Here are the dark ambient albums that we at This is Darkness have been listening to this month – some are new releases, but a few are older gems we’ve just (re)discovered.
Please check these out by clicking on the Bandcamp link next to each review (or by clicking on the BNDCMPR link at the bottom of the page), and please consider supporting the featured artists. Enjoy!
These Liminal Days – Empty Spaces 2
I’m a big fan of These Liminal Days – and thoroughly enjoyed Empty Spaces 1 (reviewed here on This is Darkness back in July 2021) – so I was thrilled when Pria contacted me to let me know that Empty Spaces 2 was being released. The music here is dark, brooding, and effortlessly combines elements of dark ambient, drone, and electronica to produce an audio experience that is unique and incredibly rewarding. This is definitely one to check out. Stunning!
Harvestman – Triptych: Part Three
The latest release from Harvestman (the psych/folk/ambient project of Neurosis’ Steve Von Till) is the final part of his three-album series titled Triptych, and has been released to coincide with October 17th’s Hunter Moon. The first two albums in the series were both absolutely wonderful – combining elements of dark ambient, drone, folk, and sludge at play – and I’m delighted to say that part three is just as amazing! This album, and the series as a whole, provides a multi-textured listening experience that is well worth your time. Fantastic!
dreamu – nrem
Now this is very cool! An album that blends drone, dark ambient, shoegaze and noise-metal to create an immersive sonic experience. Dreamu (aka Fran Sarró) says the following: “Primarily using reel-to-reel machines and cassettes, his music is recorded with processed electric guitars and pianos, granular synthesis and field recordings” which gives you a great idea of what to expect from this album. This is heartfelt, sometimes melancholic music that feels timeless in nature – both expressing and affecting our emotions. Wonderful!
Tim Brady – Imagine Many Guitars
Award-winning guitarist and composer Tim Brady has been a key player within the Canadian contemporary music community since the 1980’s, and his latest release – Imagine Many Guitars – is a great way to start exploring his catalogue of incredible music. Yes, not all of this album could be classified as dark ambient, but with music this inventive and – quite simply – this good, it honestly doesn’t matter. This is one of those remarkable albums that provides something new and exciting with each and every listen, and this is highly recommended for fans of the more experimental side of the genre. Amazing!
vÄäristymä – vÄäristymä 2014 – 2024
The latest release from the ever-awesome Unexplained Sounds Group label, is this gorgeous 10 year retrospective of Finnish duo vÄäristymä – two of the most prominent innovators in the field of minimal electronic music. Wow! The music here is jaw-droppingly good! I’ve had this on repeat play since I first heard it – again and again losing myself in the multi-layered depths of this experimental electronica – and I’m still loving it. This is one of those albums that is perfect for those who like experimental / avant-garde music with a minimalistic electronic edge. Incredible!
Hiemis – Nephilim
Spanish musician, Hiemis, combines dark ambient, ritual sounds, and drones to create albums of dark and disturbing environments. Their latest release explores the myths and legends of the giants known as Nephilim – via deliciously dark and heavy dark ambient soundscapes that provide the listener with a real sense of foreboding and looming dread. This is simply stunning, and anyone who calls themselves a fan of dark ambient music should be checking this album out. Gorgeous!
Sonic Oscillations – You Can’t Fight Fire With Water
The latest release from Sonic Oscillations is this wonderfully hard hitting album of death industrial / noise / power electronics that – given the state of the world, and where things are heading right now – is a very welcome sonic assault on the senses. This is music that pulls no punches, and that’s what makes it so breath-takingly powerful and effective. This is most definitely not an easy listen, but that is completely the point. Absolutely stunning!
CrAwE – AllGreatTruthsBeginAsBlasphemy
Regular readers will know well by now that I simply adore CrAwE‘s music – the evolving drone landscapes he conjures from playing the guitar with a bow somehow managing to be both uplifting and foreboding in equal measure. His latest album, AllGreatTruthsBeginAsBlasphemy, released on the fantastic Owlripper Recordings label, is another stunning 9 track audio experience that hooks you in from the very start. With doom filled undertones, this album is both a comment on the hopelessness facing humanity due to greed and selfishness – and the hope that maybe, someday, we can break free from making the same fateful choices time and time again. Amazing!
Wahn – Drifted Vol. 2
The latest release on the Bulgarian Mahorka label is this wonderful from Wahn, featuring heavy bass / sub dark ambient, and a refreshing piano and IDM touch. I’ve had this on repeat play for the last few weeks now – the music here is so inventive and different from anything I’ve heard in quite a while. In places this is dark and despairing, and in others it is light and hopeful – and the contrast between those two extremes is what makes this cinematic dark ambient such a melancholic and rewarding listen. Simply wonderful!
