Rasalhague - Rage inside the Window : Dark Ambient

Reviewed by Gird_09
With its suggestive colors and imagery this cover is the perfect vessel for the music it hides. It folds out to tell a story about a young abused girl. A cliche maybe, but still a potent image, especially when it's allowed to be a subtle horror story like this. Also, if you look at the titles you can see that the story is carried over into the music. Whatever lives in the house with that window, I can tell you I'd rather not meet it any time soon.

The music is crystal clear, atmospheric and well arranged. At times I think it sounds a little plasticcy/soft synth, but not in a major way. The sounds are mostly organic and well balanced. I especially like the way Rasalhague manages to combine primitive industrial sounds and beats with clean dynamic strings and subtle drones. Like much of the genre it sounds like a soundtrack, but unlike a lot of the genre this could actually be one.

My pulse dials down a notch or two, and that is a good thing. That's the reason we listen to ambient music. Additionally the tracks follow each other in a way that makes sense, both to the progression of the story they tell, and the moods they conjure. It's very evocative and I find myself wanting to really delve into the soundscapes. I especially like the second track "Squalor Prison", both for the general mood, and for the lovely inhuman suggestive chewing sounds that suddenly pop out. When the whole track ends with a groan of pain after a short burst of talking, you know someone has been suffering in that prison.

As mentioned the album is intensely clean, crisp and pure, and it is in fact mastered by John Stillings, of Steel Hook-fame. That makes sense. It's a good thing too. Having heard quite a few dark ambient albums by now I can tell you that proper mastering is really important to stand out. So many albums and projects sound a bit too muddy and lack the clarity you really need to convey the subtle nuances this sort of music usually contains. This album however is spot on when it comes to production.

To sum it up: It's worth your money.

2011, Malignant Records, CD Album

http://www.malignantrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/rasalhaguemusic

1 Danielle's Dilemma (Her Birth)
2 Squalor Prison
3 Mother is the Disaster
4 Danielle's Dilemma (Her Removal)
5 Communication Depravity
6 Taming the Feral Child

Flores Funebres – A moment before Nothingness : Neo Classical / Dark Ambient

"Reviewed" by Gird_09

The first thing that hits me with this release is digital, digital and more digital. I hate digital spinet, and I hate digital strings. It sounds like shit, always has always will. It's something I just can't see beyond, even though I try. If you don't have access to the real thing or usable samples I say you're not meant to "compose classical music". It sounds like plastic, and even as cheap plasticcy sounds go this one is worse than most I've ever heard.

Additionally it's conceited, pompous and completely anonymous. I usually try to find some redeeming feature about every bad album I review, but with this there is nothing. There is no texture I can relate to, there is no discernable content to hang on to, the sounds are 90% horrible and the compositions are less interesting than nearly anything. It even seems that every god damn awful track is a variation on the same theme.

The only positive thing I can say is that it would probably work well as a soundtrack for a fantasy computer game – where people aren't paying attention or expecting anything of quality.

This album is worthless, and I'm not going to say more about that. If you like this kind of music you're deaf, desperate and born three centuries to late.

I'm not going to be bothered to type in the titles and shit for this album. Just go here if you want to download it, for some absurd reason. It's free, and that's about as much as it's worth paying for.

The Infant Cycle – plays fender bass guitars and bird cages of unknown origin. Exclusively. : Ambient / Experimental / Instrumental

Reviewed by Gird_09

From the very get go this cd reminds me positively of the most ambient tracks by Loop Guru, a project I really love. It's intoxicatingly calm and soothing, and I might even add meditative. Not in the new age sense, but in a "I want to listen to this while solving intricate logic puzzles, because it would help me concentrate". This is not an album that will have you humming or singing refrains but it will lower your heartbeat and make your life ten minutes longer. In fact, listening to this album over and over for the rest of your life might be the secret the Taoist alchemists were after: the key to eternal life. Pretty neat huh?

The album title is quite descriptive of what you get. There's bass melodies in the bottom, and various other sounds floating around. I severly doubt those distant choirs I hear are bird cages, but who am I? Doesn't really matter. The music works, and I like it.

There are three tracks on the album, and they're all quite short. Well, the second one is anyway, the other two are of decent length. Perhaps I should call it an E.P. Maybe even a single? These categories are basically of theoretical interest only and I'll stick to calling it an album, cos quite simply, that's what it feels like. Despite the modest running time, it feels like something very complete. Couldn't have been longer, without feeling forced. It's right the way it is.

