Tag: Review (Page 18 of 19)

Mebitek – Art Has No Diplomacy – Review

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On April 22, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Mebitek
Album: Art Has No Diplomacy
Release date: 9 March 2017
Label: Mebitek / Nootempo.net

Tracklist:
01. Machina
02. Desolation
03. Cinekinetik
04. Chi No Torrat
05. Iscuritat
06. The Cinematic Experience
07. Pray (feat. Larissa & Gangalistics)
08. MebiStep
09. March of Borderliners (feat. 10jonct)
10. All My Love (feat Daniele Porta)
11. Stepper in the Dark (feat. Quilo Sa Razza)
12. What I Have Lost
13. Cudda Domu RMX (feat. Pandro)

Mebitek is a budding electronic artists hailing from Sardinia an island off the coast of Italy in the great Mediterranean Sea. Long known for their innovations, Italy has over the years spawned more than a few unique sound technician. The likes of Bad Sector, Winterblood and Sonologyst are but a few familiar to the dark ambient genre, all pushing their musical endeavors to the very limit of genre classifications. Mebitek is no different in this manner. His music is certainly dark and electronic, but going much further than that into applying labels will be pointless.

After almost a decade of singles and EPs, Mebitek has finally delivered a proper full length album. On this debut Mebitek stays true to his form, in creating music that transcends genre boundaries and provides the listener with a wholly new experience. Each of the 13 tracks is well produced and honed down to the finest of details. It may have taken Mebitek a while to bring a full-length album together, but Art Has No Diplomacy is a worthy milestone.

In order to provide some context to these sounds, there are a few artists who could be loosely compared to Mebitek, The Haxan Cloak comes to mind, along with the afore mentioned Bad Sector. There are beats laying the ground work of this album. These beats take on the forms of glitch and dubstep among other forms of electronic music which go beyond the standards of traditional electronica. “Chi No Torrat” is a great example of this amalgamation of genres. “Chi No Torrat” starts off with futuristic and industrial samples along with even a bit of ambient elements, in the form of a distant thunderstorm. It slowly progresses into a melancholic and introspective downtempo ebm piece in which comparisons to The Haxan Cloak fit most closely. Yet, by the second half of the track, the use of orchestral sounds gives the track a unique feel, again going well beyond any specific genre classifications.

Mebitek brings along with him on this album a few other Italian artists of various forms. Larissa provides a beautiful voice on the track “Pray”. While Quilo Sa Razza applies a hip-hop verse over “Stepper in the Dark”. Each of these and several other guest artist always provide a brand new element to the sounds of Art Has No Diplomacy.

Futuristic and post-apocalyptic tropes abound throughout the works of Mebitek. At the very base of his project, we see in his logo a face equipped with a gas-mask. The high-quality music video for the track “MebiStep”, created by Mebitek and Serena Pilloni, provides the greatest visual cue to this post-apocalyptica. A gas-masked figure drags a few leather gimp suit laden victims through the streets of some old city. We then follow him into a dungeon where he turns a ragged doll into his living queen of darkness.

In such a simultaneously advanced yet bleak period of human history, Mebitek is an artist that fully embraces the contradiction. Art Has No Diplomacy is certainly not your average dark ambient album, often leaving that genre classification entirely. Yet, thematically and cinematically the sounds should be welcome to the ears of many dark ambient fans. Mebitek provides us with an original take on the fringe elements of ambient and electronic genres, paving his own path. Art Has No Diplomacy could easily be recommended to fans of the afore mentioned artists The Haxan Cloak and Bad Sector along with other heavily beat-oriented sound-sculptors Access To Arasaka. But, while these projects could be an example for fans to compare some similarities in style, Mebitek clearly is not following in the footsteps of these musicians, rather he is making his own way, in his own style. Enjoy Art Has No Diplomacy in those moments of despair or cynicism when the mind needs something more than gentle field recordings and drones. Let yourself fall under the spell of Mebitek, a truly interesting artist to say the very least.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Black Wanderer – Hostile Territory – Review

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On April 20, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Black Wanderer
Album: Hostile Territory
Release date: 1 May 2017
Label: Ksenza Records

Tracklist:
01. What Appears To Be Normal
02. Station4
03. Hide Inside An Imitation
04. Our Superior In Every Way
05. Nothing Can Stop Us
06. Freedom To Act Irresponsibly
07. Such Power Exists
08. Планета Бурь

Black Wanderer is the newest musical venture by Daniil Kazantsev of Algol and Stuzha. Each of his three projects deliver a totally different form of music, all fitting within an ambient framework but each having its own template of execution. Algol is a space ambient experience, with a style similar to that of Sphare Sechs. Stuzha is a chilly dark ambient sound drawing comparisons to the likes of Ugasanie and Northaunt. Black Wanderer is a dark cinematic ambient project which includes many samples from films to build a set of narratives upon a guitar/bass heavy form of dark ambient.