Jettenbach – isearchedthedarknessfindingonlymyself......anditwashome
Jettenbach continues to be one of my favourite musicians – with each and every release offering something different, but that always – without fail – touches the listener in some way. isearchedthedarknessfindingonlymyself......anditwashome is, as the name suggests, a dark and gloomy track, but it’s testament to Jettenbach‘s skill and talent that listening to this track is a moving, and ultimately rewarding, experience. This is heartfelt, soul-stirring stuff and cannot be recommended highly enough. Outstanding!
Child Of The Clouds – A Journey Into The Light
Child Of The Clouds is an ambient / neo-classical producer based in Los Angeles, and their latest release, A Journey Into The Light, is a marvellous album of ambient / dark ambient / cinematic soundscape. The music here is simply gorgeous, with an uplifting tone running throughout that provides a wonderful sense of hope and positivity. Highly recommended for those looking for something a little less dark and a little more sanguine. Glorious!
Sujevera – Sujevera
Now this is very cool! The debut album from a quartet of artists from the Slovenian music scene, featuring 10 tracks of mediative, ritualistic sonic ambience. This is wonderful music featuring a real mosaic of tones and feelings – created from slow evolving drones, subtle but powerful field recordings, and impressive dark ambient soundscapes. This is another album that rewards multiple listens – with each and every play of it providing the listener with something new and exciting to discover. Incredible!
British Misery – A sense of self derived only from the validation of others
Oh wow! The latest release from the ever-amazing Inner Demons Records label is this powerful 2 track EP from British Misery (a Jettenbach side project). Described by the artist themself, this is a “morose harsh noise project” – meaning almost 30 minutes of unforgiving drone and noise, mixed together in a blender with concrete slabs and barbed wire. And it’s simply stunning. This is the sort of music that challenges the listener – but in a good way – it wakes you up with a slap to the face, and makes you release there’s more to life than the rut you’re stuck in. Magnificent!
Infinexhuma – Răzbunare (Remastered)
Dark Odyssey Records is another of my favourite labels – consistently releasing first class albums from a number of established and upcoming dark ambient musicians – and with Răzbunare (Remastered), by Infinexhuma, they’ve done it again. This is a glorious 8 track album of deliciously disturbing dark ambient, featuring soundscapes and field recordings combined together to produce what sounds like the soundtrack to the most evil film in the world. Definitely one to listen to alone in the dark… if you dare. Absolutely sublime!
Battaglia – Season One / Season Two
Italian composer Battaglia has just released her debut solo project – consisting of two albums – Season One and Season Two – on the wonderful Four Flies Records label. The music here is a throwback to 80’s soundtracks – blending together dark wave, synth-pop and cinematic elements, and inspired by the music of Tangerine Dream and John Carpenter. Though not strictly speaking dark ambient, these albums will definitely appeal to fans of the genre due to the cinematic dystopian and horror soundscapes, and are well worth checking out. Impressive!
Capricorni Pneumatici – Witchcraft
The track Witchcraft by Capricorni Pneumatici was originally released by SSS Production on a C25 cassette in 1989. Now, Eighth Tower Records has re-released it, this time on CD, along with three entirely unreleased tracks. The music here is dark and foreboding, with slow evolving drones, elements of noise / glitch added to the mix, and an undercurrent of the disturbing and uncanny. This is definitely one to check out if you like your dark ambient / drone with a sense of dread. Beautiful!
Substak – Dark Nature Talks
Another cracking release from Inner Demons Records is this new release from Greek musician, Substak. Featuring two tracks of drone ambient with accompanying glitches, the music of Dark Nature Talks is a minimalistic / subtle affair, but one that grabs the listener right from the start due to the multi-layered textures and tones. This is another gorgeous release that warrants repeated listening – with something new and wonderful for the listener each and every time. Superb!
The Black Monolith – Thee I Invoke
The latest release on the ever awesome Slithering Black Records is Thee I Invoke by Greek dark ambient / drone musician The Black Monolith. The music here is dark and menacing, with an undercurrent of dark forces and evil intent running through it – conjuring up images of elder gods, deranged cults, and dark powerful forces uncontrolled by man. This is a definite must have for fans of the darker, more ritualistic side of the genre. Stunning!
Click on the below image to go to this month’s This is Darkness playlist on BNDCMPR, which features 1 track from each of the above albums:
