September 2020 - This Is Darkness

Month: September 2020

Here are the dark ambient albums that we at This is Darkness have been listening to this month – some are new releases, but a few are older gems we’ve just (re)discovered. Please check these out by clicking on the Bandcamp links, and consider supporting the artists. Enjoy!

Grove of Whispers – Shovelful of Silt

Grove of Whispers continues to release amazing music at pace – each month releasing at least one full album of mesmerising low-tempo drone / dark ambient that I end up with on repeat play. Shovelful of Silt is one of his more unsettling and eerie releases, but as always the overall listening experience is a deeply relaxing and rewarding one.

NYVVA – Gypsy

I fell in love with the music of NYVVA the very first time I heard the wonderful blend of electronic ambient tones and natural sitar drones on his Aether EP – so I was absolutely delighted when I learned that a full album was being released. Gypsy continues in the same vein as the EP, with subtle electronic rhythms and gorgeous sitar sounds combining to produce something very special indeed. Yes, this is more ambient than dark ambient, but this is a wonderful album, and well worth checking out if you’re looking for something a little different.

Bonzaii – Death in the Cities / Tempus Fugit

Death in the Cities, The first half of this latest release from Bonzaii, is dark, twisted and heavy as hell – discordant drones and pulverising synth tones are layered together and the end result is a goosebump-inducing nightmarish soundtrack from hell. Tempus Fugit is a lighter, more poignant track, but no less impressive, and the contrast between the two pieces works wonderfully.

Various Artists – Dark Ambient Vol. 20

The Sombre Soniks dark ambient label specialises in music of a “… ritual or ethnomuzikologikal nature…” and this latest album, a compilation of twenty-three tracks from forty-six artists (collaborating in pairs), is another high quality release. This album is a little “harsher” in overall sound than some of their previous releases, but that’s no bad thing, and each track offers something different so is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for something from a number of up-and-coming dark ambient musicians.
Full disclaimer – the album features a track that our very own Rich Dodgin (using his moniker Hellschreiber) collaborated on.

Hymnambulae – Andarlīh

I’ve been really looking forward to this release! Andarlīh shows a new and darker side of the Hymnambulae project, which consists of siblings Åsa & Pär Boström (Kammarheit, Cities Last Broadcast). Andarlīh is a ritualistic electro-acoustic ambient album, which was recorded in the northern city of Umeå, but also in the subterranean church of Saint Anna, which resides a cool 90 meters below the surface of Lapland, Sweden. This album is the perfect accompaniment to your spiritual practices, or equally suiting as the background atmosphere to your casual daily activities.

Phonothek – Styx

Since their debut, I’ve been a huge fan of the dark jazz stylings of Phonothek. Their form of dark ambient takes on that smokey club vibe more often than not, feeling like the dark ambient answer to a band like Bohren und der Club of Gore. While the overtly jazzy sections are kept to a minimum on this release, the cinematics and atmosphere are at an all-time brooding high. For we are indeed being escorted through the underworld, witnessing macabre sites and sounds along the way that will leave the listener with a lingering sense of dread.

Mount Shrine & alphaXone – Dream Chambers

This was an album destined to be a classic. Mount Shrine is known for his ASMR-ready dark ambient albums, which tend to be perfect for sleep assistance. His combination of cold/polar sensibilities with crisp field recordings are the perfect balance to the exquisite otherworldly drone-work of alphaXone. We are left with an album that has carefully crafted, pulsing drones over a plethora of intricate tiny sounds. Whether falling asleep or just looking for some relaxation, Dream Chambers will certainly help connect listeners to a deeply rewarding liminal space.

Yen Pox – Between the Horizon and the Abyss

For a throw-back album, this month I picked the most recent full-length by dark ambient masters Yen Pox. I picked this one up on double-vinyl back when it released on Malignant, and I find that it is always one of my favorites to return to over the years. The sounds are brooding and massive. Waves of drone crash through the speaker system as the wails of dying are drowned out by out-of-control industrial machinery. A glimpse into an apocalyptic future, which seems to be inching ever closer.

