Old Tower "The Rise Of The Specter" (2017)

Our journey through the dark mystical realms of Dungeon Synth continues on and this thirty minute project split into two halves is a peach of a find. Hailing from the Netherlands this Dutch musician has been active in the past couple of years releasing many mini albums comprised of one to two songs usually ten or more minutes in length. Each record comes with its spooky artwork of high contrast, black and white imagery using ambiguity to evoke ancient nostalgia. This one in particular sets an unsettling tone, at first glance one might mistake the hooded figure for a tower next to the brooding castle. On closer inspection the ominous black circle in the sky gives one a sense of night time, as if the image as been inverted and the moon is now black, it sets a spooky atmosphere for the music that awaits.

The darkness of the music is not terrifying, or as mysterious as one might suspect, Old Tower is a uniquely meditative and calming experience as its slow, lethargic approach to melody soaks in its surroundings within a low fidelity, reverberated setting. Bold punchy synth tones loose their cheese in the wake of an aesthetic that's mostly akin to hearing a church organ from within the church itself. The naturalistic echo lets notes bleed into the space of a large hall and when instruments layer up their is an emergence of spiritual sound that becomes difficult to decipher yet heavenly in its presence. It takes on a temporal form so to speak.

The two halves of The Rise Of The Specter have clear progressions which we might normally expect to be split into individual tracks, I believe the split may take homage to tape nostalgia and the turning over of sides. Either way the songs go through obvious shifts and some passages drift from the power when composed with fewer instruments, many listens has worn them a bit thin but the middle phase of the first half is a prime example of the magic at work. Slow scaling synths churn over between distant choral voices and culminate to the menacing rise of a foggy, deep war trumpet, setting an unshakable sense of importance to which a second gleaming synth rises over creating an epic sense of scale.

The records vision is particularly vivid for me, on some occasions I see visions of vast ethereal forest and in overs its cliff side castles battling the walls of fog rolling in from the distance. It is however a truly Dungeon Synth sound and can aid ones imagination in visiting the places associated with it. This particular style however comes with a soothing pace, softness and meditative state perfect for a more relaxing and introspective experience that is rather unique.

Rating: 6/10

Dance With The Dead "Send The Signal" (2014)

Getting back to the Retro Wave goodness we tune in again with the Californian duo for a disappointing successor to the wonderful and vivid Into The Abyss record. Released at the end of the same year its a little longer in length at twenty nine minutes but feels stripped back in comparison. Gone is the enigmatic impact of guitar leads and solos that guide the songs direction. The electronic instruments don't feel as layered or dense in both texture and composition. Its essentially tapping into similar moods with darkly night life moods inspired by horror movies and "things that go bump in the night", without a specific characteristic.

Perhaps its a case of fatigue from two sets of songs that both stick very rigidly to formulas that work, bright and punch synths playing simplistic short melodies on repeat. Phasing synths and drum rolls help build up suspense and alleviate tension as the music raises and lowers the intensity frequently as it explores its melodic direction. Without a standout track and minimal impact from the muted use of guitars I came away from this record wishing that something could of defined it better since its blueprint is essentially the same as before. Disappointing but only in comparison, this style and sound is still fun and enjoyable.

Rating: 4/10

Dance With The Dead "Into The Abyss" (2014)

Californian duo Dance With The Dead are another popular group within the Retro Wave niche that I had encountered a couple years back. I was introduced to the music via the PC game NeuroVoider and its soundtrack composed by Dan Terminus. One of the first observations you may make about their sound is how similar to the Terminus style it is, as if its been cast from the same mold. I'm not trying to make point, I do not know enough about the micro genre to know who the key players and influences are, if nostalgia itself hasn't played a large roll in that. To be fair most of what Ive heard from Retro Wave sticks very firmly to the vibes, aesthetics and theme heard on Into The Abyss, the bands second album which clocks in at twenty four minutes.

With tight pumping EDM kicks, snappy snares making up grooving, thumping dance beats, a warm array of vibrant synthesizers accompanies as the duo repackage eighties Synthpop into a dark and lean nostalgia ride of horror culture and VGM influences that creates this stunning atmosphere fit for neon lit cities in the dark of night. Its ripe with melody and color, the constant roll of thudding dance drums and dexterous melodies chiming over thick unrolling baselines and layered chiming of sharp synths creates a thick, absorbing atmosphere that's hard to resist!

Within the mix are very finely tuned distortion guitars, set to meld into the scenery like another electronic instrument yet having a powerful influence. They help flesh out the monotony of the pitch perfect electronic music and add what feels like the "voice" of this otherwise instrumental affair. With them comes a throw back to eighties Metal vibes, songs like Odyssey and Battle livening up the music with slick guitar leads that sound like they may of been plucked from an Ozzy Osbourne record. They are sleek and tonal licks that guide the music on its path and occasionally swap up the roll with slick keyboard solos. The more rigid notes and pitch modulation gives it away but on the surface they sound almost the same.

Its a short and sweet record, a great introduction to a duo who seem to execute this style in just the right chemistry for my taste! With another four records and b-sides compilation in their back catalog it seems I have no excuse not to work my way through them! I Really enjoyed this one, fast to get to grips with and has a very nice atmosphere fit for particular moods.

Favorite Track: Suede

Rating: 6/10

Dead Can Dance "Spleen And Ideal" (1986)

Freeing themselves of the Post-Punk shackles their Self Titled debut was wrapped within, the Australian duo take a shy stride toward the vivid world they would come to inhabit on Within The Realm. This humble and quaint beginning is an exploration of imagination with a striking sense of nostalgia from cultures lost to the perils of time. Whatever the duos inspiration and vision for their music was, I find myself always overcome by a sense of worldly, earthly epic within the roots of a simpler existence, close to mother nature yet drawn to mystic and esoteric.

Initially the record strikes me as a half way house, a transition of sound but so swiftly do the supposed short comings of this record evaporate as its atmosphere engrosses with its rolling repetition. Drum arrangements and especially the baselines have hang overs from the Post-Punk record beforehand. The base guitar pops and plucks at a steady, unshakable pace on almost every song as if it were backing thick walls of distortion guitar. The drum patterns are somewhat stiff and repetitive, always churning away as if a requirement. Ironically it maybe these droning elements that help conjure the atmosphere as they provide a sturdy hypnotic backbone for the duos voices and spell bounding keyboard melodies.

With higher fidelity production and a richer array of synthesized instruments the spark is ignited. Gerrard's resonating voice memorizes without dense guitars muddying the rapid vibrato texture in her singing. Perry's deep and wholesome words relish in the reverb afforded to him in a more spacious production. It all amounts to a wonderfully relaxing and vivid experience of simpler lives yet beneath it all lurks an undercurrent of something eerie and haunting that never surfaces, always lurking in distant shadows. Despite the sense of mortal coil it remains a rather warm and endearing listen.

Favorite Tracks: Advent, Indoctrination
Rating: 7/10

Gothminister "The Other Side" (2017)

Ive always had a soft spot for this unheard-of Norwegian outfit. Fronted by the distinct face paint baring Bjorn Brem, they would typically tick some of the wrong boxes on paper. Their breed of "festival rock" style Industrial Metal has those big stage tropes. Simple and plain lyrics shape overly dramatic themes for pumping up a crowd with easily sung along hooks packaged into Pop Metal song structures. Despite these observations I find myself getting caught up in their world, the music itself strikes a chord a chord with me, compensating greatly for some supposed shortcomings.

The Other Side is their sixth full length in nearly two decades as a band. 2008's Happiness In Darkness was where I joined them and this new release may overtake it as my favorite. A sense of a big arching theme creeps in through unimaginative lyrics that take a literal, descriptive path to build its sense of personal and communal struggle. "Taking Over" is hard to ignore with its tale of a girl who can communicate with the dead, they question her love for her father who's a killing machine and she is creeping death? The whole thing feels like a hash of dramatics coming together incoherently yet I find myself singing along every time, the delivery infectious and easy to pick up. This example is much of what I have to say for this record, the words don't add up but they drop in with power and infectious that elevates the already booming music.

Opening with "Ich Will Allies" the influence of Rammstein becomes so obvious. The pounding militant snare and German lyrics really hint to influences overlooked by the dominance of Trance and Aggrotech synths as a stylistic marker. Gothminister rock hard with the fast, sharp chugging of power chords on crisp distortion guitars that play alongside bustling EBM synth lines, often dropping out entirely in verse sections to let the dark electronics forge the atmosphere. The tight, snappy drum kit whirls away with thumping, repetitive grooves that drive the songs forward and set the tempo in its slower, calmer passageways. The production is strong, everything pulls together, loud and energetic instruments firing together.

