Here are the dark ambient albums that we at This is Darkness have been listening to this month – some are new releases, but a few are older gems we’ve just (re)discovered.
Please check these out by clicking on the Bandcamp link next to each review (or by clicking on the BNDCMPR link at the bottom of the page), and please consider supporting the featured artists. Enjoy!
phoanøgramma & Luca Ferro – limen memoriae
The latest release from the ever awesome Unexplained Sounds Group label is this impressive album from 3 very talented musicians: Angelo Panebianco, Matteo Mariano, and Luca Ferro. Drawing inspiration “from the transient and fallible nature of memory” this is music that is otherworldly, disorienting, and haunting – providing the listener with an incredible audio experience as they are transported from the world we know to one of vast spaces and impossible, almost alien architectures. Wonderful.
floating shrine – Connecting
Floating Shrine‘s second album on the wonderful Decaying Sphereslabel is an album of gorgeously textured landscapes, featuring warm organic ambient arrangements and glitchy electronic elements. The end result is something very special indeed – with subtle melodies and melancholic undertones, this is an album that is perfect for a period of relaxation and introspection. Simply beautiful.
Coppergear – öldanya
Coppergear‘s latest release is an album of deliciously dark ambient with industrial and post-industrial undertones that is jaw droppingly good. The music here is dark, moody, and dripping in atmosphere from start to finish. I’ve had this on repeat play since I first heard it a few weeks ago, and it gets better and better with each and every listen. Highly recommended for fans of dark ambient with an industrial edge. Impressive stuff!
Raus / Nahtonerfahrung – an uns, die wir hier sind
The latest release on the wonderful Zustandsaufnahmen label features tracks of experimental ambient (from Italian viola artist Raus) and tracks of no-input, harsh noise improvisations (from two Cologne based musicians, Nahtonerfahrung). The contrast between the two types of music really works here, providing the listener with complimentary variances that make for a very rewarding audio experience. On the basis of this release, I will definitely be checking out more work from both artists – and this excellent independent label!
Shane Morris – Book of Shadows
Shane Morris is – quite rightly- making quite a name for himself in the dark ambient genre, with each and every release offering a real treat to fans of atmospheric dark ambient. His latest release, Book of Shadows, is another equally impressive collection of dark ambient tracks, featuring haunting soundscapes, evolving drones, and eerie field recordings – all working together perfectly to create a wonderfully rewarding cinematic listening experience. Fantastic!
Karen Vogt – Waterlog
Karen Vogt is one of those wonderful artists whose music transcends genres – using her voice, she creates incredible atmospheric, ambient and experimental compositions. Waterlog is a 7-track album written and recorded in three improvisational sessions just after Karen‘s beloved cat, LUIS, passed away. With themes of grief and deep emotion, the resulting music is melancholic, haunting, and dreamlike. It’s absolutely beautiful from start to finish, and very highly recommended for those looking for something delicate and evocative. Breath-taking.
karen vogt – diary#5
Another release from Karen Vogt, diary #5 utilises and explores unfinished and unreleased loops, improvisations and pieces made during her Little Pink Fluffy Clouds sessions. The first half of the tracks are textural loops made only of vocals, and the second half feature guitar and vocal pieces with some spoken and experimental pieces. All of them are stunning – and oozing with feelings of joy, heartache, and heartfelt emotion. This is one of those amazing albums that stays with you long after it’s finished playing. Gorgeous.
Spacecraft – Moments of Solitude
I’ve been a big fan of Mumbai-based Spacecraft for quite a while now – his albums of subtle dream-like electronic / drone / ambient never failing to impress. Moments of Solitude is, as the name suggests, an album of music perfect for chilling out to and losing yourself into. The music here is dreamy and ethereal – conjuring up images of spaces-capes and solar storms in distant galaxies. Divine.
insectarium – Hypatia
Slithering Black Records continues to release incredibly gorgeous dark ambient, ritual ambient, industrial, and Lovecraftian themed albums, and their latest release, Hypatia by insectarium, is another album of the highest order. The music is here is dark and brooding, with eerie soundscapes skilfully combined with haunting field recordings and slow unfolding drones. This is an album that is well worth checking out if you are a fan of atmospheric dark ambient. Wonderful!
Sanctuary – Psyche
The latest album from Sanctuary is this wonderfully dark and foreboding album of dark ambient / experimental electronica – in which the boundaries of the genre are blown away, resulting in an album that takes things to the next level. Multi-layered, and featuring incredible synth work, eerie drones, and spine chilling field recordings, this is an album that offers something different in each and every listen. This is an album for losing yourself in, as you lie back in a darkened room, and immerse yourself in the unfolding soundscapes. Stunning.
Various Artists – Stalker – Music inspired by Andrej Tarkowskij’s movie
I’m a big fan of the novel, Roadside Picnic, on which the movie Stalker was based, so I was thrilled when I discovered that the wonderful Eighth Tower Records label was releasing an album of music inspired by the movie. With music from 14 talented musicians – including Mombi Yuleman, phoanøgramma, and Kelados, to name just a few – this is another impressive collection of tracks from this label. With music that features elements of dark ambient, drone, electronic, and industrial, there is something for everyone here, and fans of dark, atmospheric music will not be disappointed. Wonderful!
Click on the below image to go to this month’s This is Darkness playlist on BNDCMPR, which features 1 track from each of the above albums:
