Month: July 2017 (Page 2 of 2)

Anima Nostra – Atraments – On the Periphery – Review

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On July 11, 2017

In On the Periphery

Artist: Anima Nostra
Album: Atraments
Release date: 16 June 2017
Label: Malignant Records

Tracklist:
01. Composition for the Shadow Self
02. Naamah
03. Blameless
04. Tabula Smaragdina
05. Solemn Majesty
06. Anima Nostra
07. Intermezzo for the Double-Wanded One
08. Doxologia Yaldabaoth
09. The Seal

Henrik Nordvargr Björkk is one of the most active and relevant members of the post-industrial scene. His project Mz.412 put him on that map as far back as the late 1980s. Since then he has taken part in a staggering number of projects. His albums have been released by such labels as Cold Meat Industry, Cold Spring, Cyclic Law and Malignant Records to name just a few. In recent years, we’ve seen a some great output by a few of his “side-projects” if they can be called that, as most of his work these days, in one way or another, consists of a side-project to some other previous greatness, be it Mz.412, Pouppée Fabrikk, Nordvargr, etc.

In early 2016 Nordvargr teamed up with Margaux Renaudin to release an album entitled Anima Nostra on Cold Spring. The album consisted of music that was hard to accurately label. There were elements of death industrial, doom metal, neo-classical and dark ambient. The duo were so happy with the final product that they quickly began to work on a follow-up album, this time they named their project/band Anima Nostra. He recently released several well received albums on Malignant Records including The Secret Barbarous Names as Nordvargr and Avatars of Rape and Rage as Körperwelten, a collaboration with Lee Bartow of Theologian/Navicon Torture Technologies. So it followed that Anima Nostra would return to Malignant Records with their newest creation, Atraments.

As was the case with their debut the year before, Anima Nostra bring together an amalgamation of styles/genres that seem like they would clash, but for Anima Nostra the combination works perfectly. Atrament, a word many may not be familiar with, is defined as black fluid. A look over the beautifully crafted digi-pak gives us a literal example of this word in use. Much of the album art consists of a matte black background with a glossy black lettering. The characters are unfamiliar to me, but seem to have similarities to Urdu, ancient Sumerian and ancient Akkadian alphabets. The digi-pak comes with an 8-page booklet containing even more of these beautifully antiquated scripts.

Atraments glides between the territory of multiple genres effortlessly. The opening track, “Composition for the Shadow Self” has an ambient start, which evolves into some glacially paced doom metal style music. The guitar is distorted and only uses several chords repeatedly over industrial metallic drums which give the track an almost religious, tribal feel. Nordvargr’s vocals are deep and guttural screams. “Naamah”, the following track, consists of a screeching guitar feedback which drones over a plethora of drums, whispers and screams, which all provide a backdrop to Nordvargr’s spoken words which are highly ritualistic. Then there are tracks like “Tabula Smaragdina” and “Solemn Majesty” which incorporate Gregorian style chants and other beautiful religious stylized sounds, such as a cathedralic organ section, which provide the perfect opposition to the other more gritty and chaotic tracks.

Atraments is far from my usual musical interests. In general, I’m not always a fan of the many varied works of Nordvargr. but I greatly enjoyed the aforementioned Körperwelten and obviously some of the works of Mz.412, so I gave this latest release an honest chance. My first impressions were a bit negative, again I’m not a huge fan of doom metal in particular. But, after the second and third playthroughs I started to really understand the project and slowly but surely fell in love with each track and the nuances and progressions that take place throughout the album. This is why I would never review an album without giving it numerous listens, first impressions can be misleading, some things, especially those that fall outside the usual genre boundaries, need time to make sense to the listener. At this point, I could say that I highly recommend Atraments to any fans of the varied output of Malignant Records. It seems that the variety of releases from the Malignant label all find their way of making sense within the frame-work of this one single album. There is the dark, the brooding, the beautiful, and the ugly, all making appearances on Atraments.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Frozen In Time: Weekly News 10 July 2017

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On July 10, 2017

In Frozen In Time: Weekly News

This week’s edition of Frozen In Time is rather short on new dark ambient releases. We have the third album by Council of Nine unveils on Cryo Chamber, which is really the only major announcement of the week. But there are actually some really promising releases in the peripheral genres of ambient and neo-classical that I think many of you will find interesting and worth delving into. There are a good bit of albums on sale this week as well. As always you will find our latest reviews at the bottom of the page, along with your weekly reminder that helping This Is Darkness out through paypal donations or Patreon sponsorship is always appreciated and greatly helpful in keeping the zine up and running! Stay cool, and enjoy the week!

New Releases & Preorders

A Bleeding Star – New Single Released (Digital Only)
This week’s installment from A Bleeding Star takes us into a frozen landscape where gods and humans mingle amongst one another. As usual, A Bleeding Star delivers a very interesting and well thought out track. The fact that he is pumping out one of these every single week, as of yet, doesn’t seem to be making the final product suffer. Give “Witchcraft for Winter’s Broken Staff: Runic Synapse (Haegl Peorth Cen Feoh Ur Asa Tyr)” a try!

