On this weeks edition of Frozen In Time you will find a few teasers that I have been highly anticipating. There is a nice variety of artists announcing or releasing new albums, I have included several upcoming Cadabra Records releases which I highly recommend if you are even remotely interested in spoken word art. Previously released interviews from Terra Relicta are continuing to be re-published here on This Is Darkness by the grace of Terra Relicta’s boss-man Tomaz, so another thank you to him for allowing the re-publication of these.
A correction from a review last week is in order: Svartsinn – Collected Obscurities is a joint release between Old Captain and Cyclic Law. I initially only credited Cyclic Law as the release label. You can find a link to that review and the rest of our weekly publications at the bottom of this article.
Wishing everyone a great week and I hope you will enjoy this weeks segment!
New Releases and Pre-orders
A Bleeding Star – New Single Released
Their (apparently) weekly single has just been released. Check out “It Never Ends...So Hence Comes Again Haegl’s Resurgence With the Crone’s Bonechillin’ Presence”. It is ‘name your price’ so no excuses!
Altarmang – LP Released
Altarmang, which consists of Kenneth Hansson and Pär Boström of (Kammarheit and Hymnambulae) have just released the LP version of their debut album Void, which was previously released on tape in a very limited number of copies. Void is now available on vinyl through Autarkeia here. Here is the teaser video for the LP!
Aura Negativ – New Album Revealed
Oddity Moon is the latest by Aura Negative. The space ambient album is due for release on Obscure Dungeon Records in July.
Bonini Bulga – Teaser Video Released
Bonini Bulga is the latest project unveiled by Hypnagoga Press. Sealed consist of bleak, minimalistic music made by Pär Boström (of Kammarheit and Cities Last Broadcast fame), using synthesizers, effect pedals and loops. The physical cassette is only included in The Solar Zine, issue 3. Receive a digital copy of the The Solar Zine for free on the day of the release – by signing up for their newsletter, The Lunar Letter, here.
Cadabra Records – New Album Announced
Cadabra Records is proud to introduce the ultimate audio adaption of H. P. Lovecraft‘s Fungi From Yuggoth. Masterfully ready by voice actor Andrew Leman are 36 sonnets of pure nightmare as only Lovecraft would write. Accompanied is a beautiful and haunting soundscape by Theologian who draws you into a dream world of horror and imagination. Fungi From Yuggoth, originally written between 1929 and 1930 and remains one of the most iconic and nightmarish collection of poems ever written.
Fungi From Yuggoth is read by Andrew Leman, a partner of the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, a professional actor with years of stage, screen, and audio performances, his voice capturing the proper terror, dread, suspense, and madness of Lovecraft’s stories.
Cadabra Records – Pre-orders Available
The spoken/horror arts curators at Cadabra Records announce the label’s most ambitious project yet, with the upcoming release of ROBERT W. CHAMBERS’ The Yellow Sign, the cult classic which inspired the acclaimed HBO series, True Detective. The story has here been professionally recited by popular filmmaker and actor, Anthony D. P. Mann, the LP featuring extensive notes by weird fiction scholar S. T. Joshi, and a brilliant and haunting score by composer Maurizio Guarini, of Italian prog/horror ions, Goblin. Purchase here.
Cruithni – New Album Released
“Chronicle goes back to the era of the ancient and mythic landscapes of pre-Christian Scotland where the mystic Pictish tribes and Druids reigned across a primitive homeland. To feel the primal pull of ancestors and the long forgotten DNA of tribal connections. A time when man lived in tune with the Earth and her cycles. A known reverence for the land was common and a natural spirituality steeped in native animals, sacred hunts and rituals that took place year round.Throughout history, these Picts have been shadowy, enigmatic figures.From the outset, they were regarded as savage warriors but by the time the Norsemen were compiling their sagas and histories, the memory of the Picts had degenerated into a semi-mythical race of fairies.Theories abound, although these days it is generally accepted that the Picts were not, as was once believed, a new race, but were simply the descendants of the indigenous Iron Age people of northern Scotland.”
Dungeon Synth Compilation – New Album Released
Artifacts From The Shadow Realm is a ‘name your price’ dungeon synth compilation curated and mixed by Kaptain Carbon, a big player in the dungeon synth Facebook community and beyond. This is a great place to get an idea of what dungeon synth is all about if you haven’t yet delved into the genre, or maybe haven’t since way back in the Mortiis CMI days. While most of these artists are up & coming in the genre, you will have a wide range of sounds and a good idea of the genre from this compilation.
