There are two very short tracks on this release by They Came From Hell, one of the many fine side projects of composer Philippe Gerber, but the music is so oppressively dark are foreboding that it would make for stellar soundtrack music.
Hail! to our friends at Kalamine Records in France for producing yet another fine dark ambient/drone/post-Industrial masterpiece. There’s a lot of drama and pathos in this recording by Christian Fiesel, sounding very much like it would be a fine updated soundtrack to any good expressionist film of the early 1920s or 1930s. An engaging listen.
Kuzman Markoski has produced a rather fine EP’s worth of soundtrack-style music. The composer, thereminist and sound designer offers a groove-filled, damn-near danceable disc. From his Bandcamp site:
“Kuzman is a versatile musician and audio-visual artist based in Skopje, Macedonia. With a background in classical training, he has honed his skills as a composer, thereminist and sound designer. This highly anticipated release comes two years after his debut solo album “Collective Zero” that marked Kuzman’s first foray into the world of studio albums as a solo artist, after his successful tenure with the Berlin-based band The Protagonist and the collaboration with the renowned producer Gareth Jones on the “OLAL” project. With an unwavering passion for music and dedication to his craft, he continues to explore new sonic landscapes and experiment with innovative musical approaches.”
This is a curious release. Abandoned Toys manages to balance ethereal ambient music with symphonic progressive rock. A rather brilliant balance, indeed.
Folks, we have a very long wait for JOHN 3:16’s next opus (April of 2024), but judging based on how good the samples have been so far, this is going to be the band’s most profound release yet. The tension on the album reminds me of early, more Industrial-era Laibach with elements of the Swans, but with a more cinematic feel to it. Be patient, the whole thing will come to be soon enough.
trajedesaliva, our friends from Galicia, Spain, have released a new album in partnership with Maud the Moth, a new artist I presume is also from the area. This has to be their tightest work, combining the most stellar elements of early, more harshly ‘industrial’ Current 93 with a more ethereal streak where fans of Dead Can Dance can feel comfortable. Spoken word, wordless vocals and bewitching soundscapes make for a stunning album.
Illinois-based label Somnimage has been on quite a roll producing some of the best post-Industrial and experimental music coming out of the United States. Today’s offering pairs Dan Burke (who won fame as the chief focal point of Illusion of Safety) and label owner Mykel Boyd (who has also performed with such luminaries as The Anti-Group and post doom romance). There are two tracks on this album – the first being a solid sample lasting 7 minutes giving a fine taste of what is coming, and a full track clocking in at nearly an hour of shifting drones, pulses and eerily dark soundscapes. Crucial listening.
The combination of Micah Frank and Chet Doxas put a very different spin on the work of Saint Hildegard von Bingen. Instead of the deeply mystical Catholic music she is famous for, the duo, along with some impressive cohorts produce a rather filmic work which has the feel creating sound worlds.
Two of Italy’s best dark /ritual ambient projects, CHAIGIDEL and NERATERRÆ, have joined forces and created a deeply evocative ritualistic opus rich in various aural elements and sceneries. The title “Lamaŝtu” pays tribute to the Mesopotamian mythological malevolent goddess, the most terrible of all female demons, daughter of the sky god Anu and lover of Pazuzu.
CHAIGIDEL is Mattia Giovanni Accinni, devoted to the most evocative side of music; sonic offerings for Qliphotic rituals from the depths of occultism and the left-hand path. On his fourth release on Cyclic Law, Alessio Antoni’s NERATERRÆ joins compatriot CHAIGIDEL on this trance-like-state inducing aural experience, seeking for knowledge by unearthing the roots of all evil.
Black mantras, organic drones, tuvan throat singing, tibetan bells, doumbek, balaban, maaponim, shofar and ritual drums are the earthly tools chosen to cut through the soil of human beliefs and comprehension, and to reach for the purest and obscure states of being.
It is an incredibly dark album, but engaging nonetheless.
Our dear friends at Kalamine Records have today released a compilation of dark ambient and electronic music that is in keeping with the label’s ethos. Artists featured include label stalwarts like Zumaia, Daria Galabriel and Voleurs. A solid comp.