Council of Nine – New Album Available For Preorder (Cryo Chamber – CD/Digital)
Council of Nine returns with his third album on Cryo Chamber. Trinity is a touching, personal and enlightening album from Maximillian Olivier. In a genre where most keep their personal life to themselves, Maximillian opens his heart for all to see. “This is my catharsis. The many stages of grief and the acceptance of loss, deeply personal, unforgiving, cold and painful. This is the story of the greatest loss I have suffered, the death of my mother. This marks the end of a chapter and the closure I was desperately seeking.”
Blending atmospheric sound layering with a harmonic palette it drifts between dark and light. Walls of sound collide with echoing strums, drones wash over endless shores. Recommended for lovers of melancholic dark ambient.

Kelbach – New Album Released (Sparkwood Records – CD/Digital)
“The strong, underlying ambient theme of this EP evokes scenes from a nonexistent film, composed of memories of the northern Ohio shore. Recurrent melodies almost seem to be characters in each scene, arranged and played in ways that very effectively convey a wide range of human experience, from sadness and fear to daydreaming and falling in love.
Every single sound is emotionally charged in this intimate and moving seven-part love letter to the state of the buckeye trees and the heart of it all.”

Maiya Hershey – New Album Available For Preorder (Shimmering Moods Records – CD/Cassette/Digital)
“The water itself is the second collaborator on this fluid record because this music originated from the depth of the waters where life began to proliferate in an unfamiliar faraway land. This album is a fictional story that encompasses a new way of life manifesting in a creature that inherited all of human consciousness and memory. The music flow is an experience within itself inside this creature and all life within; for all things lost, and will be, belong to it entirely.” Releases 18 July 2017.

My Home, Sinking – New Album Available For Preorder (Infraction – Vinyl/CD/Digital)
King of Corns looks to be a very promising new album. The sounds are definitely more in line with neo-classical than dark ambient, but the atmospherics and mood should be welcome to fans of dark ambient. While the words neo-classical can often be used ad-nauseum to describe anything with a bit of piano or violin, this album promises to be the real deal with eight classical musicians coming together to constructive a brilliantly layered and emotive set of soundscapes. I’ve only heard the two preview tracks so far, but I can already say I would highly recommend this release. Official release date is 16 September 2017.

Poemme – New Album Available for Preorder (Polar Seas Recordings – CD/Digital)
“This collection of songs was composed specifically for sleep and reflects my memories of winters growing up in Cleveland… The endless gray skies, the magic of a fresh blanket of snow, and more wonder still once Lake Erie transforms into a vast, frozen desert. The scene takes place at my favorite lakeside park, with a pale sky above and waves of solid ice below. All is silent but for a flock of geese in the distance, making its way to warmer land..”

Strange Fog – New EP Released (Divergent Series – Cassette/Digital)
I’m not familiar with this artist, but upon listening I was immediately drawn into the sounds. Only about 13 minutes total, but definitely worth the time!
“Beautiful modular sounds and field recordings dance together in a beautiful mix of immersive admixtures. Limited to 50 cassettes. Green and white cover variants…specify which color you’d like when you order!”

Sum Spiræ – New Album Available For Preorder (D.M.T. Records – Digital Only)
Translated from the original French: “From one course to another, from one universe to another, utopia seems to reign in the mortal through ideals created by the coded thought (mother tongue). The paradox exists within the verbal consciousness itself. By this second alchemical treaty, Samuel presents 9 pieces named by his own mother tongue while being channeled by the inception of his personal journey. Musicality, expression, astral travel (…) listening to these nine creations in a single line, you are connected to the language of the birds that belongs to Sum Spiræ.”

Sales & Discounts

Cryo Chamber
Ugasanie Digital Albums are on a 50% Discount

Ugasanie – White Silence $3.50
Ugasanie paints us a grim, cold and bleak landscape of dark ambient with this chilling album from the heart of Belarus. Careful layering of subtle pads with the frosty overlays of field recordings makes for a truly special soundscape that speaks to the core of unsheltered humanity.

Ugasanie – Call of the North $3.50
This album takes us even further north to explore the concept of the unusual and mysterious phenomenon known as arctic hysteria (also known as menerik and the call of the North Star). It manifests itself only in the polar night, and only when the northern lights shine. Man, as if under hypnosis journeys north. In this state of trance he is almost impossible to stop, he becomes aggressive, sings a song, mumbles, experience hallucinations and persistently continues towards the polar star.

Ugasanie – Eye of Tunguska $3.50
A strange incident took place in the 1990s in late autumn in the taiga. Not far from the epicenter of the Tunguska meteorite impact site. A group of students went hiking to to see this legendary site. They lost their way after they decided to spend the night in one of the winter huts built by hunters of the land. Their mutilated bodies were later found near an old abandoned geological base with radiation burns. Ugasanie explores this incident together with photographer Alexsandr Yakushev in this eerily cold and unforgiving dark ambient release.

Ugasanie – Border of Worlds $3.50
The Nenets, Tungus, Eveneki, Yakut share many beliefs and in the center stands the shaman. We follow him through his inner journey while tackling shaman’s disease. Clouded consciousness and hysterical stupor clear signs of the Amanita Mushroom. His sweat covered body feverish while pulled to the lower world of spirit. Here his weathered body cut and torn to pieces by the spirits who cook and devour it. Meanwhile in the dim lit hut the shamans body starts bruising while the tribe watches over him. Reborn, the Shaman awakens, granted powers to traverse between worlds. With the gift to cure his tribe of sickness, to control animals and commune with the spirits.

Flowers For Bodysnatchers
50% off all albums.

Infinity Land Press
Summer Sale – 20% off selected books!

Darkleaks – The Ripper Genome
by Jeremy Reed & Martin Bladh
Foreword by Stephen Barber
WAS £25 / NOW £19

Alien Existence
by Philip Best
WAS £55 / NOW £44

CHILDHOOD
by Michael Salerno
Standard edition
WAS £35 / NOW £28

The Void Ratio
By Shane Levene & Karolina Urbaniak
WAS £20 / NOW £16

GONE – SCRAPBOOK 80′ – 82′
by Dennis Cooper
WAS £35 / NOW £28

This Is Darkness Week In Review

Bleach For The Stars – The Time For Silver Flowers
“The Time For Silver Flowers is a highly enjoyable album, which can be returned to time and again. The analog elements do not seem as mechanical and lifeless herein as is so often the case with albums fully dedicated to this format. This is a perfect place to start for those unfamiliar with Cromlech Records. For those already familiar with the label, there should be minimal criticism of this latest release to be found. In sound execution as well as packaging, Cromlech Records have done justice to the vision of Benjamin Power. I will certainly be paying attention to whatever comes next for Cromlech and/or Bleach for The Stars.”
Read the full review here.

Shibalba – Psychostasis – Death of Khat
“Psychostasis – Death of Khat clearly shifts from much of the previous Shibalba catalog into totally new territory. Their move to a label focusing on rock and metal acts seems to fit their shift in style. Yet, they still manage to retain the energy and mysticism that made Memphitic Invocations and Samsara so successful. They will surely attract a whole new crowd of listeners to their sounds. While, from my perspective, they shouldn’t alienate their oldest and most dedicated supporters that followed Shibalba from its birth. I would recommend Psychostasis – Death of Khat to any previous fans of Shibalba. I also think there is a big enough shift in their sound to attract readers whom may not have previously found Shibalba to be their thing. Whether they will stay the course with this new style, return to their previous frameworks or evolve yet again into something wholly new for their next release will be any one’s guess. In the meantime, Psychostasis – Death of Khat should give us plenty to enjoy for the foreseeable future.”
Read the full review here.

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Shibalba – Psychostasis-Death of Khat – Review

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On July 9, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Shibalba
Album: Psychostasis – Death of Khat
Release date: 16 February 2017
Label: Agonia Records

Tracklist:
01. Psychostasis – Death of Khat
02. Ihag Mthong
03. Kaoshiiki Mahayana
04. Aether Ananda Aiwss
05. Naljorpa
06. Reanimation of Akh
07. Five Points of Desire
08. Orgasmic Inebriation
09. Opening The Shadow Box
10. Svarna Khecari Mudra

Shibalba are a ritual dark ambient act out of Greece. They quickly caught on in the scene, releasing splits with the likes of Phurpa, Alone In The Hollow Garden and Emme Ya. But even before these splits, Shibalba hit the ground running with their debut Memphitic Invocations which was originally released on Night Birds Records.

Memphitic Invocations showed a side of ritual dark ambient music a bit different from the style of many artists under that banner. Where many artists seek to use elaborate droning textures to invoke a ritualistic atmosphere and alter the thought processes of the listener, Shibalba took a more literal approach to the art form. Using ritualistic drums and vocal incantations Shibalba delivered what amounted to an actual ritual in real-time.

Shibalba, taking their sound on the road, proved to have a noteworthy live performance. Frontman Acherontas V Priest was already an adept at the live show, through his more well known black metal project Acherontas. So with each performance, Shibalba further spread their message and their brand to an expanding orbit of listeners. By 2015 this growing popularity lead them to release their sophomore effort, Samsara, on the venerated Malignant Records.

Samsara showed an evolution in the sounds of Shibalba. Yet, the album did not break the mold of Memphitic Invocations. It was more a honing of their talents, a condensing of what worked for them. This made Samsara yet another success for the group. Not long after that release, they were already pushing a vinyl version, a format which Shibalba seems to favor.

Even more live performances and the consumption of Samsara brought Shibalba to their current home, on Agonia Records. At the first announcement of their joining Agonia, I’ll have to say I was a bit perplexed. Agonia Records deals in the styles of rock and metal, so imagining a ritual dark ambient group’s placement in these circles seemed a bit out of the ordinary. Of course, that was only until I heard their new album Psychostasis – Death of Khat.

Psychostasis – Death of Khat takes Shibalba into a wholly different place, the album is considerably more ambitious than any of their previous works. The opening title-track seems to shed the dark ambient aspect of their sound almost completely. If there could be any comparison of this style to another dark ambient project, I would only be able to point toward several tracks by Herbst9, though to be clear, I do not consider this to be a copy of the Herbst9 style at all, I merely mention them as a means of illustrating the direction the some of the sounds of Shibalba have taken.

Acherontas V. Priest uses spoken word as well as ritual chanting much more frequently than in the past. Ritual drums become more prominent. In general, the tracks take on more of a traditional song structure. However, when I said before that the dark ambient elements seemed to be completely shed, that (thankfully for me) proves to not be the case. We need look no further than the second track on the album to hear these dark ambient elements come back into play. “Ihag Mthong”, much like many tracks on Samsara, has that hollow rushing windy atmosphere, which makes the listener imagine Shibalba performing their rites in some deep cavern of a dormant volcanic mountain. The chimes ring out reverberating off the walls, the deep bassy ritual drums echo and rumble the floors. It all seems to be building up toward a climax which won’t be reached until the following track “Kaoshiiki Mahayana” kicks in.