The basics of Black Wanderer are quite stripped down. There is little in the way of field recordings or synth-crafted drones. The bass guitar provides a basis for the project. The electric guitar adds a brighter set of textures. While these two instruments provide the droning elements there is a heavy usage of film samples. The instruments are not used in a technically complicated manner. They often deliver sustained single notes. The bass guitar builds a thick and atmospheric foundation for many of the tracks. Meanwhile, the electric guitar often picks higher pitched single notes, giving the necessary emotional charge to the mix.

Hostile Territory focuses on several films in particular to provide the narrative. The Thing is heavily sampled on the Black Wanderer album, a film which by most accounts is a classic in the horror/sci-fi genre. Focusing on a maleficent life form which crash lands deep in Antarctica, The Thing spreads from person to person, fully mimicking its hosts. On “What Appears To Be Normal” Black Wanderer uses a clip in which the doctor first realizes that the thing is capable of mimicking humanity. The track is complemented with some sort of horn to add a bit of character to the narrative.

Again on “Hide Inside and Imitation”, we hear another clip from The Thing. Kurt Russell is sitting in his bedchamber, taking notes about their current circumstances on an audio recorder. “…nobody trusts anybody, and we’re all very tired.” is recorded, just before being erased. The quote adds a deep sense of tension to the track. The gently shifting drone-work is again complemented by a lonely guitar, using single notes to add suspense to the atmospherics.

On “Freedom to Act Irresponsibly”, Black Wanderer uses sound clips from the film The Day The Earth Stood Still. Documenting a conversation between an American official and an alien life form, Black Wanderer produces a chilling effect on the listener. The conversation plays with the idea that mankind would never be able to come together in unison to decide upon a coordinated response to the coming invasion. While its an interesting conversation, the general feelings that it invokes in the listener allow it to become a contemplative experience. The electric guitars and bass work in unison here create interesting textures which lend themselves to a thought provoking atmosphere. They give listeners ample room for mulling over their own interpretations of the sound clips. “Freedom to Act Irresponsibly” seems to be a bitter more doom-laden than the previous tracks. It suggests that mankind would never be able to work together, and that these alien lifeforms would most likely remove our human race from existence.

The use of so many audio clips from films makes Hostile Territory a more demanding listen than we are used to from Algol or Stuzha. As a stand-alone album, it becomes a more thought provoking experience. Especially for fans of these old films, there will be a lot of nostalgic value. For listeners that are not familiar with these classics, there is sure to be a good deal of interest taken in the subject matter.

For fans not interested in active listening, preferring a passive ambient sound to complement their reading, studying or gaming, there will be a bit less interest. The other projects Algol and Stuzha are more in line with this passivity and either is a perfect pairing to study. As Daniil Kazantsev already had two projects with this general focus, it makes sense that he wanted to move outside that template and make an album with different goals and procedures.

Hostile Territory is a welcome addition to an already impressive catalog from this artist. It provides us with a totally fresh set of ideas from its creator. There are likely many more directions that Black Wanderer can be taken in the future. The focus on these older alien-influenced sci-fi films doesn’t necessarily have to stay as the primary subject matter for Black Wanderer to keep its template and hold the attention of listeners. While technically it isn’t quite as innovative as the latest Stuzha album, it still holds a great deal of emotion and interesting content. With three musical projects, Black Wanderer being by far the newest, it seems reasonable that Kazantsev will continue to evolve as Black Wanderer and further hone his skills on this project.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Psionic Asylum – Coma – Review

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On April 19, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Psionic Asylum
Album: Coma
Release date: 18 February 2017
Label: Noctivagant

Tracklist:
01. Inner Night
02. Frozen Cave of Whispers
03. Buried in Paranoia
04. Coma

Psionic Asylum is a dark ambient project from Russia. As with so many other Russian dark ambient projects we find in Psionic Asylum a sound which captures the desolate cold exteriors along with the isolation and warmth of the interior. Their second full length album, Coma, has been released through the small but quality driven label Noctivagant.

Known for its subtle and always dark forms of music Noctivagant seems to be the perfect home for Coma. Coma consists of four roughly twenty minute tracks. The album captures various aspects and emotions of a coma patient. Each track takes on its own unique characteristics yet all fit together as a perfectly composed whole.

The music of Coma is enshrouded in a deeply emotive subtlety. This subtlety seeks to envision the thoughts and feelings of one in a comatose state of being. The first track, “Inner Night” takes on a more ritualistic feel. It includes bells and chimes, manipulated vocal melodies and industrial rattlings. The field recordings and extremely conservative use of drone introduce the listener to the mind of the subject. We are able to close our eyes and feel the coma taking its hold on us, as we are allowed to drift off into a half-dazed state of consciousness.

“Frozen Cave of Whispers” takes the sense of losing oneself to the next level. A plethora of whispering voices provide a textural basis for the track. The comatose patient is still able to hear what is happening in the external world, yet it is muddied, outside their control or even their understanding. “Buried in Paranoia” continues building upon this theme of disassociation. The sounds are darker, more haunting, more otherworldly. The patient is losing a sense of self, entering the void. The textures of the drone elements are deeply disturbing in a style reminiscent of Jarl. There is a complexity which slowly builds upon itself until our minds are barely able to follow a set of patterns, we become one with the sound.