I guess that's pretty much all I need to say about that. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

2010, the Ceiling Undiscs, CD album,

http://theinfantcycle.com/
http://www.theceiling.ca/

1 Shiny Venus (over s.st) [6:04]
2 Shiny Venus (detail 1) [1:15]
3 Shiny Venus (detail 2) [5:38]

Sönderriket – Rum för Avsked : industrial metal

Reviewed by Gird_09

According to our policy we prefer not to do music that isn't published by a label or netlabel, but we are willing to make exceptions. Sönderriket is one of those instances where this feels appropriate. Sönderriket is strange form of lo fi industrial metal with touches of crust and noise rock. The music is urgent and full of energy. The rythm section is punkish with a touch of rockabilly and the melodies are bluntly playful.

Industrial Metal is mostly dead. Not just dead, but desecrated, cremated and best left forgotten. Long passed are the days when die Krupps, Ministry and Front Line Assembly were at their prime. These days most industrial metal is so shitty it's not even worth pissing on, like the most ridiculous tracks by KMFDM. This music is different, and I hope this signals a new wave of innovation is a genre that more and more sounds like techno with guitars.

Granted, the tracks do sound a bit demoish at times, both in a positive and negative way. The vocals are too loud compared to the rest of the music, and the result is a loss of power. On the positive side the guitars and vocals are distorted in a lovely punkish manner. The directness of the music is a big fuck you to polished wanna be pop musicians.

If nothing else, you should atleast take the time to check out the first track, Självhjelpskoncentrat Ström av Medvetande and Skottforlossning, and the titular Rum för Avsked. These tracks are certainly the most interesting on the release, both in style, execution and attitude. Some tracks are sadly best skipped however. Om at Inte Kunne Välja Verklighet is simply horrible, and in no way fits the release. The same is for Angående Vetenskaperi and the vocals on Som av Jord (which is otherwise good). Leaving them out would have lifted the album significantly and made for a more focused experience. Maybe there is something uniquely swedish about stuff like that, cos to me it sounds like some horribly mutilated crap by Bob Hund or the less interesting tracks by Joakim Thåström. (Please, would somebody shut Bob Hund up, forever?)

The Swedish titles and language might be offputting to some, but still there should be enough to take home from this even if you don't understand squat anyway. Give it a go. You might be inspired.

Sweden, self released free download, 2010


http://sonderriket.bandcamp.com/album/rum-f-r-avsked

1 Ström av medvetande [2:46]
2 Parasit [2:23]
3 Självhjelpskoncentrat [3:28]
4 Jon/cirrus, Cirrostratus, Cumulus [3:05]
5 Skottforlossning [2:27]
6 Om att inte kunne välja verklighet [3:16]
7 Rum för Avsked [2:49]
8 Angående Vetenskaperi [3:24]
9 Som av Jord [2:02]

Yurei – Working Class Demon : Progressive / Experimental / Jazz / Rock / Heavy something

Reviewed by Gird_09

Yurei is a japanese form of ghost, and the word literally translates to faint spirit. In other words we are dealing with a world of ephemera. This theme is carried over by the artwork on the album cover. The gray scale image of a faceless individual sitting on bench surrounded by snow is as haunting as it is alluring. The freezing temperature is tangible.

Yurei is the brainchild of Bjeima, whom we mentioned in our review of Delirium Bound, and is a form of dissonant progressive music not easily classified. The roots are firmly in rock, but there is enough jazz on this album to make me want to call it experimental. Toss in some really heavy drum portions, and the genre busting is complete. In light of this I am not certain what to make of the title. There is certainly nothing working class about the style of music, but there is certainly something deeply demonic about it.

The first track doesn't do it for me at all. I have to admit that. I don't like the vocals, and the music fails to stand out. The second track however convinces me that this is an album that could really grow on me. The inclusion of a xylophone into the mix of various disarrayed instruments and dissosicative beats adds a level of atmosphere I really appreciate. By track three I am sold.

At times the arrangements are truly brilliant, and the instrumentation is perfect. I like the way the guitar interacts with the bass, and the various melodic portions, and I really appreciate the way the album progresses. For each track it feels like your are drawn further into a maze with Pompel and Pilt-like properties. Like the evil button eyed devil worshipping version of Åse Kleveland accompanied by Kryztof Komeda and Tony Iommi. I am convinced, and find myself drifting through a gray scale world of modernist polish horror films. I don't know if that makes sense to you, but it does to me. This is dark rock unlike anything I am familiar with. (Admittedly I am not much up to speed on the world of rock since Zeppelin disbanded...)