Enearth – New Album Released
New experimental Dark Ambient album, The Gray Lights, from Enearth (Sycanthrope Project)
Hypnagoga Press – New Issue of The Solar Zine Announced
“The Summer Solstice issue of The Solar Zine, 2017, will be released on June 21st.
This issue marks a new phase for Hypnagoga Press. During the past months we’ve begun a mapping process, as a part of deepening the work done through Hypnagoga Press. A mapping of the inner worlds we wish to journey and manifest, and of the places and projects connected to them. This issue presents a first version of this map. Included in the issue is also the album Sealed by Bonini Bulga, a cassette limited to 50 copies. Bleak, minimalistic music made by Pär, using synthesizers, effect pedals and loops.
We look forward to sharing all this with you.
Receive a digital copy of the The Solar Zine for free on the day of the release – sign up to our newsletter The Lunar Letter on our website: www.hypnagogapress.com
The physical zine comes both with a cassette and a download code to a digital version of the album. *The digital zine doesn’t include a download code.*”
Jarl – New Album Released
“Without taking as much as a short break, Jarl is returning with the new production Hypnosis Colour, mastered by fellow musician Peter Andersson (Raison D’être) and arts crafted by Karolina Urbaniak.
Continuing from where Amygdala Colours – Hemisphere Roation ended, Jarl takes us on a 47 minute trip further into the psyche of human mind.
Hypnotically coloured sounds that evolves into a mixture of acoustic and electronic sounds are to be expected. Disturbing and beautiful.”
Kalpamantra / Malignant Records – Massive Compilation Released
Recrudescence is the latest collaboration between Kalpamantra and Malignant Records. This massive compilation features tracks from artists on the Malignant roster, some well known artists and others who have yet to release their Malignant debuts. This is a fantastic way to quickly and easily learn more about the breadth of music released by the esteemed label Malignant Records, compiled in a digital only, reasonably priced format.
Las Paccariscas – New EP Released
The Voice Of W.A.R. Part II is an EP by the Ukrainian dark ambient artist Las Paccariscas. I first was introduced to his music last year on a Kalpamantra release. He would soon after contribute an excellent track to the Terra Relicta compilation I curated and released last year, which you can find here. Definitely an interesting and underrated project to follow.
Paragraphs – New Album Released
“The Children Are Orphans Now is a follow up to I Went Outside, I could Hear The Houses Breathing, They Were Alive. This album is everything I intended the first album to be. It is heavier, gloomier, more experimental, and instead of focusing on the bittersweet and potentially poetic aspects of depression, this album focuses on the inescapable, thrashing desperation of various mental illnesses. Once again, in this album I attempt to fuse, dark ambient, shoegaze and post-rock. This time with a bigger emphasis on gloom and lo-fi production. All purchases of this album will come with a bonus package which includes artwork, diary extracts and poetry.”
Vacant Stations – New Album Announced
Clones is currently in production and is due to be released at the end of summer 2017. Winter Light are very excited about this release from this relatively new artist based in London, UK. Having previously released one digital album on Bandcamp, Vacant Stations will now be gracing their roster of artists over at Winter-Light. The full album of over 60 minutes of music, spanning across 13 tracks, will put a new slant on the dark ambient genre with additional experimental touches, tinged with dark and doom laden elements. Check out the details here.
Other News
Father Dagon
This is Father Dagon S01E06 Vincent Abbott. Written by Victoria Snaith, produced by Dread Falls Theatre. Original soundtrack by Seesar. For more information, or to donate, please visit www.dreadfallstheatre.com/podcasts or www.patreon.com/dreadfallstheatre
This Is Darkness: Week In Review
New Mix – Dark Forest Reigns
Travel deep into the dark and malign forests. The birds sing, but the song is wrong. The rains fall, but the Earth they touch is distorted and perverse. Let this combination of nature and darkness enshroud you in the mysteries of the ancient woodlands, where daemons and faeries dance among the flames of ancestral fires.
Listen to the mix here.