“Coma” plummets us into the final frontier of consciousness. There is nothing left. All sense of the outside world has vanished along with any memories or feelings of the ego. As the mind collapses into a slumber, it leaves the patient and the listeners in a deeply internalized void. The drones are thick, dense yet still subtle. Voices from the outside world find their way inside, but their meaning is totally lost to us.

Like most Noctivagant projects, Coma is presented in a limited edition of 99 physical copies. The inner-sleeve adds a bit of extra text to accompany the track titles, allowing the listener to further engage themselves with the project. The album is a solid and consistent work giving just enough ritualistic tones to fit the discography of Noctivagant, yet it holds its own character, stands apart from its brethren as an unique album in a sea of uniformity. Psionic Asylum incorporates a little bit of many different variations of dark ambient on Coma, giving it a value to a highly diverse set of listeners. Fans of cinematic, drone and ritual ambient styles should all find reasons to enjoy Coma. It is nice to see Noctivagant keeping their standards high while simultaneously taking risks with lesser known projects. Coma is surely a highlight of their catalog of releases.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Keosz – AVA – Review

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On April 13, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Keosz
Album: AVA
Release date: 18 April 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. Aquitted from Illness
02. All I Had To Do
03. AVA
04. Downfall
05. Nothing Left But Gloom
06. Consigned To Limbo
07. Behind The Horizon of Preconceptions
08. Resurrection from the Dust
09. Equanimity of the Senses
10. The Took All I Had
11. Farewell To Hollow Space

In 2016 the Slovakian electronic artist Keosz first appeared on Cryo Chamber with his album Be Left To Oneself. Since 2010, Keosz has been releasing a variety of singles and EPs through varies labels. He won the Radio Head Award for best electronic artist in 2016 for his work through these various projects.

Be Left To Oneself was Keosz‘ first real venture into dark ambient. On his dark ambient debut, we heard a fairly uniform style throughout the album. Keosz delivered a collection of melancholic droning ambient tracks, perfect for reminiscing one’s past. The sound Keosz produced had a unique atmosphere in that it was simultaneously downtrodden, and yet uplifting. For me, it was the most fitting when traveling through the city by metro. Watching a sunset over a cityscape alone, yet surrounded by people and modern technology.

AVA starts out in a similar vein as Be Left To Oneself. The first few tracks follow the same formula and ultimately evoke the same set of feelings. Yet, this time around there is a noticeable shift after the first half of the album. As we move into “Consigned To Limbo” Keosz changes everything. The track starts out calm with a bit of field recording sounds and a very gentle airy drone. This is the first time I can recall any real use of field recordings in Keosz‘ music. Two minutes into the track an electric guitar enters the mix. Again, this seems to be a first for Keosz. The guitar gently strums the same notes gradually increasing in volume and intensity. By the time it has moved to the front and center of the mix, it has added such an emotional charge that one can’t help but feel moved.

As AVA continues through the second half of the album, we are repeatedly presented with the use of the electric guitar. In fact, often the album takes on an energy and template that would be a perfect fit in a post-rock band. Similarities to acts like Caul could easily be found. Even comparisons to bands like Explosions in the Sky or This Will Destroy You would not be misplaced.

Keosz creates something in AVA that has been tried on more than one occasion. But on this album this artist perfects the formula. The combination between dark ambient and post-rock elements is flawless. The soundscapes move from introverted to highly energetic and back again in such a natural way that the transitions are often hard to notice.

These dynamics of AVA are quite a pleasant surprise. All the elements that made Be Left To Oneself such a gorgeous album are still present. Yet, AVA offers so much more. It is alive with emotion on a whole new level for this artist.

Cryo Chamber has slowly shifted over the last year from a label which strictly focused on cinematic dark ambient to one that gives a home to all sorts of different ambient music projects. Keosz and Phonothek both made their debuts last year on Cryo Chamber and each were quite surprising in their deviation from the norm. Yet, this year with both of their sophomore efforts being released back to back, we find in both that there has been abundant growth. Both projects took what made their debuts so interesting and went much further with their innovations.

AVA will likely be heralded as the greatest work yet by Keosz, an artist who already has quite a following. It will be very interesting to see where he takes his style in the future, because it seems that this artist has much more to offer than may have initially been realized. Between the heavier use of field recordings and the introduction of overt post-rock elements, Keosz will be finding many more listeners receptive to his sound. AVA is surely one of the best albums I’ve heard yet this year. It is bound to find a similar place in the hearts of many other listeners.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Druhá Smrt – The Way and The Virtue – Review

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On April 11, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Druhá Smrt
Album: The Way and The Virtue
Release date: 23 March 2017
Label: Sombre Soniks

Tracklist:
01. The Way
02. The Virtue

Druhá Smrt have been one of my favorites in dark ambient for years now. Their sound is distinct and quite different from the majority of dark ambient artists. They seem to be reminiscent of early Cold Meat Industry acts, using a combination of guitars, drums and vocals to accompany their dark ambient-esque drones. The effect is ethereal, dark and mystifying. Druhá Smrt produce an atmosphere that brings forth visions of devastated cathedrals, a religious overtone with an ever present sense of decay.

