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, and please consider supporting the featured artists.
Enjoy!
If you have a Bandcamp release you’d like to be considered for inclusion as one of our picks of the month , please email richdodgin-tid@virginmedia.com. Bandcamp download codes for albums to be reviewed are always very welcome, but are not essential.
Tsarewitch & Brooddark – Supra Memoriam
Wow! I’ve had this release from Tsarewitch & Brooddark playing non-stop, multiple times a day, since I first heard it over a month ago – I honestly cannot get enough of it. The blurb says “The dark industrial noises of Brooddark meet the mystical rituals of Tsarewitch to merge into a hypnotic, mesmerizing and cinematic canvases.” which nails what I’ve found so compelling about it – the album hits the sweet spot of minimalism and evolving drones, with a delightfully dark added twist of post-industrial elements that keep pulling me back for one more listen. I really hope this is the first of many collaborations from these two talented musicians. Absolutely stunning!
Andy Aquarius – Holy Glade
The latest album from Andy Aquarius is this wonderful EP of harp based medieval folk ambient, all recorded in an abandoned church in the mountains of Croatia. The music here is gentle and heartfelt, with a neoclassical ambient vibe running through it that will definitely appeal to those who like their dark ambient music with a folk / classical ambiance. This is quite simply gorgeous, and on the strength of this EP, I will definitely be checking out more of Andy’s releases. Wonderful!
Various Artists – The Neuromancers. Music inspired by William Gibson’s universe
Now this is very cool – an anthology of tracks inspired by William Gibson’s cyberpunk universe! With the music from the thirteen artists each offering the listener something different, but working together to provide a combined audio experience, the end result is breath-taking. Fans of electronic edged dark ambient, soaring synths, and glitch filled post-industrial soundscapes will positively love this. Yet another first class release from the Unexplained Sounds Group label. Awesome!
Pietro Zollo – Abstraction
Abstraction by Pietro Zollo is one of the beautiful albums that stays with you long after it’s finished playing. The melancholic, minimalistic ambient soundscapes and slow evolving drones combine perfectly to create an incredibly rewarding and mesmerising listening experience. The music here is subtle, but multi-textured, and I found myself drawn to it again and again, losing myself in its depths each and every time. This is one of those albums to listen to, lying on the sofa, in a darkened room. Fantastic!
Sam – Space Dust Obsession (feat. SYN)
I’ve been a fan of Sam for quite a while now – with each of his releases offering something new, but each being of the highest quality. Space Dust Obsession is hard to classify, but there are elements of dark ambient, psychedelic space ambient, and guitar based ambient – all complementing each other wonderfully, and creating a 45 minute trip that is – as intended – out of this world. A definite must have for fans of space ambient and those who like their music to be doing something a little different. Brilliant!
KABRA – The Return of the Cambrian Period
The Return of the Cambrian Period by KABRA is based around an intriguing concept – what if the planet Earth regressed, its landscapes dissolving back into the primal abyss of an ancient past? Dark cinematic ambient soundscapes and unfolding drones are blended with subtle field recordings, resulting in an album that really makes you feel as if you are listening to the world undergoing a newly awoken primeval chaos. Very highly recommended for those who like otherworldly, unsettling cinematic dark ambient. Marvellous!
Sound_00 + Lefterna – Collab 67
New on the ever awesome Inner Demons Records label is this fantastic release from Sound_00 + Lefterna, combining elements of dark ambient, drone, and ambient noise to produce the audio equivalent of a strange and disconcerting caffeine and magic mushroom fuelled trip around the small neighbouring town that your mother always warned you about. Eerie, haunting voices rise out of the shadows, and then are lost in the enveloping mist, only to surface again from a different direction. This is simply sublime, and strongly recommended for those looking for multi-layered music that rewards as much as it unsettles. Magnificent!
Substak – Fractured Reality
Newly released on the Drone Works International label is Fractured Reality, a delightful EP of minimalistic drone from Greek sound artist Substak. The five tracks here are subtle affairs, with gradually evolving drones that provide the listener with an almost meditative experience. It’s wonderfully done, and very highly recommended for those who like mellow, subtle drone sounds, with a slight electronic edge. Superb!
Dead Angel Ensemble – Bow To The Old Ones
I’m a huge fan of anything Lovecraftian, so I was thrilled when I got my hands on my copy of Bow To The Old Ones, the latest album by Dead Angel Ensemble. This is dark and brooding dark ambient, with deep discordant soundscapes blended expertly with disturbing field recordings and vocals, all working together to create an unnerving and otherworldly audio adventure for the listener. This is definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of Lovecraft’s tales of the Great Old Ones, or if you like your dark ambient with a gloomy, eerie sensibility. Glorious!
DARDIS – A Murmuration of Stalins
Another cracking release from the Inner Demons Records label, is this 40 minute track from Northern Irish sound artist DARDIS who “…wanted to create something slow and sinister, echoing the spreading malaise and sickness of the Trump administration. Something capturing the dread of the civilized world right now…” The end result is a dark and disturbing track that is as uncomfortable to listen to as it is ultimately rewarding. With chaotic, discordant industrial soundscapes, this is a must have for those who like ambient / drone to have sharp teeth and an underlying sense of melancholy and despair. Magnificent!
R.C. Kozletsky – Pulsed in a Dull Glass Bell
Now this is very cool – new on the Dark Odyssey Records label is this remaster of the original Danvers State Recording cassette release of Pulsed in a Dull Glass Bell by Robert Kozletsky. Inspired by Cormac McCarthy‘s ‘The Road‘, the music here is dark, unsettling, with stark sonic landscapes that provide the perfect soundtrack to a nightmarish post-apocalyptic future. This is far from easy listening, but that is the whole point, and those who spend the time to lose themselves in the depths of this multi-layered beast will not be disappointed. Stunning!
VVAA – Rituals from the Ancient World
With the release of Rituals from the Ancient World, the ever impressive Ominous Sounds label has done it again – featuring outstanding tracks from eight international musical projects each presenting their own vision of rites and ceremonies, this is first class stuff from start to finish. Each track here offers something unique but compliments the others perfectly, resulting in an album of unified ritual dark ambient that pulls the listener down into the realms of the ancestral and the ominous. Awesome!
Insectarium – Pit Fiend
The latest album from dark ambient musician Insectarium is Pit Fiend, a deliciously dark collection of 8 tracks that together tell the tale of the Paladin and his ego-fuelled quest to battle a pit fiend. Blending organic sound design with electronic elements, this is simply gorgeous from start to finish, with dark ambient soundscapes blended with haunting drones and eerie field recordings. This is one that will definitely appeal to fans of dark, foreboding nightmare inducing dark ambient. Fantastic!
Substak – Ashes In The Aether
This month’s second release from Substak is an album of differing moods – in part, quiet, under spoken and subtle, and in another loud brash and jarring. This contrast helps to enunciate the sounds of both extremes, and the resulting listener audio experience is an intriguing and rewarding one. Best listened to in a darkened room with earphones on, this is one of those remarkable albums that stays with you long after it has finished, and keeps drawing you back for more. Striking!
Syldag – .Carrion.
.Carrion., the latest release from French musician Syldag is a glorious 2 track album of wave like drones, noise filled post-industrial sonic assaults, and jarring glitches and moments of distortion. It’s gripping stuff from start to finish, and those who are looking for something challenging but rewarding will not be disappointed. Definitely an artist to keep an eye on. Wonderful!
The Aurore – .Music. .for. .ghosts.
The Aurore is described as “Syldag‘s ambient side” – and on listening to .Music. .for. .ghosts. I can see the connection between the two. This lighter, less abrasive release does still have it’s own noise-filled moments, but they are few and far between – instead, the music here is haunting, unearthly, and somewhat unnerving – giving the listener a uniquely disconcerting audio experience that is nevertheless as hypnotic and mesmerising as it is unsettling. Highly recommended for those who like their ambient drone with a subtle touch of the uncanny.
400 Lonely Things – Subdivisions
I’m a big fan of Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada, and this latest release from 400 Lonely Things has moments that remind me of them – which is no bad thing. The music on Subdivisions is strange and melancholic, and listening to it feels at times like you’ve tuned into some long forgotten radio show from the distant past. This is one of those wonderful albums that warrants multiple plays, because each and every listen will offer something new to discover. In this day and age where there are so many albums being released, it’s so great to hear an artist who has their own unique sound and sense of identity. Stunning stuff!
Spacecraft – JVPD Night Skies
Regular readers will know I have a soft spot for the music of Mumbai-based musician Spacecraft – his electronic space ambient albums never fail to impress, with each providing the listener with a dreamy out of this world cosmic audio journey. And JVPD Night Skies is another first class release of soaring synth work, heavenly ambient soundscapes, and an underlying feeling of calm and tranquillity that is very much needed these days. Definitely an album to buy if you are looking for some chillout down time away from the stresses of the day. Beautiful!
Markus Guentner – Black Dahlia
Black Dahlia, the latest album from German electronic music pioneer, Markus Guentner, features seven breath-taking tracks, each blending electronic elements with multi-textured ambient layers. The end result is an incredible listening experience, as intricate layers of pulsating rhythms, haunting melodies and ethereal atmosphere unfold and draw the listener into its depths. Highly recommended for fans of ambient drone with a gentle ambient sensibility. Gorgeous!
Dead Bandit – Dead Bandit
Dead Bandit describe themselves as “Indie / Post Rock“, but there are plenty of elements of dark ambient and drone at play on this stunning self-title release, with the resulting music being hard to categorise or pigeon-hole. It’s a smooth, laid-back affair, with the occasional moments of darkness added into the mix for good measure. This is another one of those remarkable albums that offers something new with every listen, and fans of melancholic, emotive ambient and drone will really enjoy this, as will those looking for something a little different. Awesome!