“Kaoshiiki Mahayana” is a highly active track. There are a plethora of sounds overlapping one another here. Acherontas V. Priest bellows his chanting vocals as drums beat, chimes ring out, bass rumbles the floors, drones woosh in and out. By two and a half minutes into the track, there seems to be the feeling that some extraordinary spirit has been successfully conjured from its slumber. Following this climax the second half of the track begins to have a sort of mind-altering feel. Bringing the listener along to experience the same ecstasy felt by the attendees of the rite.

On a track like “Aether Ananda Aiwss” we again get that vibe that was present on the opener. This track feels quite musical in comparison to much of Shibalba‘s work. There is a pronounced drum beat, guitars and bass that have an eastern religious feel. Yet, just as these melodies and beats start to sink in many of these elements evaporate. As Acherontas V. Priest makes another invocation the atmosphere begins to warp and swirl again as he makes contact with the gods.

Psychostasis – Death of Khat clearly shifts from much of the previous Shibalba catalog into totally new territory. Their move to a label focusing on rock and metal acts seems to fit their shift in style. Yet, they still manage to retain the energy and mysticism that made Memphitic Invocations and Samsara so successful. They will surely attract a whole new crowd of listeners to their sounds. While, from my perspective, they shouldn’t alienate their oldest and most dedicated supporters that followed Shibalba from its birth. I would recommend Psychostasis – Death of Khat to any previous fans of Shibalba. I also think there is a big enough shift in their sound to attract readers whom may not have previously found Shibalba to be their thing. Whether they will stay the course with this new style, return to their previous frameworks or evolve yet again into something wholly new for their next release will be any one’s guess. In the meantime, Psychostasis – Death of Khat should give us plenty to enjoy for the foreseeable future.

Written by: Michael Barnett 
Photos courtesy of: Elena Vasilaki

Bleach for the Stars – The Time for Silver Flowers – Review

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On July 8, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Bleach for the Stars
Album: The Time for Silver Flowers
Release date: 12 June 2017
Label: Cromlech Records

Tracklist:
01. Ashen Light
02. The Wild Vine
03. Eight Eleven
04. Husk Marant

Bleach for the Stars is a project by Benjamin Power of The United Kingdom. Active in dark ambient and related genres for the last few years, he has built up a varied collection of releases. Tapping into different aspects of his psyche, Power feeds into Bleach For The Stars his love of various aspects of the post-industrial scene as well as his troubled and painful past.

It seems that Benjamin Power has been through quite a bit of turmoil in his life. His albums reflect an inner pain that is undeniable. Often his works lean heavily in the directions of death industrial, power electronics and other heavier forms of post-industrial music. Using his vocals as a weapon, his music easily portrays this inner pain, taking something that can at times seem hateful and resent-filled, yet turning these emotions into a conduit for healthy release. In the process, fans of his music can turn to these albums to help cope with their own struggles with the world, as many of us often find reality to be a bleak and fickle concept.

The Time For Silver Flowers does not dial back on the emotional elements. But in terms of musical execution the sounds will be much more reserved than previous fare by Bleach For The Stars. The Time For Silver Flowers is able to fit more squarely into the dark ambient framework than much of his work. Yet, even with this said, the version of dark ambient that you will find here is still super-charged with emotion, the sounds are gritty, reminding that there is still no abatement to the inner pain of the composer.

The vocals are used in a haunting manner. Especially on tracks like the closer, “Husk Marant”, we can hear the laments of someone hopelessly pain-stricken. Whether this is a purely emotional pain, or also showing physical manifestations, the foundation of the message seems clear, the suffering shall never end. The vocal input, presumably all created by Power, appears takes on the voice of more than one character. At some points it seems as if there are numerous souls all crying out in agony. At other times, the vocals take on a deep and distorted nature, they sound of the heavy wails and cackles of a demoniac source. As these tortured screams reverberate throughout the track, it becomes almost plausible that the track is taking place within the infernal fires of the underworld. As if the sounds come directly from the mouth of the lord of darkness, Lucifer himself.

The vocals may be the most unique aspect of the album, but they are not necessarily the primary focus until later, especially during the final track, “Husk Marant”. There is a slow build up toward that final climactic closure. The opener, “Ashen Light” starts in a subdued fashion, with what seems to be the sound manipulations of some analog synth source. The industrial elements are always present, though it should be noted that I use the term industrial here to portray a sense of setting or location not necessarily to speak of that particular genre of music.

As each track progresses, they all build upon their foundations, starting in a more reserved fashion and then adding layers of sound, building toward a cacophonous climax later in each track. The gently expanding and receding format makes it much easier for the casual listener to enjoy this experience. There is not a constant onslaught of aural terror tactics. The occasional lulls give us the needed down-time to appreciate each subsequent climax all the more fully.

This is the fourth release on Cromlech Records, which is helmed by Arne Weinberg of Valanx and Solemn Embrace. For listeners familiar with the previous three releases there should not be too much surprise here. The music sticks to a predominately analog format. But, The Time For Silver Flowers does seem a bit unique in its uses of vocals and personal subject matter. The album comes in similar packaging to the label’s debut, a 4-panel CD card wallet with relatively abstract two-tone cover-art. Benjamin Power has included in this release a poem, printed upon a high quality card insert. As expected, the content of the poem is bleak. It helps listeners to appreciate an extra dimension of Power’s vision for the album. I have left the overview of that poem out from the review. I find with poetry that each reader should come to their own conclusion before discussing any of a poem’s qualities.

The Time For Silver Flowers is a highly enjoyable album, which can be returned to time and again. The analog elements do not seem as mechanical and lifeless herein as is so often the case with albums fully dedicated to this format. This is a perfect place to start for those unfamiliar with Cromlech Records. For those already familiar with the label, there should be minimal criticism of this latest release to be found. In sound execution as well as packaging, Cromlech Records have done justice to the vision of Benjamin Power. I will certainly be paying attention to whatever comes next for Cromlech and/or Bleach for The Stars.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Frozen In Time: Weekly News 4 July 2017

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On July 4, 2017

In Frozen In Time: Weekly News

There are a ton of new releases this week. Probably half of which are lesser known projects released in the ‘name your price’ format. So it’s a perfect time to branch out and find some new music to complement your summer. I’ll be separating these releases into two categories: the first will be the usual dark ambient releases, the second will be ‘On the Periphery’ releases which aren’t particularly dark ambient but I have deemed them to be of interest to dark ambient listeners. I’d love to hear your feedback on the latter, so I can get a gauge of how interesting these things are to This Is Darkness’ readers. As a friendly reminder, there is a Patreon account now for This Is Darkness and we could really use any support that our dedicated readers could offer. You can become a patron here. I hope everyone in the northern hemisphere is having a great summer, and those of you down south… I’m jealous!

Music Videos

Josco & Spheruleus – New Video for “Samila”
Check out the full album, available for pre-orders here.

New Releases & Preorders

A Bleeding Star – New Single Released (Digital Only)
“Hex’d Complex to tell ‘Vhat’s Spinnin’ ‘Round My Head​.​.​.​So Here’s How It Sounds Instead” is the latest track by A Bleeding Star whom appears to be releasing weekly tracks at this point. “name your price” so give it a try!

Alio Die & Aglaia – New Album
“Since the late 80s, Stefano Musso has recorded deep, evocative experimental ambient & electro-acoustic soundscapes under the name Alio Die.
His music is a shadowy, cavernous, intensely detailed fusion of acoustical elements, step-and-repeat sample treatments, sparse, echoing percussion, and deep, atmospheric sound design, textural passages..by the music’s vague, entropic formlessness.”

b°tong – Two New Albums Available For Preorder (Reverse Alignment – CD/Digital)
Reverse Alignment says about the project, “Since getting to know Chris Sigdell from a distance in 2010, sending the label a promo copy of The Great Disintegrator, and onwards recognising the release of his project b°tong ‎ through labels such as Attenuation Circuit, Greytone and Silken Tofu, we met up in the flesh in 2016. Since then the label invited him to master last years releases from Ajna, Valanx and Dronny Darko and now releases his project b°tong’s two new albums Monastic and The Long Journey.

Haft Teppeh – New Album Streaming On Bandcamp (Stream Only)
Yume is the debut album by Haft Teppeh. Haft Teppeh says of the project, “Dark ambient for those addicted to the dreamworld. Influences from Kammarheit, Atrium Carceri, Raison d’etre, Axis of Perdition”

Halgrath – New Single Released
“Air Meditation” “In the Mountain valley you can feel the wind of southern sea… here, above the world all your thoughts are opened for memorizing previous lives, where you was someone else. You know the depts of disappointment, you’ve been in most crytical troubles.
Now you know, that sun light is setting you free from the old pain and opens the gate for the new air.”

IMPERIVM LVCIFERI – New Album Release (Deivlforst – CD/Digital)
Imperivm Lvciferi is the debut release by this mysterious dark/drone ambient project which could be most closely compared to the 90s project, Neptune Towers. It’s quite an interesting album, find out more about it on my review here.

Leonard Donat – New Album Released (Blackjack Illuminist Records – CD/Cassette/Digital)
Deer Traps is a nice blend of meditative drones, neo-classical, and dark ambient.

Of Flesh & Mashines – New Single Released (Digital Only)
“Deprivation” is a nice blend of classical piano and dark ambient leaning experimental sounds. Its a truly interesting and unique track, released on Bandcamp as “name your price”, so give it a try!

Rapoon – New Live Sleep Album Released
Disambiguation (sleepy dreamy nighty snoozy) is part of Rapoon’s performance at Avantgarde Festival Schiphorst from June of 2017.