Last year they released Mythologem on Sombre Soniks giving listeners one of the most accomplished albums on the label to date. This year they return again to Sombre Soniks with two long-form tracks, coming in at exactly 31 minutes total. The Way and The Virtue sticks to the framework generally produced by Druhá Smrt. There will be few surprises here but the consistency of high quality sounds holds strong.

“The Way” uses a heavy dose of instrumentation and vocals to build an intricate wall of sounds which are generally easy on the psyche. The slowly evolving guitar work complements the gentle use of ritualistic styled percussions perfectly. The vocal arrangements will be nothing surprising to longtime fans of the project. Apocalyptic atmosphere abounds as the drum section reverberates as if signaling a coming storm, thundering on the distant horizon. The chimes and bells throughout the track hold the religious elements in place. The subtle use of drone melts almost seamlessly into the background.

“The Virtue” is quite similar to its predecessor. It serves as a continuation of the same themes, rather than the end of one and the beginning of the next. There are slight changes in the arrangement. The drones become a bit more pronounced. The guitars take a slightly bolder route. Yet the percussion and vocals stick almost exactly to the delivery of “The Way”, with the addition of the occasional vocal segments from Lucie, whom usually focuses mostly on the visual elements of the project. Her feminine voice is a nice complement to the deep and bassy vocal style of Jindrich.

Druhá Smrt are not the kind of project that will affect an amazement in the listener at their technical prowess. Through much of their discography, they hold a relatively uniform style. Yet, this style is immediately recognizable and always welcome. Often their contributions to compilations are highlights of the albums in question. So, The Way and The Virtue stands as a minor evolution in their structure. It is one step closer to that perfection they are seeking.

Anyone familiar with Druhá Smrt will likely be pleased with, but not surprised by this release. This is as good of a place as any for new listeners to experience the dark and religious stormy soundscapes of Druhá Smrt. While I can’t find much innovation here, the album is highly immersive and always enjoyable. It is active enough to keep a dedicated listener entertained, but subtle enough to be the background to late night reading sessions. I would be happy to see a bit more experimentation next time around, but that in no way negates the highlights of this solid release.

Review written by: Michael Barnett

The Caretaker – Everywhere at the End of Time: Stages I-II – Review

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On April 7, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: The Caretaker
Album: Everywhere at the End of Time: Stages I-II
Release date: September 2016 / April 2017
Label: History Always Favors The Winners

Tracklist:
01. A1 – It’s Just a Burning Memory
02. A2 – We Don’t Have Many Days
03. A3 – Late Afternoon Drifting
04. A4 – Childishly Fresh Eyes
05. A5 – Slightly Bewildered
06. A6 – Things that are Beautiful and Transient
07. B1 – All that Follows is True
08. B2 – An Autumnal Equinox
09. B3 – Quiet Internal Rebellions
10. B4 – The Loves of my Entire Life
11. B5 – Into Each Others Eyes
12. B6 – My Heart Will Stop in Joy
13. C1 – A Losing Battle is Raging
14. C2 – Misplaced in Time
15. C3 – What Does it Matter how my Heart Breaks
16. C4 – Glimpses of Hope in Trying Times
17. C5 – Surrendering to Despair
18. D1 – I Still Feel as Though I am Me
19. D2 – Quiet Dusk Coming Early
20. D3 – Last Moments of Pure Recall
21. D4 – Denial Unravelling
22. D5 – The Way Ahead Feels Lonely

The Caretaker is one of the musical projects of James Leyland Kirby. Kirby is also known for his projects: V/Vm and The Stranger among several others. He started The Caretaker in 2011 as a look into the past, with a focus on the failings and degenerations of the human mind. The Caretaker project was named after the character from The Shining, Jack Torrence. Some of these sort of sounds could be heard in the 1980 film by Stanley Kubrick. Deciding to build a musical project around these premises, it wasn’t long before Kirby had a highly successful offering in the second proper album, An Empty Bliss Beyond This World.

Stage I

The Caretaker project is based around borrowing sound samples from a period of musical history which has been all but forgotten. He started the journey in old records stores, perusing collections of vinyl which were coated in dust from years of neglect. From these hidden gems, Kirby sampled and manipulated the music to fit into his narrative.

Everywhere at the End of Time is being released in six segments, but the entirety of the series is a one-off purchase. At a very low price, the final three year period of The Caretaker music project will be fully available to buyers. This gives Kirby the ability to spread his music to as many listeners as possible. This is a bold move, while many artists try to find ways to maximize profit, Kirby has vied to maximize exposure, caring more for the ears than the wallets of his fans. Of course, this direction is easier to choose for an artist with multiple music projects from which he may continue collecting an income.