Mortiis – The Unraveling Mind
The Unraveling Mind is highly enjoyable and entertaining from beginning to end. Leaving me a bit surprised that Mortiis hasn’t put more attention into this area of his sound, which seems to fit him quite naturally. This certainly is not the usual Mortiis fare. Whether you are a fan of his Era I work, his later albums or neither, The Unraveling Mind is certainly worth a listen. I thoroughly enjoyed this side-step of Mortiis and would be pleased to hear him create more music in this vein over the coming years.
Read the full review here.
Ager Sonus – Interview
Ager Sonus is a dark ambient project out of Germany. While he has had several previous self-released albums, Book of the Black Earth is his first major label release. Releasing through Cryo Chamber immediately drew a lot of attention to his music and it seemed like the perfect time to get in contact with him and find out more about Ager Sonus. Thomas talks to me about some of his inspirations, recording techniques and the history of his musical career. As always, I hope you’ll enjoy the interview and definitely give his music a listen!
Read the full interview here.
Black Mara – Interview
Black Mara Records is a relative newcomer to the genres of dark, ritual, and drone ambient. They have been able to quickly solidify their position as a premier Russian label. Including albums from Ad Lucem Tenebratum and Ugasanie, as well as compilations with some of the most promising new artists around the world, Black Mara has set themselves apart. Each release has its own unique packaging, coming with magical stones, herbal-teas, and various box-set formats filled with goodies. I had plenty of reason to get in touch with Dmitriy the owner of the label. We spoke about his mission for the label, along with the subjects of the gods, and some of his personal tastes. Enjoy the following interview conducted from opposite sides of the globe.
Read the full interview here.
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Creation VI
Elegi
Northaunt & Svartsinn
Svartsinn
Hypnagoga Press
Where Winterblood truly captures my interest is in the way he seems to effortlessly meander between dark ambient and that ever growing, often notorious, genre of dungeon synth. Winterblood takes on a minimalistic approach to his music. Most often incorporating little more than a layer or two of synthesizer. This stripped-down approach helps promote those feelings of isolation in the cold. In the past he has also incorporated field recordings, bringing that biting winter wind right into the mix.
On all fronts, Transmissions is a successful side-project. There are certainly dark themes present, whether that is the devil or extra-terrestrial beings. The sounds are consistent and interesting. The album stays active enough to definitely hold the attention of listeners throughout every moment. The loops giving a meditative foundation, the vocal samples adding a sort of life and story to the project. Yet, there is still a passivity to all this, giving readers and scholars enough distance from the sound that they can focus on their tasks. Reeves seems to have tapped into something really promising here. Keeping in mind that this was not a planned album, it seems likely that the next outing as Black Box Memories will be even more interesting, and will take the sound to a more focused and story-driven destination.
The content provided by both artists on Inner Mystery is top notch dark ambient music. This is the first split to be released on Black Mara, and it seems obvious that the label’s owner knew a gem when he saw one. Inner Mystery is dark ambient for any discerning fan. The sounds are well prepared, well executed and well packaged (thanks to the efforts of Black Mara). Inner Darkness is an album that may only provide a few overtly memorable moments, but it is consistently solid, quality work. This is music for the darkest of souls, wanderers of the night, those who would always prefer to lurk in the shadows. If one is new to the sounds of DeepDark and/or Xerxes The Dark, this is the place to make their discovery. It is a fine collection of tracks, by two of the most underrated dark ambient artists in the genre.
Anumals is a truly unique experience. If you hate hip-hop, I doubt you are going to be swayed. But if you do enjoy this genre or at least the occasional song within it, you should find a good bit to love about the dark/horror/occult themes on Anumals. While the sounds themselves are often far from those of dark ambient, the themes, samples, and lyrics of the music should be welcome content for dark ambient fans with an open mind.
Back in 2015, Enmarta had just landed on the dark ambient scene. His debut album Sea of Black took listeners into a brilliant world of dark ambient blended with authentic classical instrumentation. The album quickly became a lauded addition to the Cryo Chamber label. Since this interview, Enmarta has released his sophomore album, The Hermit which went even further in realizing this neo-classical / dark ambient amalgamation.
Azathoth was unleashed on the world in 2015. The collaboration by the Cryo Chamber collective was the second in their series of Lovecraft albums. The series started with Cthulhu and in the time since this publication Nyarlathotep has also been added to the series. The following interview gets some insights about the Azathoth album from a few of the artists involved.