TUSEN AR UNDER JORD – sandhavens genklang – LP [Verlautbarung]
Despite the perhaps obvious nod and reference to some of Muslimgauze’s more atmospheric excursions this new work of Tusen Ar Under Jord holds a different character, like the one of a lone wandering explorer setting up his recording equipment a little wherever necessary. The grainy picture is still at hand but focus has turned to spiritual elevation instead of grey introspection. Tablas churn, smokescreens come and go, as the carpets are rolled out on the shifting sands. Total recommendation! In thick disco sleeve with contemporary packaging.
http://www.millstonevinyl.se

Unexplained Sounds Group – New Compilation Released (Digital Only)
“Frontiers: the limit of knowledge or the most advanced achievement in a particular field, or an outer limit in a field of endeavor, especially one in which the opportunities for research and development have not been exploited. Difficult to say when, in the musical aesthetics field, we can apply that definition. Certainly it’s always an arbitrary and limited choice. By all means I tried to collect a group of musicians and sound designers who make a great effort into stretching the electronic and electro-acoustic music possibilities, searching for new expression paths, mostly indifferent to music trends. They come from Sweden, US, Canada, Italy, France, Japan, Belgium, Scotland, Germany, and some of them are well known to the Unexplained Sounds network followers. Others are recent discoveries from the underground experimental electronic scene. All united by the same passion to explore the frontiers of unknown and possible musics.”

News ‘On The Periphery’ 

.cut feat. Gibet – New EP Released (attenuation circuit – Digital Only)
3 is thhe latest release on the attenuation circuit label. The sounds here are a bit experimental, but certainly dark and brooding. “name your price” on Bandcamp.

Cosmic Canyon – New Single Released (The Eagle Stone Collective – Digital Only)
“Droning 28948” is a three track single which delves into styles like drone/ambient/dark-ambient/americana just to name a few. There should definitely be some things to enjoy about this from fans of dark ambient, though I wouldn’t fully place it in that category. “name your price” so it can’t hurt to give it a try!

Effluvium & Blood Tower – New Split EP Released
This split is a nice combination of genres. There are obvious influences from dark ambient, dungeon synth, black metal & neo-classical featured on this album. The digital album is available now on their bandcamp site for only $1 and they will be selling any remaining CDs there as well, if they do not sell out on the Effluvium summer tour.

THE HOLY CIRCLE – New Music Video
“Paris” (Dir. Danielle Damico)
Official Video for Baltimore synthpop/shoegaze trio THE HOLY CIRCLE. Directed by DANIELLE DAMICO. Buy the physical of their new album on Annihilvs Power Electronix here. Or you can preview and purchase the digital album here.

Toàn – Preorders Available For New Album (eilean rec. – CD/Digital)
Toàn is a French electronic musician based in Britain. As a beatmaker, he has produced several albums mixing jazz and hip hop influences under the pseudonym of Qiwu Selftet. Toàn is now focuses on freer musical forms, close to ambient and modern classical.
Without using any synths, Histós Lusis is entirely composed by samples found on old records, live instruments and field recordings.

Tunguska Electronic Music Society – New Compilation Released (Digital Only)
You will find on this release a wide range of sounds like ambient/dark-ambient/chill-out/downtempo all of which make for a nice relaxing experience. Released as “name your price” is it’s a good time to get to know this label. “The community named “Tunguska Electronic Music Society” was created by several musicians and composers on the threshold of centenary of the Tunguska phenomenal catastrophe, in order to capture the public attention to such an extraordinary event.
The musical component in the work of community is the melodious instrumental and electronic music.”

Other News

The APPARITIONS series of performances by M. Kardinal & Monocube has released two videos of their last performance here. Using analog equipment to produce audio and visual art which complement one another M. Kardinal & Monocube have created a very interesting and creative series of A/V experiences. Check back to this page often to see more of their work as it becomes available.
There will be an upcoming performance @ Spektrum in Berlin on 07/07/17.

Flowers For Bodysnatchers has taken part in the latest horror short from CryptTV. The Thing In The Apartment: Chapter II stars Ashlynn Yennie and Michael Marinaccio. Music is produced by Flowers For Bodysnatchers. Cinematography by Oliver Young. Produced by Jon Judelson. Special creature effects by Vincent Guastini. Written and directed by John William Ross. You can see the first chapter of this short here.

Annihilvs Power Electronix – Latest Newsletter
Keep up to date on the latest happenings with APEX. They’ve recently started moving in high gear and have a lot of announcements for upcoming releases and live shows. Read the newsletter here.

This Is Darkness Week In Review

Conarium –
A Lovecraftian Video Game
This is the first game review on This Is Darkness. Conarium is available on PC, Xbox One and PS4. Conarium doesn’t rely so heavily on the Lovecraft lore that players unfamiliar with his work would feel lost. The developers did a good job of building relevant Lovecraft references into the story in a way that felt natural. However, as a huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft and having read just about every story he’s written or revised at this point, I found the more subtle references to his works really added to my enjoyment of and immersion in the game. With this in mind, I would highly recommend Conarium to any gamers that enjoy reasonably complicated puzzle games and have a true passion for the works of H.P. Lovecraft. There are enough adventure elements and varied locations to hold the interest of those of us whom grow bored reasonably quickly without constantly stimulating content. It really seems that Zoetrope took all their experience with their previous games and built upon it, bringing their work closer to perfection. Instead of diving into some unknown game style, a habit of many companies, which often leaves their inexperience obvious for all to see, and can ultimately destroy the immersion and render the game-play lacking in depth, cohesion and/or playability. I hope to see more similarly styled games from Zoetrope in the future. They are certainly on the right track.
Check out the full review here.