At thirty five minutes its short and sweet, all killer no filler. Each song has its edge and across all ten tracks the Pop Metal song structures always lead to climatic choruses with great vocal hooks or power smashing drums, big moshable riffs and bursts of lively, infectious synths. With its theme rooted is the darker sound of Metal an uplifting undercurrent always broods from the synths, creating a satisfying emotional energy culminating from these big outbursts. It has the measure to wind down in some of its choruses and "Aegir" entirely. It makes for a smooth flowing record that burns through its short songs without a dull moment!

Favorite Songs: Ich Will Allies, We Are The Ones Who Rules The World, All This Time, Taking Over

Rating: 7/10

Erang "Songs Of Scars" (2017)

The unwavering inspiration and output from our beloved French musician Erang strides onwards! After King Of Nothing reunited us with the land of five seasons, Songs Of Scars returns to the mysterious Sci-Fi dystopian realm of Anti-Future. Its presentation, a striking front, sets the tone. The eerie gaunt corpse painted skull featured in much of Erang's artwork stares us face on. The bold red font illicits the danger that lurks, the subtitles set the stage for a soundtrack of freight.

Where Anti-Future stepped into new territory, Songs Of Scars owns it. These deliberate compositions set the perfect tone for your John Carpenter 80s flick. The breeze of suspense, a soft paranoia, the looming of evil and smog of future tech all from the comfort of your sofa. Its a true soundtrack, one that needs no cinema in front of it convey the atmosphere it will soak you in. Each song a master stroke of tone to illuminate the never ending nightfall in which our adventures will play out.

Aesthetics is king and with a touch of minimalism and measure of balance our synthetic instruments, buzz saws, sine waves, bells and strings, swoon in their glossy packaging. With just a few key sounds resonating on one another, the bold, rich textures and gorgeous reverberations dazzle and delight as the songs play simplistic and singular melodies. Chiming notes cast the spell as they play off one another. From gleaming bells of fortune to deep swirling, sweeping synths of despair every song finds its own degree of the chemistry so swiftly established as the record begins to spin, bar the first track.

Despite sections of repetition on reasonable lengths of song, the craft carries the music forward, along with the slow, steady, often bare yet effective snare kick drive. Instead of opting in to key shifts or tempo changes Erang find the opportune moments deliver magic in the form musical unwinding of sensual events with swirly synths dancing without a melody to conjure a vision. This never feels overplayed, in fact the balance across the record feels stunning as these imaginative atmospheres conspicuously lure us through there transitions. From front to back It feels like every opportune moment has been realized yet fed to the listener unknowingly.

Where Anti-Future left me with a lack of event, or teetering for something more, Songs Of Scars fully satisfies. The subtle unfolding of songs in their minimalist exterior fleshes out a journey the atmosphere inspires. There are some favorites that come to mind, on occasions where the drums muster up more energy and the instruments find a colorful melody the tone borders on a form of dark Synthpop. "Street Klowns" takes the cake for its mischievous, quirky sounds, grooving, playful and fitting the mold! It makes a break to the traditional Erang Dungeon Synth sound, linking the ages together. "Metal Magic Madness" also opens this rift between worlds again.

With all this magic at work, I strangely enough find the opening and closing tracks, "1984" and "2084" to be rather underwhelming in comparison to everything else. The intro a bit to energetic and overly synthetic, it doesn't quite address whats to come, equally the outro doesn't unwind as much as I think its sweeping synths intend to. At fifty one minutes the record certainly entertains for its duration and may just be Erang's finest release yet and definitely the best of "The Last Age" records.

Favorite Tracks: Sequenced Suicide, Street Klowns, Home Schooling, Ruins Of The Lost Underground Kingdom

Rating: 9/10

Majeure "Union Of Worlds" (2015)

Another discovery from within the Pittsburgh electronic scene, we have "Majeure", the pseudonym of composer A.E. Paterra who cites Vangelis, Steve Reich and Philip Glass as inspirations. Unfamiliar to me they will be the subjects of my research as once again Ive found another interesting record that dives into a side of electronics I'm very fond of, the Ambient, Minimalist and Sci-Fi oriented soundscapes that could set the tone for a movie, video game or your imagination. "Union Of Worlds" is a record of variety that holds the tone, mood and atmosphere intact as each of its six songs take a different approach with intensity, pallet and tempo.