In August of 2016 I conducted an interview with the dark ambient artist Randal Collier-Ford. He was fresh off the release of Locus Arcadia, a collaboration between himself and three other Cryo Chamber artists. Not too long before that he released his second album through Cryo Chamber, Remnants. He talked about some of the behind-the-scenes of the Locus Arcadia as well as his plans for the future, among other things. Here you can get to know a bit about the man behind the music.
“If your musical tastes lie closer to the death industrial, power electronics and harsh noise wall side of the ambient world, then this album will surely be to your liking. It holds similarities to these other genres, while still keeping its roots in a black / dark / ritual ambient foundation. For fans of drone music, this will likely be a welcome album. It seems to fit into that drone ambient territory, yet has a thick and menacing lifeforce which is often lacking with those sort of albums.
The second review for This Is Darkness by Przemyslaw Murzyn!
“Realizing himself, honestly, over the last few years, The Vomit Arsonist has no scruples with doubling down on his style. This is where he feels he belongs, and it really shows on Meditations. Everything done previously by this artist seems to come to a head on Meditations. Listeners should immediately recognize the intensity of the release, an intensity which rarely is diminished through the entirety of the album. I would highly recommend Meditations on Giving up Completely to any readers of This Is Darkness who don’t mind a bit of extra heavy distortion and apocalyptic martial vocal tones. If Meditations is the soundtrack to the end, then we are in for a hell of a climax.”
“With the perfect combination of atmosphere, emotion and technical prowess, Dead Melodies gives us a lot to enjoy. Whether listening to every minute detail attempting to fully realize the back-story, or putting the album on in the background as a musical companion to work or study, Legends of the Wood proves itself to be an invaluable addition to the collection of any dark ambient listener. For me, this is one of the most interesting and refreshing albums so far in 2017. It is yet another reason to reassure their fan-base that Cryo Chamber is a dark ambient force with which to reckon.”
“Listeners of the more cinematic varieties of dark ambient will be over-joyed with this release. There is enough cinematic work presented here to build numerous narratives. Yet, there is enough room for flexibility in the imagination to complement many other forms of entertainment. Book of the Black Earth by Ager Sonus, along with Legends of the Wood by Dead Melodies have given us vastly detailed works of cinematic art to enjoy for a long while to come. The darkness of these works are only trumped by their technical presentation. If malefic darkness and full immersion are your goals, this album will give ample reason to keep returning to its haunted and dusty tales of ancient antiquity.”
Vinterriket is mainly a dark ambient artist, though some albums move more into black metal or neo-folk directions. For the past two decades Vinterriket has been honing their style, with many albums to show for their effort. With a new album release on the horizon, now seemed like a good time to catch up with the man behind Vinterriket and find out a bit about his plans and inspirations.
Rosalie Mulder is quite the unique dark ambient artist. At the age of 17 she has managed to release her debut album on the Minnesota based Dark Winter label. Dark Winter has released some memorable albums since founding back in 2002, with releases by well-known artists such as Alio Die and Steve Roach. In recent years their output has slowed considerably, but the quality has remained consistent. Rosalie Mulder started her journey with dark ambient several years ago, experimenting with music for the fun of it in her father’s studio. Chords of Chaos is the culmination of these experimentations. When speaking with her, it is quite obvious that she is still a young artist, with a whimsical approach to her output and just beginning to find her place in the music world. However, the sounds on Chords of Chaos are quite experimental and interesting, it seems that as her experience progresses in this field, we will almost certainly see some more amazing albums coming from her in the future.
from Belarus, Pavel has created over the years a sound which is uniquely recognizable. His work as Ugasanie focuses on frozen landscapes and the supernatural occurrences which present themselves within these barren lands. A recurring theme throughout much of his work is the effects that these supernatural occurrences have on the mind. Sometimes this takes the form of some malign deity consuming one’s soul, and sending them rushing into the elements, forfeiting their lives in the process. While at other times, it tells the narrative of northern shamans, purposefully communicating with these deities, bringing themselves in contact with the netherworld.
that this depressive take on those styles would feel so perfect for me. Listeners who enjoy taking a step outside the usual formula will find a lot to love here. But if you were never too interested in these mentioned genres or if you prefer your dark ambient to remain orthodox, then this will not be the album for you. But for those of us who do enjoy this stretch, there is a lot here to fall in love with. Epilogues for the End of the Sky feels like a bit of a risk for Glacial Movements, as it moves a little further outside their usual format than one might expect. But the album is truly worthy of attention, and the years of experience behind its creator is obvious from beginning to end.
