than experience. It will be one to put on from time to time in search of that curiously esoteric yet relaxing sound linked to a Norse Mythology that only this guy can capture.

Rating: 7/10

Loathe "The Things They Believe" (2021)

 

The ambition and tenacity of last years I Let It In And Took Everything had me expectant of a return with refinement. Between its angular slabs of angered Djent guitar noise and counteracting melodic tinges of light and color, crept in elements of ambient and soundscape I would not of expected to become a sole focus. Released as the bands third full length effort, with the same distinctive album art, The Things They Believe is an artsy experiment in ambience, noise and texture alike. Perhaps some of which might have snuck in between the durations of metallic aggression they are known for. Instead, without warning, its a full record of this type of music, a bold move for a band building an audience within the Metal scene.

For me, I already adore these sorts of estranged tonal experiments. They lightly distort, sway and pitch shake its lofty rises of airy synths, mixed in with ambiguous sounds and instruments like the Saxaphone which appears on occasion. Everything is dreamy and distant, like fuzzy memories. Without sun or warmth they cultivate a sense of calm with a harmless mystique. Its all temporal, no percussion, just sways and swells of sound that evolve at their own pace. Even melodies feel without form where they arise. A couple brushes with darkness occur, the dreary unease of Don't Get Hurt has a slight anxiety to its hazy persuasion and Black Marble's brooding fuzzed synths build a thematic scene of lurking evil.

Beyond these musing, its really hard to describe the particulars of what makes ambience like this work. Its fundamentals are obvious, yet the music has a power and persuasion these experiments can often fall short on. The whole thirty five minutes passes without a drag but yet no big culminating moments. Its all decent and does not feel as if its metallic elements where stripped out but they could of been created with that in mind. Either way I have enjoy this very much. Not what I thought I was getting for my money but luckily I am a fan of musical ambiguity and day dream vibes!

Rating: 6/10

Old Sorcery "An Inkling Of Void" (2020)

 

As the second of two, one track EPs between the albums, An Inkling Of Void immediately identifies itself as soft, reverberated, smooth oscillating synths play out minimalist melodies of eerie calm. Its the melodies of limbo, caught between sadness and rest, glimmering in the moonlight. Although its design is gorgeous and the aesthetic timely, its all to reminiscent of Burzum's twenty five minute epic, the first to my ears to establish this niche. That shadow looms as the spell cast is not as potent, however the song grows into its own as spacious bass saw murmurings usher in yawning starlight synths to steer the opening portion of melody to a scenic route.

Its then, that richer arrays of synths arrive to create a curious atmosphere. Its faintly reminiscent of Steve Roach but with an uneasy underbelly typical of Dungeon Synth. In this stretch, the meditative mood takes over and time drifts slowly by. Past the midpoint a brief heavenly uplift is teased when new tones shift the temperament but it plateaus and we return to the normality again. Eventually the music steers back around to the opening melodies, embellished by all that came between. This plodding ending feels conclusive and satisfying as it fades. I was Initially put off by the opening construct, it took all but a few spins for any preconceived notions to be shattered. Inkling has got a soft, sweet, secluded magic of inanimate shadows and starlight glow. A fair treasure to behold if you value this ambient temperament and sequestered mood.

Rating: 5/10

Anna Von Hausswolff "All Thoughts Fly" (2020)

 

Her previous ambition, Dead Magic, was a riveting record upon discovery. Since then its been a frequent return, always delivering its beautiful sorrow and engulfing esoteric spookiness. I brought All Thoughts Fly in the blink of an eye, not knowing it was not a typical release. Devoid of her captivating voice, the record is an instrumental piece, recorded entirely on a pipe organ. The initial disappointment soured my first few listens as I yearned for the music to give way to other elements. Having now grown accustom to its dimension, I hear the foundational building blocks of her "normal" music being deeply explored in the various moody temperaments this record offers.

Three to four of these seven songs explore a cold, glum macabreness. Funeral sadness and crushing sorrow permeates the room in the rich bellowing fog of a dense, burdensome organ tone. Its dark, lonely and tearful in its most penetrating moments. Sacro Bosco acts a bridge between halves. Initially mysterious, Anna uses stereo panned low notes over ambiguous fuzzy noise to build the song into a magical realm. Its quite impressive how this was done with just the pipe organ, however one can imagine reverberations, loop pedals and other processing tools may have come into play to forge such a layered and dense sound the music wanders into often.

This magical, esoteric side is better explored in the opening number. Whirling sounds of sparkles flutter by prodding instruments, bursts of notation climbing from rumbling lows to spectral highs in a cyclical nature. Its ambiguous and entrancing, yet its later spells, including the lengthy title track, tend to lull into a drone as its swirling, looping nature becomes jaded in its own shadow. It may move through phases but the unrelenting spiral of notes ends up becoming a heavy wash of background radiation.

There is an impressive quality to this record with knowledge of how all the mysterious, atmospheric and ambiguous sounds that emanate, came from a lone instrument. It sparks my curiosity. How many layers and plugins where used for each song? The depressive church organ songs clearly used less yet in some of the musics build ups there is a lot going on to digest. All Thoughts Fly possess some spellbinding compositions yet in its duration frequently becomes dull and droning in its final stretch. One can clearly hear the foundations of her unique music, the scope of which is greatly elevated by her voice and accompanying instruments. There is of course no reason not to pursue an ambition like this, however it didn't feel like it could yield anything being the normative scope.

Rating: 6/10

Ulver "Flowers Of Evil" (2020)

 

Thinking back on The Assassination Of Julius Caesar, this latest installment from Norwegian musician Ulver has failed to feel as remarkable and that is probably down to its carbon copy nature. There isn't an inch or a mile of difference between the two records temperaments and so the warm, inviting music of this intellectual artsy rock fused with soft synth and percussive electronic elements, finds itself with the edge dulled for this listener. It is however, much like before, a riveting yet safe experience of melodic crooning, noninvasive music that sways with own particular swoon.

Once again Rygg's voice shines like a beacon. Smooth and powerful he lights up the songs with classy melodies to compliment the drive of blinking electronic instruments that weave together airy piano chords, warm droning baselines and spontaneously adventurous percussion. Together they forge an Ethereal edge to the aesthetic when the vocals are striped back and instruments reverberate with a calming, indulgent intention. Swaying from these states and brief moments of percussive rigidity strip back the curtain of their design, a positive moment many of the songs here possess.

To me it feels like the record sets off in a darker place, the synths tinged with a Synthwave tone illuminate a subtle nightlife vibe. Lyrics carry an anxiety, dystopian topics unravel as Rygg packages his lyrics with a poetic ambiguity. As the music progresses to warmer shores the wording becomes more direct and less of his catchy wordings arise. That however is just my take on an area I tend to gloss over more in music. Ultimately its another eight fantastic songs to fit this current stylistic stride but with a less remarkable impact given how little of the music here offers up something new in the shadow of its predecessor. Good but not quite great.

Rating: 7/10