Artist: Svartsinn
Album: Collected Obscurities
Release date: 21 June 2017
Label: Cyclic Law / Old Captain

Tracklist:
01. The Fading Horizon
02. Yearning
03. The Ashen Dream
04. Form Is Emptiness
05. Untitled
06. Cold But Strong
07. s/t Featuring Northaunt
08. Falling Pt. 2 Featuring Allseits
09. Terrenum Corpus Featuring Gydja
10. Eksistensens Arkitekt Featuring Psychomanteum
11. September Dirge (Alternate Mix)

From my initial discovery of the dark ambient genre, Svartsinn has been one of the haloed artists topping my list of favorites. The first dark ambient artists to draw my attention, I can’t remember the order, were Svartsinn, Northaunt, Atrium Carceri and raison d’être. Really this was the perfect combination of discoveries. As I would later realize, further delving into the genre, each of these artists have their own particular niche, and each of them are arguably the best at what they do within these niches.

Of the aforementioned artists, Svartsinn is by far the most subtle and passive in his execution. His tracks take on an extremely atmospheric vibe. Yet, there is often little activity or dynamics within any given track. This formula has led me to find it hard to point to any one track or even album by Svartsinn which I would say is my definite favorite. Instead, and all the better for it, I find that I can put on any Svartsinn album and allow it to drag me into the deepest darkest corners of my mind. Svartsinn is the music of introspection. His delivery gives listeners the ability to contemplate their own particular ideas and emotions with his music there only to catalyze the process.

It has been quite a while since the last album by Svartsinn. 2013 was the last time we saw a concrete release. That was the split with Northaunt, The Borrowed World. A spectacular album that comes as close to perfection as anything I’ve heard. I took a detailed look at The Borrowed World recently, you can read that analysis here. Before that the last full length by Svartsinn was Elegies for the End back in 2009. So a new album by this renowned artist is well overdue. Collected Obscurities is not that album. This is a collection of previous works, some collaborations, others solo work which appeared on compilations, with the final track being an alternate version of “September Dirge” from Elegies for the End.

So we can look at Collected Obscurities as more of a pacifier than a proper new album. With that goal in mind, Collected Obscurities is a welcome release. Some of these tracks have become all but impossible to find, with their original releases being long sold-out, some having never made the transition into the Bandcamp universe. So, for a die-hard Svartsinn fan like myself, Collected Obscurities has presented some tracks which are reaching my ears for the very first time.

Svartsinn takes his dark ambient music very seriously. This is likely the reason that we’ve seen so few releases by him over the last decade and a half. So, when he releases something, there is damned good reason to give it all due attention. Collected Obscurities is no different in this matter. Each track showcases all the brilliance and subtle darkness that Svartsinn has to offer. Add to this a handful of collaboration tracks with the likes of: Northaunt, Allseits, Gydja and Psychomanteum, and you get an absolute must-have album.

This collection has been playing non-stop in This Is Darkness headquarters since the moment promo material was sent out. I am finding so many things to love within Collected Obscurities. The first half of the album consists of solo tracks, almost all of which I haven’t heard previously. They contain all the nuanced splendor to be expected of Svartsinn. The opener “The Fading Horizon” is beautifully dark in its minimal delivery. The atmosphere is that of a cool foggy morning, beads of water glistening on the windows. The perfect companion to introspection or reading some dark works of fiction. The second half of the album consists of the collaboration tracks. Here we get into some more active territory. These tracks are a bit out of the ordinary for Svartsinn as a whole because of the bold delivery and some quite interesting samples being added. “Falling Pt. 2” featuring Allseits takes the subtleties of Svartsinn and matches them with the oppressively thick drones which brought Allseits to prominence. “Eksistensens Arkitekt” a collaboration with the now defunct Psychomanteum is probably my favorite track on the album. Starting off with a sample from some movie of which I am not familiar, a man addressing God, in a less than reverent manner. The rest of the track introduces a number of field recordings such as running water and a harsh winter breeze, coupled with those subtle yet beautiful drones of Svartsinn. It should be noted here that half of Psychomanteum, Robert C. Kozletski, continues his dark ambient journey as Apocryphos.