enough subtlety to not distract from the experience provided by Andrew Leman. Listening to the full performance a handful of times over a few short days was by no means a labor. Each listen allowed for the focus to either fixate on the narrative, analyze the musical composition of Theologian, or to allow the full breadth of the release to unfold with no particular focus. No matter the mindset or time of day going into the release, I was met with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction in listening to this story.
brings together the finest elements of each of its contributors. The years’ experience of Reed and Bladh are brought to a pinnacle on DARKLEAKS. While the experimental elements of the accompanying disc prove to be an utter success. This could be the perfect entry point for discovery of the works of Infinity Land Press, giving readers a bit of an introduction to many of the contributors to other works in their catalog of releases. DARKLEAKS is a whirlwind of emotions and contrasting styles which keep it fresh and engaging from introduction to conclusion.
The technical aspects of the sound design are mind boggling. The replay value, given these two elements, is extremely high. This is likely the most accomplished album to date from Dronny Darko, taking dark ambient to such experimental heights that it seems to be in a galaxy of its own. Fans of a more traditional dark ambient style may be scratching their heads in confusion at this release. But anyone with a colorful imagination and a willingness to step outside the ordinary will find a delightful listen. Dronny Darko continues to prove innovative with each release, and this one has taken him leagues further than its predecessors.
various splits, collaborations, compilations or live show announcements on social media. So I have to admit, I was a bit surprised when I realized that Liquid Circuits is only the second album by this project run by Zhelezobeton label manager. Second album in 12 years – who would’ve thought?
detail to allow the listener to continually find new elements on multiple replays. The tape edition is the perfect fit for a release of two 20 minute tracks. I would recommend this as the first place to delve into the discography of Cromlech Records, as well as Weinberg’s music as a whole. Fans of the analog side of dark ambient will find much to love here. Even those who feel a bit pessimistic about fully analog dark ambient are likely to find aspects to love about this release, and to find it a pleasant experience. Cromlech Records seems to be off to a great start, and there will surely be more well produced releases to come in the near future.
talents of the artist are at an all time high on From The Depths. Each track feels unique, yet fits perfectly into the whole. Add to this successful combination of sounds the beautiful artwork and A5 digipak of the physical edition, and we are left with a powerful all-encompassing work of art. Paranoia Inducta has proven with From The Depths that they still have plenty of energy and potential for this almost 15 year old project. In fact, some of the best work may still be yet to come. Where the next chapter in the story of Paranoia Inducta will take us, we must wait to discover.
uniquely relevant to our times. It asks the hard questions of humanity and refuses to allow the listener to ignore the warning signs. I could absolutely recommend this to fans of the more primal forms of dark ambient, while there is also much here to entertain fans that prefer a more industrial infused sound. It will be interesting to see where they take their sound next, if they will continue delving into these topics and this format, or if they will veer off into a totally different direction. The level of skill seems to be there to make either a worthy endeavor.
They leave behind the aspects that didn’t seem to fit their style as well. For many artists of all genres, the sophomore release is always the best indication of their longevity. Will they hone their skills further, tapping into a wealth of ideas and talents, or will they stall, grasping for new ideas where there is little left to be found? Phonothek clearly fit the latter, and they seem to be set on a path of excellence which won’t fade anytime soon.
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. Enjoy Art Has No Diplomacy in those moments of despair or cynicism when the mind needs something more than gentle field recordings and drones.
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.
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.
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.
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.
are used to hearing an intricate and disturbing blend of decrepit industrial noises coming from the deep recesses and forgotten districts of his city. Richardson is known for incorporating field recordings, collected from just such places. So it wasn’t a stretch for him to branch out into the dark ambient genre for the self-titled Atrox Pestis album.
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.
as his flaws. Then, he gives an informed overview of the legacy of the man, through all the adaptations of his works into various entertainment media. So, in these roughly 300 pages, there is a great deal of important information for readers new to the life and writings of Lovecraft. Yet, there is also some much needed criticism of the years worth of analyses of Lovecraft as a person, giving well-read fans plenty of new information to analyze.