David Lynch Theater – Channel Overview

By Michael Barnett

On September 22, 2020

In Articles

We Need To Talk About:
David Lynch’s YouTube Channel

David Lynch Theater is a YouTube channel that was created in November of 2018, but only started posting videos four months ago. What started out as a venue for daily weather reports, was quickly revealed to have more impactful plans. A week after his first weather report, Lynch released the short film ‘Fire (PoZar)’. The following month a new feature was added to the channel: ‘What Is David Working on Today?’. The following month they added the first Q&A, which ran 37 minutes. By last month another new feature cropped up, ‘Today’s Number Is…’, which was slowly revealed over previous videos. All the while, there have been weather reports every day. New short films have also been releasing intermittently, now counting 10 in total.

For the first week, we were cast into a time-machine back to the early 2000s when David Lynch was hosting a Weather Report on his website.

Lo and behold, over 10 years later, Lynch has returned! This time on YouTube, Lynch has been releasing daily Weather Reports from his studio in Los Angeles.

These weather reports often last only 30-40 seconds, giving a quick overview of the day’s weather in L.A. But, there are some days which require a bit of added commentary.

Like when he wanted to wish Paul McCartney a happy birthday.

Or when he gave us a quick history of D-Day, which had happened on that day in 1944.

Or when he participated in #BlackoutTuesday.

And then had to explain it the next day.

But, what’s even more fun than these daily videos, are the looks behind the scenes of his little projects. I say little because he doesn’t really tell of any “big” news/activities. It is more a look into things he’s doing in his spare time. Like when he decided to create a “checking stick”.

Or when he lamented, to us, about how long it takes to sign lithos, then proceeded to sit down and sign all the lithos, while we watched!

So… yeah… go follow the David Lynch Theater. I think many of you will enjoy it as much as I have.

https://www.youtube.com/c/DAVIDLYNCHTHEATER/featured

Here are a few more David Lynch related articles I’ve posted over the years:

David Lynch – Someone Is In My House – Art Book Review

David Lynch – Nudes – Art Book Review

David Lynch & Kristine McKenna – Room To Dream – Book Review

Pandemic Mix – Fall 2020

By Michael Barnett

On September 22, 2020

In Mixes

I hope everyone is holding up alright during these trying times. I’ve been fighting to keep motivation for the most basic of things, but I’m going to be trying to get more active again, we’ll see how it goes! Today’s offering is a new mix I’ve created, tailored to your pandemic needs. The mix falls back and forth between passivity and more active/percussive moments. I hope you will all find this enjoyable and discover a few new tracks along the way. Stay safe out/in there!

Setlist:

01. 00:00 Lamia Vox – Song of Destiny
02. 05:00 Hymnambulae – Light-Vessel
03. 09:35 Undirheimar – Helvegr
04. 16:50 Shedir – Conceive These Images In Air
05. 19:55 God Body Disconnect – At the End of a Breath
06. 24:15 Desiderii Marginis – What Death Whispers to the Dying
07. 29:05 Bonini Bulga – Remember the Bones
08. 35:10 Beyond the Ghost – Frozen in Time
09. 40:15 Ghostemane – Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
10. 43:40 Atrium Carceri – Ritual at the End of Time

Decaying Spheres by Various Artists – Review

By Rich Dodgin

On September 10, 2020

In Reviews

Artist: Various
Album: Decaying Spheres
Release date: 4 September 2020
Label: Decaying Spheres
Reviewer: Rich Dodgin

Tracklist:
01. Bonzaii – Life on a Blade
02. Hynta – Badlands
03. Ghost Signs – Let Fly Thy Vagabond Heart
04. SVR – A Promise
05. Volunteer Coroner – Fantasy in Flashing Lights
06. Eppu Kaipainen feat Embry お兄ちゃん – My House is Torn Down Every Evening
07. Employee Of The Month – Augur
08. Güsh – Gaunt
09. Σπαταλώ χρόνο – αδυναμία, έλλειψη, λεπτότητα, χαύνωση
10. Seed Faith – Projection Forecast

For their second release, Manchester based ambient / drone record label Decaying Spheres has assembled a stunning collection of tracks from some of their favourite international artists.