Each section of Everywhere at the End of Time will focus on a different aspect of the degenerative stages of dementia. Stage I, released in 2016, focuses on the early signs of memory loss. It is bright and generally has a positive vibe. It is sort of a throwback to the heyday of the “patient”. It is a window into the fond memories and high points in life. Each track is rather upbeat, with only a few taking on a slower pace. Even with the more laid-back tracks, their is always an uplifting energy present.

Stage II

Stage II takes a turn to darker thoughts. It focuses on the saddened acceptance of the disease. The Caretaker begins to realize the full ramifications of his position. As his memories begin to fade and become foggy, so too does his mood become more negative. There is a heavy sadness weighing down the entirety of Stage II, an extremely noticeable shift from Stage I. Track titles like “A Losing Battle Is Raging” and “What Does It Matter How My Heart Breaks” give the listener further cues to understanding the emotional elements presented, with the latter being an alternate version of “It’s Just A Burning Memory”, the first track from Part I.

For the most part, Stage II brings all new (in the sense that it hasn’t previously been used by The Caretaker) material into the project. From a technical standpoint, the music is much less direct, it seems to meander between varied levels of energy and emotion. Some of the tracks feel like they have a light use of field recordings complementing the sampled music loops. This second stage brings the track count up to 22, each of which are beautifully presented.

Each stage of the process is being released on vinyl, a fitting format to present this wonderfully staticy and purposefully flawed material to the public. The last four stages are set to be released between September 2017 through March 2019, at which point The Caretaker project will be officially laid to rest. Such a massive undertaking seems fitting for the close of a project which has managed to receive such positive feedback from fans and critics alike. There is no doubt that James Leyland Kirby will continue making music through one project or another. Yet, knowing that the end of The Caretaker is near gives fans a termination date that they can look toward with an air of sadness. It is a clever maneuver on the part of Kirby. As we know that the project will soon “die”. We can be part of the process, watching, waiting, and fearing the inevitable death of The Caretaker.

Written by: Michael Barnett

cover art

AWARE – The Book of Wind – Review

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On March 31, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: AWARE
Album: The Book of Wind
Release date: 28 February 2017
Label: Glacial Movements

Tracklist:
01. so he got up and ate and drank
02. and travelled forty nights
03. until he reached the mountain
04. there he went into a cave
05. and spent the night
06. a powerful storm tore the mountains apart
07. but god was not in the storm
08. after the storm there was an earthquake
09. but god was not in the earthquake
10. after the earthquake came a fire
11. but god was not in the fire
12. and after the fire came a gentle whisper
13. so he pulled his cloak over his face
14. and went out

Glacial Movements is an Italian record label, known for their focus on cold, desolate and isolating releases. The new release, The Book of Wind by AWARE adds a layer of philosophy and theology to this template of frozen soundscapes. AWARE deliver one of the most relaxing and emotional releases on Glacial Movements with a grace and attention to detail that will be immediately noticeable to the listener.

The Book of Wind centers on the concept of using sound structures to invoke a sense of oneness with the godhead. This is not to be confused with ritual ambient. The sounds here are anything but that. The theory is that certain combinations of sounds, crafted just right, though probably by accident, may bring the entirety of mankind to a sense of enlightenment. There is also a philosophical concept presented here which is borrowed from the studies of Simone Weil, who believed that only downward motions were real, conversely ascension constitutes illusion. Feelings of sadness and joy are two faces of a similar structure of emotion.

The Viennese musician Alexander Glück, the man behind AWARE, uses a combination of these philosophical principles, field recordings and looped musical samples to take the listener on an inward journey. The result is a serenity of emotion. Listeners may easily fall into this music, delving deep into their inner consciousness. The sounds are certainly melancholic and introspective. The gently evolving drone-work matched with field recordings from nature display a sense of being in a small isolated cabin, deep in the wilderness, contemplating one’s own existence.

AWARE describes The Book of Wind as “a collection of essays which never reach their goal, but vanish into nothing, to which they belong.” This is a very apt description of the music. As a whole, the album consists of track names which, when read as one, convey a short poem, or piece of religious scripture. The entirety of the album indeed has an incomplete feel. This gives the listener a hunger for finding the deeper meaning, a thirst for repeat listening sessions. Each replay is able to evoke a new emotion or uncovers a new aspect of the soundscape. The entirety of the album melts into an intermingled whole, where no one track truly stands out above the rest. On the surface this seems to be some shortcoming on the part of AWARE, but in fact, it achieves its goal in simultaneously opening the mind of the listener, yet never giving them a total fulfillment or closure.

The length and ephemeral impact of the music makes for a highly enjoyable and replayable album. After dozens of play-throughs, a sense of boredom or repetition never rears its ugly head. The music stays pristine. It gives a sense of longing. Solitude. An attempt to describe any one individual track would be pointless, as the album constitutes a single entity. There is a life in the music which is undeniable. Given the sparse use of beautifully detailed field recordings, the album truly comes to life for the listener.

I would recommend The Book of Wind to any fan of ambient, dark ambient or drone music that finds contentment in staring out the window upon a lonely, rainy landscape. Anyone who finds an equal sense of beauty and melancholy in the natural world around them will be drawn into the embrace of AWARE. As usual with Glacial Movements releases, there is more than meets the eye with The Book of Wind, and one must experience it for themselves to truly understand the impact.