IMPERIVM LVCIFERI – Self Titled
IMPERIVM LVCIFERI is, unsurprisingly, another brilliant success for Deivlforst Records. Yet one more solid piece of work to add to their already illustrious catalog of releases. In just a few years they have solidified their position at the forefront among dungeon synth labels and they seem to subtly underline continuously that they are not limited to this genre alone, but instead occasionally make side-steps to other genres, while picking only very interesting albums for these. With IMPERIVM LVCIFERI Deivlforst again continue to slowly expand outside the confines of dungeon synth. Their fan-base is likely to grow even further with this release. As the label continues progressing into another year of existence, divining what will come next proves ever more complicated, but definitely makes us eager to hear.
Read the full review here.

Vladimír Hirsch – Scripta Soli
Vladimír Hirsch is certainly a man of many hats. His musical interests and ventures are almost too many to count. Yet, when he sets his mind to focus strictly upon dark ambient, he proves to be one of the greats. Scripta Soli is able to stand confidently along side some of the most memorable albums of the genre. His array of techniques and styles make Scripta Soli an attractive release for those just discovering the genre as well as those whom followed it for decades. Any discerning fan of the genre certainly needs to experience this release, there should be very few fans to view this release in a negative light.
Read the full review here.

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IMPERIVM LVCIFERI – Self Titled – Review

By

On July 1, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: IMPERIVM LVCIFERI
Album: IMPERIVM LVCIFERI
Release date: 1 July 2017
Label: Deivlforst Records

Tracklist:
01. Lvcifer’s Fall
02. Regency of Chaos

IMPERIVM LVCIFERI is the latest release on Deivlforst Records. IMPERIVM LVCIFERI is a bit of an oddity because the identities of the album’s creators have been concealed, it is only said that they are both already on Deivlforst. So the music is forced to speak for itself, without any preconceived notions about the musicians’ history or progression being considered. The second odd thing about this release is that it falls firmly into the style of old-school analog dark/drone ambient. While the majority of releases on Deivlforst are squarely rooted in dungeon synth, IMPERIVM LVCIFERI paves a wholly different path for the label. We have previously seen Die Mauern Der Nacht by Grimrik and Songs from the Fyrgen by Wolcensmen, both of which veered from the path of dungeon synth. This is the third out of some 28 releases to diverge from the dungeon synth (and black metal in the case of Arath) roots. Maybe this is a hint at the future direction of the label, expanding further into other genres.

The mention of black metal above does give us a bit of direction in comparing this with the other releases on Deivlforst, as well as other releases in the history of these related genres. Most dungeon synth music can find its roots in black metal and in a round-about way, this latest release by IMPERIVM LVCIFERI also finds some connections to those black metal roots. IMPERIVM LVCIFERI have taken a lot of inspiration from the two decades old releases by Neptune Towers on Moonfog Productions, back in 1994 and 1995. Neptune Towers was the side-project of Fenriz of Darkthrone and Isengard fame. These two releases, Caravans To Empire Algol and Transmissions From Empire Algol, took Neptune Towers into some deep space astral synth territory. The music had its occasional hints of something like dungeon synth arising during certain moments. There were also some hints of their black metal roots in some of the distorted guitar based drones used on the albums. But the main focus of Neptune Towers was on their analog drone-work which slowly morphed and evolved over the roughly 40 minute length of each album.


Getting into the specifics of the IMPERIVM LVCIFERI project, we can find music that honors those old Neptune Towers albums. The self-titled debut IMPERIVM LVCIFERI takes that basis of deep space astral synth and molds it into a more terrestrial creation. The sounds take on the feel of ritualistic ambient, while the actual sound sculpting itself mainly comes from a single KORG MS-20 mini analog synthesizer – the instrument was sent across Europe to be used by both artists. These ritual sounds, as the project’s name would imply, are focused on invoking the spirit and visions of the dark lord Himself, Lucifer. Since the music is only prepared with an analog synthesizer, we must allow the imagery, track titles and a bit of creativity to help us understand the thematics. There aren’t vocals or field recordings present to spoon-feed listeners the story of the fall and underworldly reign of Lucifer.

The album is exactly forty minutes in length and it is split evenly into two tracks: “Lvcifer’s Fall” and “Regency of Chaos”. While as a whole the album is highly secretive, and specifically avoids naming its actual creators, we are given a few small hints about the origins. “Lvcifer’s Fall” was recorded by The Left Hand Path in Germany with the assistance of an analog Roland TB-303 clone and “Regency of Chaos” was recorded by The Observing Eye in Italy with the assistance of various noise generators. Any further information about the project’s origins has been withheld. Maybe they will be revealed in time, or maybe Deivlforst will opt to keep this musical collaboration enshrouded in its current level of secrecy.

“Lvcifer’s Fall” is quite lively in its execution. It immediately delves into some high tempo and high attack synth which slowly evolves over the first eight minutes. If we are using the theme of the fall of Lucifer as the basis for these sounds, this section seems to be part of that initial confrontation which would lead to the removal of Lucifer from heaven. By the nine minute mark, the sounds slow considerably. As if the confrontation has ended and Lucifer is now facing the prospect of His descent from the heavens. The intensity gently increases as we move toward the end of the track, which seems to symbolize the actual fall itself.

The second half of the album, “Regency of Chaos” starts off much more subtely than “Lvcifer’s Fall”. The atmosphere begins in a quiet, somber setting. The synthesizer moves at a slow tempo, allowing the sounds to gently increase in their intensity as the track progresses. By ten minutes into “Regency of Chaos” the music has risen to its high-mark. That same gentle bassy foundation is still present, but other sounds have come into the fold. This progression seems to symbolize Lucifer’s first moments in the underworld, when His kingdom was not yet fully realized. But as the track progresses, so too does Lucifer’s vision of His new kingdom. By the close of the album, there are disturbing sounds, which almost seem to represent those infernal depths, soundscapes wrought in the bowels of Hell itself.