The track Suicide Sitcom is by far my favorite, with its predatory bassline, distorted vocals and generally sinister mood. The dissonant melodies and laugh track samples make me think of a collaboration between David Lynch and Jerry Springer. I am ensnared.

Yurei has taken a huge canon of music, and stuffed it into a very small box, but somehow (possibly using Time Lord technology) the contents fit like an eyeball in its socket. There is King Crimson, Black Sabbath and even some Popol Ace here, but there is also Sonic Youth and Angelo Badalamenti here, as well as a multitude of other things – and all of it decidedly sinister and dark. I even hear some Morricone in some portions. Unpacking the album would take me a very long time.

The only things I don't like about the album would be the vocals on the first two tracks, as they are a bit flat in the mix – to my ears, and the fact that the guitar sounds the same for nearly all the tracks. A little more variation would be appreciated. The guitar dominates the mix, and at times it's hard to separate the tracks. For the rest of the tracks the vocals are excellent however, and just pompous enough to fit the music. This is certainly not for everyone though. If the bass had been slightly more prominent in the mix the interaction between the guitar and the bass would have been perfect. Like on the final track, Phantom Lodge, where the bass carries the track excellently, but could have used a touch more volume. But that is nit picking.

I'm gonna be honest, and say that I have no way of reviewing this album with the competence it deserves, but... I like it. It's really cool. I can be really verbose about it, but that's all you really need to know.

Adversum, 2010, CD album, Norway

http://www.myspace.com/bjeima
http://www.myspace.com/adversummmx


1 Brukket [4:55]
2 Your Black Waters [6:38]
3 The Bird of Dread [4:40]
4 Steamhead [5:22]
5 Velvet Demon [4:55]
6 Bleeding Thoughts [7:12]
7 I am Champagne [5:12]
8 Suicide Sitcom [5:09]
9 Vendetta [6:18]
10 The Last Wave [5:31]
11 Phantom Lodge [4:51]

Phaenon – His Master's Voice : Dark Ambient / Drone

Reviewed by Gird_09

Let me first say how much I enjoy the cover for this one. At first glance I figured it was an attempt at imitating Dave McKean, but I don't think it is. While the technique might be somewhere along the same lines, the theme is so much more fragile. Where McKean is all about dreams (or nightmares) this is about paper flimsy vulnerability. I can appreciate that.

As for the music I am piqued by the very first sound. The first sound is important to me, as you may have noticed. The use of a choir-like electronic sound at a low bit rate tickles my curiosity, and draws me in. The music is minimalist without being too monotonous, due to the inclusion of random soundscapes.

The cover informs me that the music is inspired by Stanislav Lem's book of the same name, and allthough my only encounter with Lem has been Tarkovsky's (sub par) adaptation of Solaris this fact really helps sell the recording to me. Lem is a good reference and if the novel is anywhere near as strikingly ponderous as this album it's an impressive book indeed. The music is mostly comprised of long stretches of naked, icy devastation and there is an ominous feeling of watching the stars – while they are watching you back.

The album consists of four pieces, of notable duration, but they are so good I'm not going to go into my usual rant about releases being too long. There are exceptions you see, and this is one of them. I fact, I wouldn't mind more. The sounds utilized, the sobriety of the arrangements, the purity of the production and the vitality involved all come together to create something truly worth chilling out to. Preferably during r'n'r in a desolate cold war bunker somewhere in Poland... And it's expertly seamless. Going from one track to the next is effortless and smooth.

It's a good album, and if you don't believe me, follow the myspace link further down and check out previews. (Yes, you lazy-instant-gratification bum, you can scroll down two inches on the screen to get to the sweets... You need the workout anyway.)

I think I have to read that book though...

USA, CD album Malignant records, 2010

http://www.myspace.com/szymontankiewicz/
http://www.malignantrecords.com

1 His Master's voice – part 1 – Neutrino Radiation [24:11]
2 Dark Energy – Silentium Universi [12:57]
3 Soul Virus – Interstellar Semantics [13:34]
4 His Master's Voice – part 2 – Ignoramus [24:11]

Delirium Bound - Delirum, Dissonance and Death : Black Metal

Reviewed by Gird_09

With a cover that looks like something has been wrapped in black plastic bags this promises to be both dark and suffocating.

Delirium Bound is a band consisting of Kim Sølve and Bjeima, known from a shotgun blast of different underground projects. With regards to Black Metal Kim Sølve is mostly known for his cover designs from Trine + Kim Design studio, but evidently he's also a capable guitarist and bass player. Bjeima on drums and vocals also does a very convincing job. (I'm always doubly impressed by a drummer if he is also the vocalist.) In addition the album has guest appearances by Mannevond and Petter Berntsen, respectively with background from Koldbrann and Urgehal for the former, and Swarms and others for the latter.

Genrewise this is a stripped down return to old skool black metal in the vein of Darkthrone and their likes, while also reminiscent of Satyricon at times (specifically the guitars). There are elements of crust here as well as touches of early BM like Venom and Sarcofago. It's a far cry from the progressive metal of the more outré bands like Dimmu Borgir, and thank fuck for that. (While I don't mind progressive I mind progressive that's really reactionary and lame.)

Most black metal these days is incredibly boring, with a few positive exceptions. While I'm not certain this release will stand out against the background it's still a very good release and it does deserve listening to. The music is threatening and seriousness, and delivers on the promise on the cover. This is excellent music if you want to wrap someones face in a garbage bag, or perhaps even if you're the one on the receiving end of the bag.

A capable release, and hopefully there will be more to come. The tracks on the album are short and to the point, and I feel any reivew of it should be to the point as well.

Adversum, Norway, CD album, 2010,

http://www.myspace.com/deliriumbound
http://www.myspace.com/adversummmx

1 Panic [4:39]
2 Coronated in Accidents [2:46]
3 God-faced dogs [1:52]
4 Delirium Bound [3:04]
5 Zippermouth [3:02]
6 Chiseled from Darkness [4:10]
7 Death Kings [4:05]
8 the Ominous One [3:02]
9 Knifepoint Departure [5:10]

Wolfskin featuring Last Industrial Estate : Stonegate of Silence – Dark ambient

The first tones on this cd are unmistakably electronic, and they're not meant to be any different. I like that. The willingness to utilize the artificial nature of electronic music as a strength is something that sets this album apart from most other music in the genre. Despite this clearly electronic setting the music retains the organic basis of most dark ambient. The cover image says it all basically.

The press release lists the genre as cinematic isolationism, and that description is as good as any. The oppressive mood on this album makes me think of Shutter Island. Not the film so much as the setting, that is, a mental hospital on an island isolated by a storm, seemingly there is something terrible going on and noone is willing to address it. The drawn out melodies are intensely dark and frightening and would be a perfect score for a black and white Jan Swankmajer adaptation of any number of the stories Kafka didn't dare to write down for fear of losing touch with reality. That's a film I'd love to see, and this is the music that should accompany it.

While the album might end up drowning in the sheer amount of dark ambient that is released these days it certainly deserves any attention this review can muster up for it. This is an excellent collaboration, and it makes me want to delve into both of the projects behind it (or Projekt4, which is the most commonly used alias for the individual behind Last Industrial Estate). Sadly however, this is announced as the final Wolfskin album, after fifteen years of activity...

Each little sound is allowed its own space in order to carefully construct an atmosphere. There is no overuse of anything, and nothing is muffled in any way. The balance between the various frequencies is quite simply perfect. The various instruments and samples that have been chosen are all just right and nothing stands out or disturbs the whole at any point. I especially like the way the extremely deep bass drums are just right, and adds a feeling of somber anticipation to the music. This only serves to accentuate the melodies higher up in the sonic range.

Portugal/Sweden(?), CD album, 2010, Malignant records,

http://www.last.fm/music/Wolfskin

http://www.malignantrecords.com

1 Arrival [6:01]
2 Metaphysical [8:41]
3 Stonegates of Silence [15:24]
4 Criogenic [8:31]
5 Amidst the infinite skies [12:49]

The Yen Pox : Blood Music – Dark Ambient

Reviewed by Gird_09

The music on this double album was originally released back in the nineties, and is released with bonus material now. It contains a remastered version of the original "blood music", as well as several tracks that were either unreleased or released on other recordings. Everything in a really tasteful eight panel digipack of high quality and design.

Blood music is a dark ambient classic, and it's easy to hear why. The landscaped music is dark and cram packed with atmospheric oddments and scraps of discarded civilization, with a heavy emphasis on the ambient aspects. There is nothing intrusive about the album, and the moods are the consistent focus throughout.