Written by: Michael Barnett

album cover

AFFECTVS & Lamia Culta – Blessings from the Darkness – Review

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On March 28, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: AFFECTVS & Lamia Culta (united they form Corona Barathri)
Album: Blessings from the Darkness [Opus II] (Black Mara, Corona Barathri)
Release date: 15 April 2017
Label: Black Mara Records

Tracklist:
01. Retson Retap
02. Verbum Portae Aperio
03. In Nomine Mali
04. Nahema Sinistra
05. Luna Sacra, Luna Atra
06. Reiran Modor Lilith
07. Spirits Ov Damned
08. Sama Atar
09. Manifestatio Ahriman
10. Notammargartet
11. REQUIEM

In my recent review of Dødsmaskin I covered an historical account of witch trials in the Northern regions of Scandinavia. This time around we focus on something much more current and active. Blessings from the Darkness [Opus II] by AFFECTVS & Lamia Culta is the incantation of a darkened dæmoniacal form of ritual ambient. I composed this review at 3am, the witching hour, with a generous portion of my homemade blend of Aleister Croweley’s Oil of Abramelin anointing my forehead. I have fully prepared my spirit and third eye for this experience. This is the same process as I’ve done through the many times of listening to this album. It only seems right with Blessing from the Darkness to fully succumb to its malevolence. This isn’t an arbitrary darkness where you feel sensations of solitude or melancholia. This is pitch black malignancy. Luciferian. Ritualistic. All encompassing. The sense of pure evil spews from the very core of Blessing from the Darkness. The artists never allow a second of time where their offering does not seem genuine.

physical edition 1AFFECTVS & Lamia Culta have both been producing music for several years. As individual artists, they both have strong occult leanings. Their solo albums have been enjoyable and noteworthy. But, in 2016 their collaborative album Homines Sacerrimi on the American dark/ritual ambient label Noctivagant Records delivered a brilliantly dark performance of epic proportions. 2017 sees the duo move to Black Mara Records of Russian origin. On Black Mara they are able to compose a fully realized work of art, from the aural presentation through the physical manifestation of their album.

Blessing from the Darkness is a demanding listen. You will not want to put this on in that background while studying or writing a book or poem. The form of ritual ambient presented herein is highly active in its delivery. Both musicians take their roles to the extreme. While this may lower the times that it is fitting to enjoy this opus, it does not take away from its high-quality and expert execution.

lamiaculta1“Verbum Portae Aperio” may be one of the crowning achievements of the album. Both artists showcase their absolute best skills, leaving behind any sense of doubt in the listener. After Lamia Culta‘s invocations at the beginning of the ritual, we are encompassed by sounds conjured from the depths of hell. Demons writhe and scream in the background. Deep bellowing voices appear as she repeats the invocation, “Satan!, Satan!, Satan!”. This intensity gently subsides as she goes from screaming Latin incantations to softly singing as the track comes to its close.

Following “Verbum Portae Aperio” we have an utterly exquisite scene. “In Nomine Mali” is much slower paced. The drones are hollow, like winds rushing through the physical edition 2depths of some ancient cavern, delivering the thick incense smoke past the nostrils before vanishing into the abyss. Following her invocation of Satan, Lamia Culta gasps and moans in ecstasy as if the dark lord has been offered her body for his enjoyment. Sacrificing herself to his will, she is fully prepared for the continuation of this diabolical rite. As the rest of Blessings from the Darkness continues, this moment hangs in my mind, never loosening its grip. The deep, rumbling, infernal growls match the euphoria of Lamia Culta, as if that fiendish lord of the underworld has truly savored his offering.

The absolute dedication to their cause is not the only reason to find praise for this hellish rite. The technical prowess of both musicians is utterly praiseworthy. Lamia Culta allows her vocal range to go from screaming, deep, guttural growls to gentle whispers, to enchantingly beautiful singing. As a listener, it’s a truly marvelous experience.

The emotion of Lamia Culta‘s vocal delivery is only part of the reason to find oneself fully encompassed by Blessing from the Darkness. AFFECTVS showcases an absolute mastery of the ritual ambient style. Comparisons to Shibalba can easily be made. But where Shibalba showcase a more conservative aspect of the ritual ambient genre, AFFECTVS takes it to utter extremes. From the howling wind field recordings, to the hypnotic drones, he builds an atmosphere that is visualized with the greatest of easy. The tribal drumming, chimes, and other ritual instrumentation adds yet another layer of authenticity to the rite.

These are two artists that were clearly born to collaborate. The combination of Lamia Culta‘s intense vocal delivery along with the thick, all-encompassing ritual ambient elements of AFFECTVS make for an experience that is not too be ignored. That is, if you will allow yourself to be witness to such a frenzied dark ritual.

special edition 3Offered on Black Mara Records, its not a surprise that the physical release will be presented with some truly unique additions. It comes with a hand-made leather “magic book” which includes the CD, pictures and art, along with a guide to meditation and a detailed description of the album. Even more, it comes with a scarf with the sigil for meditation and a pouch filled with an herbal mix they call “The Evil Smoke”. It would appear that Black Mara have truly outdone themselves on this release, going to great lengths to conjure this dark ritual from its aural realms into a physical manifestation.