As is usually the case with Deivlforst releases, the packaging (6-panel digipack CD) is sure to be of the highest quality. Grimrik has mixed and mastered the album, as well as edited the artist photos. As any fan of Deivlforst knows, Grimrik never disappoints when it comes to his (post-)production standards and execution. The talented artist Will Helm contributes the simple yet gorgeous cover art, depicting the pentagram behind a snake coiled around a sword, which is adorned with a crown, surely representing the rule of Lucifer. The package is arranged into its ultimate layout by none other than Dan Capp, renowned for his previous Deivlforst work as well as his work with black metal legend Burzum, among others. As the album will be manufactured in an ultra-limited edition of only fifty copies, die-hard Deivlforst fans should move very quickly to secure their copy. The release will likely sell-out in a very short time-frame.

IMPERIVM LVCIFERI is, unsurprisingly, another brilliant success for Deivlforst Records. Yet one more solid piece of work to add to their already illustrious catalog of releases. In just a few years they have solidified their position at the forefront among dungeon synth labels and they seem to subtly underline continuously that they are not limited to this genre alone, but instead occasionally make side-steps to other genres, while picking only very interesting albums for these. With IMPERIVM LVCIFERI Deivlforst again continue to slowly expand outside the confines of dungeon synth. Their fan-base is likely to grow even further with this release. As the label continues progressing into another year of existence, divining what will come next proves ever more complicated, but definitely makes us eager to hear.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Vladimír Hirsch – Scripta Soli – Review

By

On July 1, 2017

In Reviews

Artist: Vladimír Hirsch
Album: Scripta Soli
Release date: 25 May 2017
Label: Old Captain

Tracklist:
01. Indictum
02. Omen
03. Impressiones
04. Exanima
05. Camera Delusionis
06. Erebeum
07. Centuria
08. Fuga / Acquiesce
09. Dacryon
10. Amorphes
11. Guttae Vltimae
12. Consummatum

Vladimír Hirsch is a Czech contemporary avant-garde composer, instrumentalist and sound alchemist. He has been producing and releasing music since back in 1987. He works within a wide range of musical styles including contemporary classical, industrial and dark ambient just to name a few. Starting out as a pianist Hirsch quickly became enamored in the more manipulative nature of electronics. Through any number of combinations of various styles and techniques of music, Hirsch exudes a mastery of his trade. He is a man who has thoroughly studied and recorded within any number of musical styles. He seems to have a genuine love for taking genres and instruments into directions unexplored.

Scripta Soli is the latest release in the genre of dark ambient by Vladimír Hirsch. While on a number of his previous releases he incorporated style that would spill into classical and experimental territory, Scripta Soli feels like a dark ambient album in its purest form.

Scripta Soli incorporates a vast amount of techniques and instruments to bring Hirsch’s vision to life. In the liner notes of the album he is credited as using synthesizers, electronic keyboards, piano, field recordings, electro-acoustic analog and digital techniques and vocals. The vocals include guest appearances by Dominika Karcovsk and Nadya Feir. The mention of this wide variety of elements should begin to bring into perspective the breadth of ground this album covers. Tracks like “Impressiones” can bring together most of these elements within a single track. We are confronted with string instruments which give the track a bit of a neo-classical feel, without ever truly crossing over into that territory. There are field recordings that paint a picture of a derelict industrial complex haunted by the ghosts of its long deceased workforce.

The following track, “Exanima” takes us even deeper into the industrial landscapes, with a gently executed screeching noise blaring over a foundation of slowly evolving and morphing synthesizer drones. The track is reasonably short in comparison to “Impressiones” which came in at 6+ minutes, so “Ex Anima” serves as a sort of interlude.

The next track “Camera Delusionis” begins as a more subtle but no less brooding affair. There are deep rumbling drones beneath the surface, complemented by a sound that serves as a drum beat, yet doesn’t particularly seem to be a drum. A more ominous synth track sits on top of the mix, giving the composition a sort of horror film aesthetic. It’s tracks like this one that really display the brilliance and depth of Hirsch’s grasp on dark ambient.

The rest of the album similarly moves forward in the way described of these three consecutive tracks. We are taken on a journey, deep into the depths of forgotten industrial complexes, into places that seem to still be alive with the malevolent ghosts of their seedy pasts. The plethora of sound sculpting techniques used on Scripta Soli means that the album never grows stale. Throughout its 60+ minutes the soundscapes are constantly shifting and morphing, bringing out an intricate array of emotions, giving us numerous images of forgotten landscapes to imagine.

Vladimír Hirsch is certainly a man of many hats. His musical interests and ventures are almost too many to count. Yet, when he sets his mind to focus strictly upon dark ambient, he proves to be one of the greats. Scripta Soli is able to stand confidently along side some of the most memorable albums of the genre. His array of techniques and styles make Scripta Soli an attractive release for those just discovering the genre as well as those whom followed it for decades. Any discerning fan of the genre certainly needs to experience this release, there should be very few fans to view this release in a negative light.

Written by: Michael Barnett

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