The music is mostly composed of long stretches of multi layered sounds with shit loads of reverb and a nearly tactile surface. Instruments are used in a sparing minimalist way to accentuate the atmospheres rather than drawing attention to more musical elements. As such portions of the music isn't music in the traditional sense, but an emulation of an astral field recording of melancholy – and a very succesful one at that.

The tracks are nearly impossible to separate with regards to composition and arrangement and make up a single (holistic) experience. That is a major bonus to me. As the album is slowly dying as a medium for artists I notice more and more that musicians are incapable of composing anything besides collections of single tracks. Albums should be about artistic consistency and themes, and this one is. Accomplishing a true album is often what separates the artists from the dilettantes – atleast to me. The bonus tracks are of course different from the original album, but that doesn't reduce the feeling of consistency discernably. Some of them are dirtier sounding and noisier, but in way does this decrease the focus on mood.

Of the two discs number two is for the most part great deal edgier than the first disc, and the way I see it also the most interesting of the two. It's more primitive and rough sounding, which sets it apart from most dark ambient these days - as well as disc one. In a way this makes it darker, and certainly much less soothing. The reason is of course that the material is older than the tracks on disc one.

There are few things that detract from my listening experience however. First of all it's too bloody long. There isn't much happening here, and that can be a little boring over two full discs. Unless you're a collector it's simply too much. Secondly it's not necessarily the most original of albums. The execution is impeccable, but I do miss more personality here. As background music it's excellent, but it's not music that stays with you after it's over. However that's probably not the point either. If you want a great background album while you're working or reading, or just relaxing: get it. It's perfect, and there's not really much more to say about that. Otherwise it's not going to knock you out of your socks.

USA, 2010, 2xCD album, Malignant Records,

http://www.myspace.com/veilofsecrecyyenpox
http://www.myspace.com/malignantrecords

Disc 1
1 Infinite Domain [13:28]
2 Twilight Eternal [10:21]
3 Purgatorio [8:55]
4 Descent [13:01]
5 Illuminate [10:51]
6 Absolute Zero [12:52]
7 Beneath the Sun [8:37]

Disc 2
1 Dervish [13:45}
2 Suction [13:19]
3 Head Shot [15:14]
4 Thin | Empty [6:21]
5 Virus [6:34]
6 Hollow Earth [7:03]
7 Summerskin [10:02]

Emme Ya – Beyond The secret Flame, The Aiwass Manifesto : Dark Ambient / Ritual / Occult

Emme Ya is quite evidently a deep well of thelemic references. Occult in every meaning of the word. In a way the music can be compared to walking in a vast and well lit complex of marble hallways, scattered with symbols, statuary and sacred geometry. Everything is a representation of something else, and that again represents something different - as it should be.

From the very beginning I get the distinct feeling that this music reminds me of something, but I have no idea what. I've never heard anything like it. It's hallucinogenic, ritualistic, entrancing, unsettling and suggestive to the point of being hypnotic. My only guess is that it's triggered some deeply buried memories of something I've experienced under self hypnosis or a strange genetic memory. The music feels like home, but a home I've never been to before. The first track makes me feel like I'm lying under an endless carpet of stars, which is perfect for Nuit – and a pretty stark contrast to staring at the nuclear furnace that is Hadit (track 2) and even more so the scorching rays of Heru-Ra Ha (track 3).

Writing a review that explains both the type of music and the contents of that music is next to impossible. Gone are the dark drones and distorted soundscapes we usually think of when we hear the words "dark ambient", and in their place we have something that sounds like a blend of the Psychick Warriors ov Gaia and the trippier moments Pink Floyd, coming down after an unwitting experiment with "brown acid" and then a smattering of Etant Donnes. It's dark and primitive, but still manages to feel safe and warm in some strange way. Images of flames and shadows against a cave wall comes to mind, and the various rythmic implements used on the album underscores this feeling perfectly.

I do wish the voices were more audible however. While the muffled quality adds to the dream like atmosphere I feel that being able to make out more of the lyrics would benefit the listening experience. What little I can make out sounds like fragments from the Book of the Law, whose structures this release also mimics.

I guess you could say that my reaction is: intrigued, curious and I want to hear more. Much more.

Colombia, CD album, The Mercurius Collective, 2010

1 The Secret Flame (The Dance ov Nuit) 15:51
2 The Coiled Serpent (The Invisible light of Hadit) 17:13
3 The Throne of Power (The Mask of Heru Ra-Ha) 17:59

http://www.myspace.com/sunbehindthesun

http://mercuriuscollective.org/tmcshop/product.php?id_product=11