For fans of ritual ambient this album will surely delight many listeners. The style is far from the usual ritual ambient. It is taken in a wholly unique direction. Dark ambient fans that don’t mind stepping outside their comfort zone should also find Blessing from the Darkness to be a highly enjoyable journey. Considering the extremes Lamia Culta takes her vocals, this album could even impress listeners completely outside the genres of ambient music. There is no doubt that as these two artists grow as musicians and become even more accustomed to working in unison, we are bound to hear their style develop even further. Though, staying on this current path would be perfectly acceptable. They seem to have found the ideal formula for the presentation of their rituals.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Album art

Eighth Tower Records – Superspectrum – Review

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On March 24, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Various Artists
Album title: Superspectrum
Release date: 17 February 2017
Label: Eighth Tower Records

Tracklist:
01. Warpness – Mørkerom
02. Sysselmann – Wasted Land
03. Alphaxone – Majestic
04. Xerxes The Dark – Oblivion
05. Heliocentrism – Breath
06. Gopota – Attitude
07. Ocadium – Manuscript
08. Damballah – L’éveil de Baron Samedi
09. Nagaarum – Az Orias Felfalja Gyermekeit
10. Sonologyst – Ceremony
11. vÄäristymä – Kvasaarit
12. Cordis Cincti Serpente – Canis Tindalos
13. Vesicatoria – Number Zero

Superspectrum is a dark ambient, experimental ambient compilation. It is the first release on Eighth Tower Records, a sub-label of Unexplained Sounds Group. Run by the man behind Sonologyst, Raffaele Pezzella, it should be no surprise that what we are presented with is an album that is as deeply dark and horrifying as it is experimental in its execution.

Superspectrum brings together a wide range of artists, some well known and others that may be wholly unfamiliar to listeners. This sort of a combination is always helpful in attracting attention to a release. Still, it has enough breadth of talent that listeners will never quite know what to expect.

The focus of Superspectrum is freak occurrences in the natural and electronic world which cannot be classified by modern standards. Eighth Tower Records describes this phenomenon as, “a shadowy world of energies that produce well-observed effects, particularly on biological organisms (namely people). The Superspectrum is the source of all paranormal manifestations from extrasensory perception (ESP) to UFO, ultra-dimensional entities and occult presences. It is hard to pin down scientifically, because it is extra-dimensional, meaning that it exists outside our own space-time continuum yet influences every thing within our reality. ”

The sounds that can be heard on Superspectrum are as broad as the subject matter. Damballah “L’eveil de Baron Samedi” for instance, displays a sound which is certainly able to be classified as dark ambient. The track has a haunting feel and is entirely grounded in field recordings. This heavy use of field recordings takes away all notion of calling it a song, leaving us with a set of atmospheres and noises which paint a brilliantly vivid picture of paranormal activity within the natural world.

Highlighting the diversity of sounds presented, we can look to the very next track, “Az Orias Felfalja Gyermekeit” by Nagaarum. This track finds its grounding in analog synthesizer equipment, giving it a highly electronic feel. We can imagine the machinery of some scientific laboratory running in an unexplainable fashion, taking on a life of its own, to the horror of the present scientists.

Sonologyst makes an appearance with his track “Ceremony”. His trademark style of alien soundscapes is certainly present in “Ceremony”, there seems to be a combination of field recordings, analog synth, and vocal manipulations which all come together to give listeners a feast of varied emotions.

The well-known Iranian dark ambient artist Alphaxone helps secure a bit of name recognition with his submission. Yet, fans of Alphaxone will find a track that is noticeably different from much of his recent dark ambient work on Cryo Chamber. “Majestic” takes a bolder approach to dark ambient, with more sounds that jump out to the forefront. These elements give “Majestic” an experimental feel, and seem to work out very well within his skill set.

Gopota delivers one of the most unique tracks on Superspectrum with “Attitude”. True to the Gopota style, we hear often harsh and experimental noises grounded in the foundations of a dark ambient track. The combinations of these styles gives “Attitude” its unique flavor and fit together very well, producing a track which is well rounded yet simultaneously unusual. This track is also one of the most horrifying on Superspectrum, which should be no surprise to fans of this master of the macabre.

As a whole, Superspectrum is a varied, wide-reaching endeavor. The songs presented take more than their fair share of experimental composure. This could be a death sentence for some compilations but helmed by Sonologyst, the tracks all work together quite well. The blending of natural, mechanical, and electronic sounds easily brings to mind the pictures of phenomenal occurrences rooted with occult or extra-terrestrial origins.