The record doesn't play through in two halves, but of the six songs you could easily split them. Three tracks have percussive tracks with synthesizer hits, the other three are slow, minimalist ambient soundscapes. The albums opener "Overmind" goes gently through the motions with sweeping synthesizers coming in from the sides and its main melody drones indifferent to its surroundings throughout the track, similar to the style of Tangerine Dream. "Appalachian Winter Blues" is my favorite track by far, the strings sound gorgeous here, eerie, deep, mysterious and foreboding their slow progression creates a sense of danger and wonder that is to be remembered. Its linear and singular, on instrument that has maybe three or four separate instruments coming together to create a density to the sound. A fluttering noise accompanies it, like flocks of birds in the distance.

Of the percussive tracks "Physis" stands out for two reasons, firstly its lead instruments, a buzz saw wave, creates a sense of two tone melody through volume shifts as it continually attacks. Giving it a sense of pace and urgency the synth drums rapidly fire away without a groove. This is a machine like continual pounding that pitch and volume shifts for a sense of variation or change in its continual motion. "Posthuman" implores a slight sense of groove with more open space between each strike but again finds a machine like vibe that doesn't feel Industrial but simply inhuman with a strange Sci-Fi vibe. Its what I adored about this record, how well it tapped into a particular niche. I also loved how momentary these songs were, with very little overall progression, no direction shifts and just continual droning they brought out the essence of their vision effortlessly for me, the listener.

Favorite Tracks: Appalachian Winter Blues, Physis

Rating: 7/10

Oscillotron "Eclipse" (2012)

This record, Oscillotron's debut, is much like its successor, a synthesizer journey through the stars led by astral keys and stark minimalism, letting the waveform textures do the talking. Many of its songs mimic the same experience and feeling of observation, one has a sense of distance from events yet understands its magnitude as the record strolls through the cosmos. Overall its a little unpolished in comparison, fruity loop drum kits stick out to those who know them on "Oracle". The various synths achieve similar vibes but without as strong a chemistry to be truly engrossing like "Cataclysm" is.

These tones and key choices are a little louder, chirpier and focus less on subtlety and more so on the power of the alien melodies. There are moments where this clicks and the atmosphere is creaked further open. Mostly though the synths hammer away through spacey scales with a retro vibe similar to the early days of electronic music where it was more novelty. Its what makes the record different and that works well with a soft percussion track like at the later stage of "Assembly".

Another big similarity is the track "Terror", a slow and brooding song that builds up a menacing atmosphere of... you guessed it, terror! It progresses in a similar way to "Mutation" but doesn't find the same climax, it tends to fizzle out after a flat snare drum comes in. The watery sounds in the intro of "Eclipse" give a sense of confinement, as if in an underground cavern filled with water. The eerie background synth builds a sense of tension and the upfront buzz saws play out like a mischievous monster. Glitchy computer noises arise too and it gives off a confined vibe which was a nice shift from the otherwise distant nature. Its both a similar and different record but musically its aiming in the same direction but not pulling it off with the finesse its successor does.

Favorite Track: Eclipse

Rating: 6/10

Oscillotron "Cataclysm" (2016)

Here's a tip on how to find music you like, stalk people! No, joking aside the way I discovered this record was by reading a review of another record I recently enjoyed. I thought "this person knows what they are talking about" and decided to look at other albums they had talked about. Despite being vastly different I found a string of records from the Pittsburgh electronic scene and this peach from Stockholm Sweden that demanded my attention. David Johansson is the one man band Oscilotron, an electronic artist, who composed and recorded these spectacular 40 minutes in its entirity.

Much like its bleak, pale and near greyscale album cover, the music conveys a timeless sense of scale and atmosphere through somewhat colorless electronic instruments. With dense waveform synths and textural sounds they harmonize without melody, illuminating with a cold, lifeless and spacious vibe capturing the essence of the void. Its not all about the empty vastness, moments of this record perk up into life with adventurous, quirky melodies yearning a sense of exploration, journey and destination. In the track listening between each eventful musical moment there are slower, drawn out atmospheric pieces painting vivid soundscapes of the nebula. Its closing track is rather chilling, a brooding atmosphere of tension and unnerve that winds down with a sense of dimming light, creeping out while staring fate in the eyes.