So for readers that don’t know much about Svartsinn, Collected Obscurities is a wonderful place to make that first introduction. For those of us that followed him for years, Collected Obscurities is a damned good reminder of why we love Svartsinn and its a perfect way to hold us over until he finally delivers his new opus, which we must all be hoping to happen sooner than later. There are all the usual elements that we know Svartsinn for and the collaborations give us a chance to focus on the brilliant collaborative side of the Svartsinn project, which have been so dispersed and few in number over the years that many of us should find them as a welcome refresher. While there is nothing particularly new here, that doesn’t change the fact that Collected Obscurities is an absolute pleasure from beginning to end, and deserves a place on the shelf beside the rest of his illustrious discography.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: Elegi
Album: Bånsull
Release date: 10 February 2017
Label: Dronarivm
Cover-art: Eric Lacombe

Tracklist:
01. Gejnganger
02. Hvor Her Er Ødselig
03. Full Av Tomhet
04. Mørtemann
05. Vemod
06. K-141
07. Messe
08. Elevte Time
09. Fordum

“Bånsull” (in old Norwegian this word stands for “Lullaby”) from beginning to end reminds me of an old horror film. Not the American classics from the Universal company, like Dracula or Frankenstein, but rather European, perhaps German, expressionist. Murnau’s Nosferatu is not a bad point of reference, but I see something more like C. T. Dreyer’s Vampyr. Slow, pale and spooky, but rather in a psychological aspect. After all, the album’s motto is a quote from E. A. Poe: “I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity”.

It’s Tommy Jansen’s third album, but the first since his 8 year hiatus. The first two were released by Miasmah, known for producing CDs by such artists like Svarte Greiner, Jasper TX, Rafael Anton Irisarri or my multi-talented fellow countryman Jacaszek. All of them follow their own original way, but also have something in common, creating ambient music which is accessible but has a strong experimental touch and is generated with the help of real classical instruments. Elegi was no different then and is no different now, even though he changed the label and Bånsull is out via Dronarivm Records from Russia.

There is no modern horror here, unlike some Cryo Chamber offerings which, in many cases even when recalling the old and rusty atmospheres, still sound very modern and high-tech. Which doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, as it may be treated as the second decade of the XXI century look – or reinterpretation – of such atmospheres which for many will never get old or outdated. As if they pose a question: how would it sound when made with all the technological possibilities we have in 2016 or 2017. Elegi works otherwise. It really sounds like it’s taken from some recording from 80 years ago. You are aware of electronic or digital treatments and manipulations – there’s no way to make a contemporary ambient album without these, at least at some stage of production, you simply can’t avoid it. But Tommy manages to make you forget about it, the laptop, the software and all that stuff. You just see the old piano and violin covered in spider webs and the spectres of grave old men in black suits playing mournful tunes. Even when Tommy refers to events from a not so distant past (I assume that “K-141” deals with the tragic story of the Russian Kursk submarine, which took place in 2000), you can’t escape that feeling.

Speaking of the Cryo Chamber label, in the previous paragraph I wrote “in many cases”. Not without reason, because paradoxically I notice a strong link with an artist recording for that label. It is Cities Last Broadcast, which in quite a similar manner makes me think of broken patephones, decaying sad family photos, black and white films on old reels and European cities in the 30s, at dawn, covered with fog. Ambient vintage at its best. I know, it’s a trendy term, but I can’t help that it fits here like anywhere else.

Written by: Przemyslaw Murzyn

Artist: DeepDark | Xerxes The Dark
Album: Inner Mystery
Release date: 15 June 2017
Label: Black Mara

Tracklist:
01. DeepDark – Alone
02. DeepDark – The Sacred Ash
03. DeepDark – The Doomed
04. DeepDark – Untitled
05. Xerxes The Dark – Apperceive State
06. Xerxes The Dark – Transmute of Mind
07. Xerxes The Dark – Catharsis
08. Xerxes The Dark – Perpetual Discernment

DeepDark and Xerxes the Dark are two dark ambient artists I’ve been following for quite a while. Both are rather prolific in their pace of releases. Both seem to be just on the cusp of something huge, yet continue to lurk in the shadows. One seems to have as much talent as the other. Both seem to have more talent than a great deal of artists in the genre of dark ambient. So when I saw that they were releasing a split through Black Mara Records, to say the least, I had high hopes.

DeepDark hails from the northern expanses of Russia, in the city of Kirov, no less than 900 kilometers east of Moscow, the heart of the Russian world. Known only as Dmitry Dark in dark ambient circles, the man is a bit mysterious. I know from the occasional contact with Dmitry over the years, that DeepDark is not his first foray into the music world. Yet, the genre of dark ambient does appear to be his calling, and his true passion. DeepDark never comes up short on inspiration for new albums. Yet, the rigor with which he releases those albums never ignores quality.

Xerxes The Dark was the first dark ambient artist to broadcast their music out of Iran. The homeland of the illustrious Persian Empire provides fertile grounds for archaic and mystical inspirations. The man behind the music goes by the name of Morego Dimmer, most likely a nickname, much like his collaborator Dmitry. Dimmer borrows the name of his project from one of the greatest rulers throughout the history of the world, the fabled God-King Xerxes of the Persian Empire, well known by history buffs and fans of the movie 300 alike. Dimmer has been in the dark ambient scene a bit longer than DeepDark, and his initiative has paved the path for many other experimental artists of the country to gather recognition from the outside world; the most recognizable of these others being Alphaxone of Cryo Chamber.

I am often wary of reviewing split albums. I often find that the theme gets lost somewhere between the two artists, and the EP worth of material from each artist isn’t enough to fully delve into the minds of the musicians. Yet, on Inner Mystery, I get the feeling that I might be hearing the best work yet by both artists involved. Furthermore, with a loosely based concept like “Inner Mystery” as the basis for the album, the musicians are able to relax into their comfort zones, and focus on creating some genuinely creepy dark ambient music.

The first half of the album comes from DeepDark. Here we can expect to hear a brilliant display of rumbling dronework complemented by field recordings. There is a primal nature to these tracks. A dark nature which terrifies listeners from the shadows, never emerging to show its true face. The opener, “Alone”, is probably my favorite work yet by DeepDark. There are many nods to the genre’s ancestry here. The cathedralic chanting vocals are reminiscent of early raison d’etre, while the simplistic and repetitive piano section screams of Burzum in his heyday. This is topped off with field recordings of a thunderstorm which brings the whole thing together into a beautifully dark and sinister force.

Moving into the second half of the album, Xerxes The Dark provides listeners with a more industrial leaning set of sounds. The thematic elements still hold true for both halves of the album, but XTD takes on a more hollowed synthetic sound. As if we are wandering through the remnants of a dilapidated factory, which still holds the energy of sinister deeds long forgotten. On the track “Transmute of Mind” XTD is looking to evoke a strong and direct reaction from listeners. The track is brooding and bellowing yet keeps a conservative sense of restraint on the overall soundscapes. A third of the way through this eleven minute track a wall of harsh white noise violates the senses of the listener. This is the dark ambient equivalent of a horror film jump-scare if I’ve ever encountered one! The first time I heard it, I frankly had no idea what to make of it. I was looking around the room to figure out what had happened to elicit such a cacophony of noise. On the numerous proceeding playthroughs I continued to jump at this moment, but definitely appreciated the concept for the reaction it drew.

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 Darkness 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.

Written by: Michael Barnett

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Artist: Black Box Memories
Album: Transmissions
Release date: 12 May 2017
Label: Sumatran Black Records

Tracklist:
01. Black Box Memories
02. El Trabajo del Diablo
03. “Your only chance is to leave with us.”
04. “I suppose you’re wondering…”
05. Interlude – Night Landing
06. La Danse de la Séducion
07. Numbers
08. “What’s exciting about fires?”
09. Mauve Träume

The UK born, Istanbul resident, Peter Reeves of Sumatran Black is the man behind Black Box Memories. This project, while still relatively young seems to have a good bit of further potential. With the varied approaches of its creator, the future of Sumatran Black is likely to be illustrious and quite unique. Black Box Memories is the first of many such experimentations with different styles and structures of music. With plans to release more of these various side projects, Reeves started the label Sumatran Black Records, a place to house whatever sounds may come down the line.