The opening track, Life on a Blade, by German artist Bonzaii, is a personal favourite of mine. When I reviewed the A Person / Life on a Blade EP back in June, I said “… discordant drones and low tempo synth patterns are expertly blended together to create something very special. This music provides the perfect soundtrack for reminiscing over days long past and remembering old friends… and maybe a spot of soul-searching…” It’s a wonderful start to the album, and sets the tone perfectly for the audio journey to follow.

Badlands by Hynta has a more experimental sound to it, but is no less impressive. Repeating glitches, sounds of static, and haunting not-quite-vocals gradually evolve into a mesmerising loop of eerie synths and electronic beeps. It’s beautifully done, and the resulting listening experience is otherworldly and hypnotic.

Let Fly Thy Vagabond Heart by Ghost Signs is a track of ethereal drone and synth sounds that relax and uplift as they wash over you. It’s beautiful stuff, and I found myself transported away from my surroundings as the music unfolded.

I’ve been a huge fan of Scottish dark ambient musician SVR for several months now, so I was delighted to discover the inclusion of this new, exclusive track on the album. And A Promise is another fantastic example of the minimalist electronic drone music this talented artist creates – with experimental lo-fi soundscapes so deep you can lose yourself in them.

Fantasy in Flashing Lights by Volunteer Coroner would be the perfect soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic movie. Eerie drones combine with the sounds of roaring flames and decaying tarpaulin flapping in the wind. Distant voices echo from the world left behind, a reminder of everything that was lost in the nuclear hellfire.

My House is Torn Down Every Evening by Eppu Kaipainen feat Embry お兄ちゃん is an unsettling track, in which slowly repeating electronic wailing is accompanied by desperate, terrified sobbing, and softly spoken vocals that somehow manage to be both soothing and sinister. It’s an uncomfortable listen, but a rewarding and strangely enjoyable one.

Augur by Employee of the Month is a minimalist track, with dense layers of drone subtly blended with electronic static and glitches. This is a wonderfully dark and eerie piece, imbued with an underlying sense of dread and otherness that stays with the listener long after it’s finished playing.

Gaunt by Güsh starts with the looping sound of whispering by someone in pain, before the synth and drones come to the fore, along with a repeating pattern of electronic glitches and disquieting tones. As the track develops, so do the feelings of apprehension experienced by the listener. This is powerful music that leaves you catching your breath at its sheer intensity.

αδυναμία, έλλειψη, λεπτότητα, χαύνωση by Σπαταλώ χρόνο sounds like the soundtrack to a terrifying sci-fi / horror movie. Haunting drones are expertly combined with strange alien echoes, subtle electronic beeps and noises… and the breathing of something distinctly non-human. There is a real depth to this track, with multiple layers of sound that mean that each play of it rewards the listener with something new.

The final track on the album, Projection Forecast by Seed Faith, begins with what sounds like someone – or something – walking through dank sewers, as an underlying sense of tension grows. Gradually, synths are added to the mix, and the track becomes more melancholic, and almost uplifting – though the unsettling nature of the track remains. It ends the album beautifully, striking the perfect balance between the darkness and the light, and leaving the listener touched by what they’re heard.

This is an incredibly impressive collection of tracks, and if you’re a fan of dark ambient, drone, or experimental music then it is definitely worth checking out. Decaying Spheres have done an amazing job of pulling together 10 tracks of such high quality, that each offer something different – I’ve had this album on repeat play since I first got it, and I cannot wait to see what this label releases next.

Written by Rich Dodgin

Links

Decaying Spheres label bandcamp

Volunteer Coroner bandcamp

Eppu Kaipainen bandcamp

Embry お兄ちゃん

Employee of the Month bandcamp

Güsh bandcamp