It neither starts or ends in a "happy place" and for the most part doesn't convey much direct emotion. Listening to this record one will feel like an observer, watching over travelers who eventually meet there doom. Being disconnected from them directly we are treated to a dense and scenic atmosphere that will let your imagination run wild. For the most part a selection of luscious synths drone out their textures with subtle shifts and minimal melodies. These eventually lead to grander moments where the baselines pick up a rhythm, the drums cautiously take command and the synths will evolve into sturdy melodies along with the inclusion of a few other instruments, sometimes pianos, organs or event what sounds like an overdrive guitar in one song.

"Cataclysm" is an impressive record. So precise and focused it is an expression executed with vision. Every inch of sound feels perfected aesthetically and in terms of musical satisfaction it brilliantly drifts in and out of its ambience to strike with engrossing moments of magic. Exceptional record, one I feel will be with me for years to come!

Favorite Songs: Twlight, Mutation

Rating: 9/10

Dan Terminus "Stratospheric Cannon Symphony" (2014)

Although there is another record to devour in Dan Terminus's discography, this will be the last from me for now. Its his second full length and despite a lack of aesthetic difference it has a distinctly more EDM vibe than the previous leanings to the dark side. As much as I have enjoyed these records, there is something that just doesn't click quite like other musicians have done for me. Like on "The Wrath Of Code" its a warm and enjoyable listening experience, yet I walk away each time without an echo or melody stuck in the mind. 

Much like the albums cover, we tread into the lighter regions of dark music with a record that tingles with a cool frosty breeze as warm and inviting melodies play from the thick and chunky waveform electronic instruments which stack up in varying layers. As if on a drifting glacier, we warm ourselves in the sun of an otherwise frozen hell. As mentioned already, these melodies and leads rarely do much to forge a remarkable moment but simply dance around the broad, deep buzz saws and punchy drum kits that form the songs. "No Escape..." breaths some some life into the record with electronically distorted vocals and cleanly sung lines from two guest vocalists. Even then they are sparingly used on what is primarily instrumental music, something that could perhaps hold it back.

So I don't have too much more to say, some records are like this, its enjoyable in its moment but I don't feel anything deeper emanating from it. Perhaps there is too much reliance on the aesthetics of the instruments, which do set a vivid atmosphere, it is not backed by inspired melodies or musical direction. Instead what does occur seems to plod around in a moment moving aimlessly but looking pretty non the less.

Favorite Track: One Million Dead In 2.7 Seconds

Rating: 5/10

Dan Terminus "The Wrath Of Code" (2015)

Browsing through upcoming releases for games on steam I came across NeuroVoider, a fast paced rouge-light top down shooter with a dark, atmospheric and synth heavy soundtrack. My ears immediately perked up and with a little research I found the soundtrack was made by one man band, French musician Dan Terminus. It was this record, "The Wrath Of Code" and if it was composed with the games soundtrack in mind? I am unsure but my impression is that this is another record, his third, in his discography that the developers picked up to use as a soundtrack for the game.

What was initially striking about Dan's music was a lack of predictability. Despite being relatively mild and traditional in composition style for modern music, I found myself mostly at the mercy of uncertainty to the direction it was heading. I found this experience extremely enjoyable and now after many listens I can put my finger on it. The "Dark" side of this music isn't what I'm used to, normally I gravitate to emotionally darker music, where minor, pentatonic and other such scales prevail. In this music we find a playful retro fantasy of dark cyber realms where the atmosphere create visions of movie-like heros adventuring through the electronic landscape.

The music itself is well realized with lush electronic tones oozing retro buzz saws and sine waves with a balance of harsh and softer tones that meld together in a smooth array of reverb. The atmosphere creeps through from behind with quiet ooh and aah choral synths playing in the distance and cueing the biggest moments between the the songs lead instruments. The drums are quite contrasting, with highly compressed, cutting snares and thudding kicks that lack reverb or cushion. They cut through the mix and it ends up serving as a key component in the records chemistry, the contrast in style holds the music in a unique balance.

Another notable distinction is the manipulation of dense snarly synths that roar and moan like demonic monsters, they crop up in some tracks and do wonders the further enforce the fantasy cyber world scenarios these songs conjure. I feel i should also mention this is an instrumental record, something I neglect to do as it feels irrelevant, it wasn't until writing this that it crossed my mind. "The Wrath Of Code" has been a fresh and entertaining listen however with familiarity it has lulled somewhat. It was nice to find something new, but despite being a well rounded record, there is a lack of gems or stand out moments to ascend this release into something great.

Favorite Song: The Chasm

Rating: 6/10