The album starts with “Black Box Memories”, a track with sweeping pads, a repeating synth line and the distant chatter of air traffic radio transmissions. The track shares some distinct similarities to Circular in its faster than usual pacing and lightheartedness, which still manages to keep its darker edge. Though there are parallels between these two artists, there is little reason for one to assume that Black Box Memories is an attempt at following or recreating that Circular sound. The album is taken into many varied directions, bringing along some surprises throughout the journey.

The following track, “El Trabajo Del Diablo”, translated to English as “The Devil’s Work”, is another indicator of what to expect throughout Transmissions. As on the previous track, there is a looped synth line used as the foundation. The most prominent addition to this loop is a sample of a deep voiced male. He repeats intermittently throughout the track, “Tonight we do the Devil’s work.”; or shortened to just “The Devil’s Work”. The final layer to this piece is a more versatile use of analog synth to create a mystical and dark atmosphere, inviting the mind to ponder the idea of what this “Devil’s Work” may be.

The rest of the album continues on in this way, with many varied uses of vocal samples, all from sources of which I am not familiar. The theme stays relatively consistent throughout the album. There are constant indicators of a darkness and an incomprehensible presence mingling with humanity. This alien presence takes its most direct form on “Your Only Chance Is To Leave With Us”. A rather self explanatory title. The track features a voice repeating this phrase. This sets the extraterrestrial vibe into a certain framework. The track in particular really brings to mind comparisons to the side-project of another artist, Stuzha. His project Black Wanderer, the latest release of which was also reviewed here, uses a similar set of tools to create these dark tales of interaction with celestial beings. Again, this isn’t to say one is copying the other, but just a nice comparison to guide readers toward similar projects which (particularly the case with Black Wanderer) are equally obscure.

Transmissions gives listeners a lot to love. According to Reeves, the album was compiled in an effort to shore up rogue tracks, tracks which didn’t properly fit the framework of the Sumatran Black sound or his recent In The Dread album. With this in mind, it is quite surprising to hear how well this album fits together. Transmissions doesn’t seem like a compiling of loose ends. It feels like a proper full length, given all the care and planning with which such a venture usually entails. There is no lack of interesting moments on Transmissions. Black Box Memories may stick to a familiar palette throughout the album, but it never stales. By the end, it is quite reasonable to still hunger for more.

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.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: Ager Sonus
Album title: Book of the Black Earth
Release date: 30 May 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. Through the Desert
02. The Dead City
03. Discoveries
04. Inner Sanctum
05. Osiris’s Courtroom
06. Apophis
07. Awakening

Ager Sonus is the second new addition to the Cryo Chamber roster in the last month. Yet, it is no less interesting than its predecessor, Legends of the Wood by Dead Melodies, reviewed here. Ager Sonus succeeds where many have previously fallen short in creating a near-eastern tale of mysticism and ancient esoterica. The album focuses less on concrete narration and more on atmosphere and suspense. In this way listeners are able to freely extract their own meanings and practical uses for the album.

The barren landscape of an Egyptian desert invite us into this tale. As we travel “Through the Desert” the sounds of the abrasive sands can almost be felt, pelting our agitated skin as the sun cooks us from above like ants under a microscope. Feelings evoked from this opener are immediately dark, yet they seem to precipitate an even greater darkness to follow.

This revelation of something more sinister to come is immediately justified by the following track “The Dead City”. “The Dead City” does an immaculate job of building an atmosphere of ancient abandonment by the world of the living. There is a hollow air to the track, with a magnitude of interesting hints and cues to hold our attention. While the city may be dead, there is yet a sinister afterlife with which it haunts.

As Book of the Black Earth progresses, each track takes us further into the catacombs of this once illustrious city. A place which is now bleak and arid. The sounds of ancient stone grinding stone, sands scraping one more layer of history from the surface, these things give us that sense of loneliness, a sense of abandon. Yet, we can’t help second guessing ourselves. While the living may no longer reside here, the dead still walk these ruins. There is an afterlife radiating from this underworld. Sounds like the occasional near-eastern instrumentation or the sacral vocals of some long forgotten muse still haunt these passages. As if there is something still alive and terrible within its depths.

The most important point about Book of the Black Earth is Ager Sonus‘ ability to invoke a true sense of darkness. Outside the feelings of isolation and abandonment, there is a distinct sense of evil, malicious elements to this story. Fear is evoked within each track, giving listeners no sense of relief at any point. Introspection is not necessary in such a dark setting. There is indeed little time to look inward when so much shadowy maleficence is right before our eyes.

Book of the Black Earth is the perfect soundtrack to the reading of horror stories, playing video-games which take the player into the darkest realms of the human mind. The focus on atmosphere over narrative gives the album’s listeners room to take their own unique journeys in many different directions. The occasional use of instrumentation adds a sense of familiarity to the work, its gives us a foundation upon which to build our nightmares. Whether lying awake in the dark absorbing every note of music, or imagining the grinding of ancient stone upon abandoned surface, Book of the Black Earth is a portal to ghastly realms which much of humanity would prefer to be left forgotten.

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.

Written by: Michael Barnett

Artist: Dead Melodies
Album: Legends of the Wood
Release date: 16 May 2017
Label: Cryo Chamber

Tracklist:
01. A Trial of Crows and Blood
02. On Devil’s Hill
03. The Hooded Nine
04. Peach Black Descent
05. Unearthed
06. A Malevolent Rising
07. Wretched Masquerade
08. Beautiful Coalesce

Dead Melodies is one of the newest additions to the Cryo Chamber label. Their album Legends of the Wood, however, seems to be right at home on Cryo Chamber. This sound finds its roots in its creators post-rock influences. But very little of this actually comes out. It will be easy to find elements on Legends of the Wood that would satiate any dark ambient fan, no matter the years’ experience behind their loyalty to the genre. Dead Melodies have already produced two full lengths as well as some EPs over the last few years, but Legends of the Wood is likely to be the album that gets them their greatest following to date. The exquisite attention to detail, the darker theme, and the mastering work of Simon Heath (Atrium Carceri, Sabled Sun) all come together to provide us with a polished gem which gets more beautiful each time it is put on display.

The impeccable composition by Tom Moore on this album can’t be understated. From the very first seconds of the opening track, “A Trial of Crows and Blood”, we hear a rich environment coming to life. The album commences with the crackling of a warm fire. This is complemented by equally warm guitar drones that fade into the mix. The combination immediately pulls the attention of the listener, takes them on a journey to this picturesque setting. The feelings induced by the opener give listeners a sense of wonder, pastoral calmness and introspection. As if we are all alone, sitting in front of the warm fire, contemplating our past and our most likely future.

“On Devil’s Hill” moves the story into the outdoors. Rushing winds, birds and a plethora of other ambiance washes over the soundscape. With the move to the outdoors, so also has the album moved into darker more ominous territory. The synth drones take on a more eerie mood than their predecessors. The guitar drones lose their warmth, replacing it with the frigidness of a shadowy and uninviting land.

Each track truly seems to move forward into a discerable direction. Dead Melodies may in fact be one of the best artists on Cryo Chamber at pushing their narrative forward without needing overt cues to direct the listener. Each playthrough adds another level of understanding to the whole picture. Yet, the best part about this story is its lack of rigidity. There is plenty here to contemplate, but the narrative is fluid, the listener is free to draw their own conclusions.

To me, the greatest aspect on Legends of the Wood is its adherence to a dark ambient framework that seems to be growing smaller by the day. There once was a time when all this sort of music was heaped into the dark industrial bin, these days we heap it all into the dark ambient category. Meanwhile, I find distinct differences between various musicians working within these styles. One album may be 100% analog synth, giving it a much more impersonal and industrial vibe. While an album like Legends of the Wood brings a whole collection of techniques into the studio. The ambient territory on this release is brilliantly realized. At any given moment, especially on a track like “Peach Black Descent”, we are able to hear a whole world of life around us. The music easily delivers listeners to its intended realms. Much like Simon Heath’s Sabled Sun and Atrium Carceri, we are given more than just 45-60 minutes of music. We are given hours worth of material to ponder, a skeleton key to entering new realms, a looking glass into the mind of the creator.

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.

Written by: Michael Barnett