Superspectrum should be just what Eighth Tower Records needs to jump-start their venture, while giving listeners an idea of the thematic and experimental releases which are to come in its future. I would recommend Superspectrum to fans of ambient works which are on the experimental side. There is plenty of unorthodox thinking here. Fans of more traditional forms of dark ambient may also enjoy this album as a gateway to the more experimental output of its collaborators. With a solid debut, it should be interesting to see where Eighth Tower Records takes us in the coming months. The direction will almost certainly be one which is as unusual as it is professional.

Written by: Michael Barnett


Northumbria – Markland (2017) – Review

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On March 21, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Northumbria
Album title: Markland
Release date: 21 March 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. Torngat
02. Sunstone
03. The Night Wolves/Black Moon
04. Ostara’s Return
05. Still Clearing
06. Low Sun I
07. The Shores of the Suffering Wind
08. Low Sun II
09. Wonderstrands
10. The Stars As My Guide

Northumbria are a dark ambient act. While this is true, the label barely begins to cover the depth of their sounds. Their accomplishments over the last few years have been great. They’ve attracted the attention of their current label, Cryo Chamber, which is no small feat. They’ve been featured on some high quality compilations, with their tracks usually standing out as some of the best on the respective tracklists. With that said, 2017 is the year of Northumbria.

Northumbria consists of two musicians. In effect, a guitarist, Jim Field, and a bassist, Dorian Williamson. Northumbria have taken a sort of tour through various record labels since their inception. Releasing several full length albums as well as EPs and splits through labels such as: thisquietarmy Records, Consouling Sounds, Polar Seas Recordings, and finally landing at Cryo Chamber, where they appear to be content with calling their home.

Northumbria - Helluland - Northumbria - HellulandminimeWhat started several years ago as a project fully dedicated to the use of guitar and bass drones, has blossomed this year into something wholly new and exciting. As recently as 2014, albums like Bring Down The Sky highlighted the more conventional skills of Northumbria, with marvelous slowly evolving guitar work that could almost be considered solos. These meandering guitars were planted firmly upon a guttural and earth-shaking bass drone. Helluland, their first release on Cryo Chamber, brought them to a new chapter in their lives. Helluland still was dedicated to consistently drone-laden guitar and bass work but it had taken on a more subtle feel. Along with the evolution of their sound, Helluland ushered in the first chapter of their current trilogy. A set of albums which is dedicated to the story of the ancient Norsemen discovering the Americas, incidentally, well before Christopher Columbus.

Shifting to the present day, Markland delivers something totally novel to Northumbria. This album has stepped up their production quality in every conceivable way. Markland still holds the foundations of their trademark sound, but it greatly expands beyond these foundations. Tracks like “Sunstone” look reverently back to the roots of their project. “Sunstone” has a subtle bass foundation with the same sort of guitar-work that made much older tracks like “The Ocean Calls Us Home”, from Bring Down The Sky, so successful. Even, at times, this track has shown some similarities to the magnum opus by Northaunt, Horizons. Yet tracks like “Sunstone” only show half the picture.

The very next track, “The Night Wolves/Black Moon” begins with the howling of wolves. My heart jumped hearing this intro, There have been so many attempts in dark ambient and dungeon synth albums to incorporate howling wolves, and each attempt seems to fall flat. The wolves, instead of evoking the mysteries of the night in a wild land, show the lack of care taken in capturing their sounds and incorporating them into an album. Most attempts have been downright laughable. Yet, Northumbria have managed to use these field recordings in a superbly appropriate fashion. They give that sense of sitting around a campfire, deep in the woodland wilderness of Markland, presently Northeastern Canada. As the eleven minute track progresses we are delighted in the sounds of the guitar drones, washing over the subtle foundations set by the bass. Yet, just as we become comfortable in this setting, a storm arises, thunder rumbles through the skies. Meanwhile, the guitar work is becoming more ominous, taking our minds into a much darker place. By the end of the track, the bass has taken the prominent position, and with it the sense of danger and dread rise menacingly to the surface.

northumbria biopicMarkland clearly has a tale to tell. This is blatantly obvious without ever reading into the back-story. Just putting on headphones and pressing play, we catapult into a dark and wild world. From the very beginning of “Torngat” we can hear the waves beating against the ship as it nears land. By the time we reach “The Night Wolves/Black Moon” the turn of events is perfectly delivered. This description of the album barely scratches the surface, tracks like “Still Clearing” and “The Shores of the Suffering Wind” boast what is easily the best work by Northumbria to date. In short the album is a masterpiece.

Clearly there was care and caution taken by these two veteran musicians in every step of the production. Add to that the brilliant mastering skills of Simon Heath and some perfectly emotive album art (which I would consider one of the best covers to date on Cryo Chamber). The recipe makes for a classic. An album which will almost certainly become the high-point in the career of these two musicians. They definitely stepped outside their comfort zone on Markland, delving into techniques and atmospheres that they had not previously traversed. The final result is next to perfection. I would recommend Markland to any dark ambient fan. I would consider this a perfect entry point for black metal, dungeon synth, and post-rock fans as well. Every moment of Markland is steeped in a glorious sense of accomplishment. These two gentlemen should surely be proud of their work. We can only hope that they will equal this brilliance in the future.

Written by: Michael Barnett

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