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Cyclic Law

Beyond Sensory Experience * Modern Day Diabolists (cd 2012)

I did not really know B.S.E., but I have known them by name a long time. This is their seventh album, so that is not so strange. “Modern Day Diabolists” opens with a trance-ambient track, but that is not how the entire album sounds, “soundscapes” is a good description of the sound of the larger part of this album. Stretched sounds, vocal samples and here and there a more industrial-like rhythm (the very nice title track is even somewhat noisy) makes “Modern Day Diabolists” a varried ambient album. Unfortunately much of the music are somewhat soft ambient and not entirely my thing.
Links: Beyond Sensory Experience, Cyclic Law

Shrine * Somnia (cd 2012)

Shrine is a new name to me. This project comes from Bulgaria, has been around for a decade and “Somnia” is the third album. The album contains dark ambient. Stretched sounds, deep drones, eerie melodies, you know the deal. Some tracks are darker than others, but mostly what “Somnia” concerns is the more monotous kind of not too dark ambient. If that is what you like, you might want to listen to this album.
Links: Shrine, Cyclic Law

Desiderii Marginis * Procession (cd 2012)

Desiderii Marginis joined the ranks of Cold Meat when the label had already become a hype. To me, they have never been able to catch up with the projects of old when dark ambient was still new and exiting. The 2001 album “Deadbeat” was somewhat interesting since Desiderii Marginis experimented a bit with beats. I have lost sight of the project for the most part since. Apparently they still released a couple of things and ended up on Cyclic Law together with other former label mates. “Procession” does not bring much new. The dark ambient is a bit softer and certainly more minimalistic, perhaps even soundscapish and somewhat monotone for my ears. A new element are soft melodies that may come from real instruments such as flutes and violins and these are the things that makes this album more interesting. When you like your ambient not too dark and with some melody as well, “Procession” may be an album you want to try.
Links: Desiderii Marginis, Cyclic Law

The Floating World * The Apparition (cd 2012)

The Floating World is a new name to me. A girl making dark ambient, that is not too common, but it works in the case of Allseits. So far Amanda Votta released three cdr’s under this name and she has or used to have a project with Gustaf Hildebrand. “The Apparation” contains very soft and monotous soundscapes, sometimes with a flute or vocals, a sample or a deep drone on the background. I am not too fond of the ‘lighter’ tracks, the darker tracks in the beginning are more of my taste. Overall the stretched-sounds soundscapes are too monotous for me. The cd has it moments though.
Links: The Floating World, Cyclic Law

Arcana * Emerald (mcd 2012)

In the early days (1996) I loved Arcana, as everybody seemed to do. Then after a few releases everything kept sounding the same and especially when the vocals became ‘lyricless’ I lost interest. I heard a release every now and then and this time it is this 3 track, 13 minutes mini-cd that reached me. In the opening track Peter does not use his usual way of singing and the track is very nice. Then in the second track we are still presented soothing orchestrations and the vocals of the Bjärgö’s and it still sounds nice, but it just does not work for me. In track three, Cecilia tries a more operatic approach over a piano and soft orchestrations. Again, not for me… I am sure that people who do like Arcana (still) will also love this new mcd, but for me the magic has gone a long time ago. Oh well, what can one say about musical taste?
Links: Arcana, Cyclic Law

Peter Bjärgö & Gustaf Hildebrand * Out Of The Darkling Light, Into The Bright Shadow (cd 2012)

I do not think that I ever heard the music of Gustaf Hildebrand. For some reason I had the idea that he was a contemporary composer, such as Vladimír Hirsch. Not that this would be a reason to not listen to his music, but I guess I just never got to it. “Out Of The Darkling Light…” is nothing like a neoclassical cd, rather it contains soft dark ambient soundscapes with rhythms, ‘trance ambient’ perhaps, but more industrial in sound. The music is not particularly dark most of the time, more relaxing, but a few tracks remind of Bjärgö’s darker approach and these tracks have no rhythm either. “Out Of The Darkling Light…” is at least something else for a change. Not brilliant, but very interesting at times.
Links: Peter Bjärgö, Gustaf Hildebrand, Cyclic Law

Therradaemon * Den Mørke Munnens Språk (cd 2011)

I am not a big follower of the style of dark ambient. Most of it is too monotous for me and not dark enough. I do not think I have anything of Northaunt, but I have seen the man live a few times. Therradaemon is a new project of Hærleif Langas of Northaunt. There is one word to describe this album: drone. “Language of the dark mouth” lasts about an hour, but has only four tracks. In these tracks you will not hear much more than drones, deep and long-stretched sounds. Certainly it is a challenge to work with such a concept, because how can you make an interesting release with a sound even more minimalistic than dark ambient? Coph Nia and Mindspawn managed to make the very interesting “Erotomechaniks” and I must say that Therradaemon also creates a very dark atmosphere. This album is certainly more interesting than many of the dark ambient releases that I heard recently.
Links: Therradaemon, Cyclic Law

Peter Bjärgö * The Architecture Of Melancholy (cd 2011)

This second solo album of Peter Bjärgö (Arcana, Sophia) is a melancholic, orchestral album. It reminds me a lot of Arcana. There is a lot of focus on Bjärgö’s voice, there is guitar and orchestrations. 7 Tracks that span 40 minutes. In the early days of Arcana, I was gripped by Pettersson’s (as his last name was before he got married) music. Arcana soon started to sound too much the same to me, but then he came with Sophia. The later albums of Arcana that I heard are good, but not really my thing. The same I can see of “The Architecture Of Melancholy”. The music is certainly good, but does not ‘work’ for me. People who are gripped by Bjärgö’s music will undoubtely love this new album.
Links: Peter Bjärgö, Cyclic Law

Vortex * Rockdrill (cd 2011)

“Rockdrill” opens with a quite typical ‘droney’ dark ambient track, but halfway goes over in triballic drumming. Then we have a track which is somewhat of spoken word over soundscapes and then dark ambient again. Yep, Vortex is not your typical dark ambient project, it sounds more interesting than that. The ambient is nicely dark, but there are also more ritualistic and experimental elements and the artist certainly knows how to set an atmosphere. This is one of the more interesting dark ambient releases of late, tagging it for the larger part of the music. Recommended!
Links: VortexCyclic Law