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!
If you have a release you’d like to be considered for inclusion as our one of our picks of the month , please email richdodgin-tid@virginmedia.com
Spanned Canyons – PRETTY LAKE 092824
Pretty Lake 092824, the latest album from Spanned Canyons is – like their previous releases – a wonderfully inventive album, effortlessly merging elements of dark ambient, post rock, and jazz, to produce an audio experience that is simply sublime. Hats off to Pete Nickerson (electronics) & Gary Gahan (sax) for creating something genuinely unique and refreshingly different. Very highly recommended for fans of experimental music that isn’t afraid to mix genres. Awesome!
Rafael Anton Irisarri – FAÇADISMS
Oh wow. Now this is something very special. A mood filled, reflective album of experimental ambient music that is both mournful and hope filled in equal measure. The album notes describe this as “… a late capitalist lament of simmering electric despondency” which sums this emotive audio experience up perfectly. With evolving drones and soaring soundscapes, this is one of those albums for losing yourself in, as you let the music wash over you. Stunning!
Paul Kerdommarec – Sel
Decaying Spheres continues to be one of my favourite labels, consistently releasing ambient / drone / dark ambient albums of the highest quality. Their latest release, Sel by experimental artist Paul Kerdommarec, is no exception – featuring an incredible blend of organic and electronic elements that work together to produce an audio journey that is simply stunning. With a melancholic vibe running through the heart of each of these 7 tracks, this is heart felt music with real depth and meaning. Gorgeous!
Philippe Blache – Tristitiam Et Metus Tradam Portare Ventis
Philippe Blache (from neoclassical dark ambient project, Day Before Us) has just released his latest solo album, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Featuring brooding, meditative piano and sweeping cinematic soundscapes, and subtly added elements of electronica, this is a gothic-tinged beauty of an album, that is quite simply breath-taking. Highly recommended for fans of atmospheric dark ambient, this is perfect for listening to as you wander through windswept graveyards at midnight. Wonderful!
KOKUM – Obscured Instinct and the pale Folklore
The latest release from the ever awesome Eighth Tower Records label is this impressive album from Hungarian musician, Kokum. Combining organic and synthetic sounds, the music here is ritual dark ambient with a definite post-industrial edge – providing the perfect soundtrack to a haunting horror film full of subterranean tunnels and primordial cults. This is a must have for fans of dark, unsettling dark ambient. Powerful stuff!
E.U.E.R.P.I. – Intuition
Now this is a very cool concept – an album created together by Bulgarian experimental musician and composer Mirian Kolev and five children from the autistic spectrum. The collaborative recording sessions took an improvisational and intuitive approach, allowing the children to express themselves, and the resulting music is inventive, emotive, and experimental in equal measure. This is definitely an album to check out if you are a fan of experimental ambient. Fantastic!
Dragon – In The Year Of ...
Ryu Recordings is a London-based independent music label known for its distinctive experimental electronic soundscapes, and their latest release is this wonderful album from Dragon (who regular readers will know from my reviews of the collaborative albums from Dragon & Jettenbach). In The Year Of ... is an album of electronic, glitch-filled excellence that is as impressive as it is inventive. I’ve had this on repeat play since I first heard it, finding myself drawn again and again to the looping, minimalistic electronic soundscapes. Outstanding!
Monotone Murk – Withering of Reality’s Presence
Spanish label, Ominous Sounds, has already made a name for themselves with their impressive debut release (the compilation album, Rituals from Ancient Europe), and now they have released this equally amazing album from Monotone Murk. With haunting soundscapes, and eerie field recordings added to the mix, this is one of the wonderful ritual dark ambient albums that stays with you long after you’ve finished listening to it. I really look forward to hearing more work from this very talented musician, and also to see what Ominous Sounds release next. Magnificent!
Coppergear – RELAX
New from Steampunk Alien Records is Relax by experimental ambient artist, Coppergear. Effortlessly combining elements of ambient, drone, electronica and techno, this is a wonderfully inventive and original album, that will be an absolute delight to those looking for something a little different. In parts introspective and moody, and in others light and uplifting, this is one of those albums that offers something new and exciting each and every time you listen to it. Remarkable!
Unexplained Sounds Group – 10th Annual Report – Anniversary Edition
To celebrate turning 10, the awesome Unexplained Sounds Group label has released this amazing 35 track compilation album. Label head Raffaele Pezzella has done an astounding job of curating this release, ensuring that not only does each track offer something new and exciting to listen to, but also that all 35 tracks fit together to create a unified album from start to finish. It’s impossible to summarise all of the music here, but featuring a range of experimental music styles, from an impressive cast of musicians, and featuring over four and a half hours of music, this album is an absolute must buy for fans of experimental music from across the globe. Incredible!
Xerxes The Dark – Absurd
Absurd is the latest album from Iranian composer and producer Xerxes The Dark. Featuring heavy dark ambient and drone, this is an album that “… explores themes of false hopes and empty feelings, reflecting the absence of hope in our seemingly meaningless lives… “ It’s beautifully done, with cinematic soundscapes blended skilfully together with slow evolving drones, and harsher glitch like elements. The end result is a moving, thought provoking album that packs a real emotional punch. Phenomenal!
Spacecraft – Sky Conjunctions
Mumbai based musician Spacecraft creates ambient space music that is ethereal and timeless. Their latest release, Sky Conjunctions, is another impressive album of soaring cosmic soundscapes, with gorgeous synth work combined with subtle field recordings and mellow drones to produce a wonderfully chilled and mellow listening experience. This is one of those albums that is perfect for listening to on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and for lying back and forgetting all the stresses of the day. Wonderful!
Atavus Infectum – Narrow Neck
Now this is very cool indeed! The debut album from Australian musician Atavus Infectum features music that can be best described as dark ambient / experimental banjo crossover. It’s absolutely wonderful stuff, with the music genuinely offering something new – melancholic banjo play is complimented perfectly by dark ambient soundscapes and eerie field recordings, resulting in an audio experience that is unlike I’ve anything I’ve heard in quite a while. This is highly recommended for those looking for something unique. Marvellous!
Cryo Chamber Collaboration – Juk-Shabb
The annual Lovecraft themed collaborative albums from the ever amazing Cryo Chamber label are one of my highlights of the year – with each and every one of these releases featuring a number of incredibly talented musicians and providing over 2 hours of top quality dark ambient. Juk-Shabb is no different, with contributions from Council of Nine, Atrium Carceri, God Body Disconnect, Ugasanie, and ProtoU to name just a few. Listening to the album is a wonderfully rewarding experience and if you are a fan of dark ambient then this album – and the rest of the series – are an absolute must have. Staggering!
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:
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