I JUST TALKED ABOUT FIADH GOD. Queen of a New Age: An Enya Tribute could have not come at a better time as I’m gathering evidence for the spiritual link between dungeon synth and new age or at least a reasonable enjoyment of the two by fans of either. You would be hard pressed to find someone that actively dislikes Enya or even who is adverse to even trying. Not only is this artist worshiped by members of the DS community (some even with chest tatoos) but her work lays a large foundation to serene atmosphere made by minimal technology. enter a wonderful compilation by Fiadh which I will label “Exhibit E”. Fogweaver, Hewer of Caves, and Lorespinner are some of the names you might recognize but honestly a compilation like this is a wonderful place to meet new friends.
I was messaging Vaelastrasz about the art used since the album cover while having all of the objects associated with dungeon synth has a very stylized, even flash on the wall tattoo aesthetic. I found the art (by Sam Willett) fitting for an artist who plays in the dungeon synth genre but tries all of the time to break beyond what she has done before. From a near drone project that leaned into a World of Warcraft theme to a live act which saw smashed keyboards to an album of minimalist synth which carries upon its back the burden of heavy emotions, the work of Vaelastrasz is both unpredictable and entirely cathartic.
Fuck yes, ill take two. I have been silently encouraging dungeon synth to move beyond its borders in terms of aesthetics and sound. Weregnome is always the person who will eat a worm on a dare (don’t eat worms for real). While this experimentation can lead to dark and dissonant realms, it can also lead to ones that taste like candied snacks and your time slot in the bouncy castle. With a sound that drawn from video games but also the edges of vaporwave and outsider dance music, Bubble Blade is nothing but pure joy and invites you to take mushrooms at an arcade and enough quarters to play until dawn.
You have probably seen one of these tapes on social media and wondering “wow that looks good where can I get one oh they are all gone.” Verdant Wisdom has been one of the few labels championing an aesthetic which lies between the realm of minimalism and meditation. Though you probably wont be able to acquire one of their tapes (its okay I tell myself), you can still enjoy an album of monastic bliss created by Ellis Green of Sunken Grove, Winter Seer and Oaklimb. The Hermit Monks is a one off project and Ten Meditations is an art piece dedicated to the silent reflections of one person among the ruins of a place long forgotten.
“The Feast of St. Silabreh is naive synthesized music reflecting on the metamorphosis of events and figures from the category of history into the forms of tradition and legend, and about the acts of subversion gathered under the definition of syncretism.” The Herbalists is a chip / new age / drone inspired project helmed by Adam Matlock a luminary in the community for many projects you probably have. The Feast of St. Silabre is the first album from the project in many years and offers even those not familiar with Matlock’s work a view into a world of verdant meditation. This is a record which connects to its audience on both an emotion, intellectual, and spiritual plane of existence.
I do not know why I found this or what i was searching for but imagine my surprise at the reemergence of Path of Silence. Path of Silence is a tape label which operates on non commercialism and harbored one of dungeon synths greatest art projects unknown to the greater public. Today, Path of Silence makes at cost tapes with extra being donated to charity. Crimsonhills, is the first release from the project in many years and offers the listener a deep exploration into barley existent synth with an aesthetic that is surreal and endlessly fascinating. I have no idea what is going to happen in the future but I’m sure its going to be weird.
It is important to stylize 𝕬𝖑𝖑 𝖎𝖘 𝕯𝖚𝖘𝖙 when speaking about it as using the correct font gives a certain magic to the conversation. Atlantean Sword is a UK based artist who is relatively new with releases just starting late in 2023. Early on however this artist has made a conscious choice to tie medieval synth to a visual aesthetic befitting the second edition of Dungeons and Dragons. This is pure escapism which is for anyone who wants to spend their days inside reading a book or endlessly grinding to coolest game in the world.
At this point I have to thank the online community for continuing to be on top of things. I would have not known about What Was Said in the Woods had people not posted it and tied it to the person behind Foglord. With a nod to both Evergreen and Silent Garden What Was Said in the Woods is a delve into the arcane arts of raw ambient. dungeon synth played live with a few pedals and minimal mixing with covers that look hand drawn along with a mindset of intention mystery is an aesthetic that connects with a certain population. What Was Said in the Woods is a strong chapter in a book that you could probably only find at an overgrown house deep in the forest.
“Thra was a planet located in the Uni-Verse orbited by three suns and three moons. The Three Suns or Three Brothers were the trio of stars which Thra orbited. They consist of the Greater Sun, the Rose Sun and the Dying Sun.” I feel like me spending a Tuesday morning deep into the universe and lore of the Dark Crystal while listening to dark ambient / new age is something that I would have always wanted in my life. The Parable Of The Rose Sun is a project dedicated ot the lore of the 1982 dark fantasy film the Dark Crystal.
Skuggkonungen came in a batch of tapes sent by Voices of the Anuir who has consistently put out tapes I have never heard of from artists that I can barely pronounce. Hon Som Vilar Under Mossan caught my eye due to its use of bright worn blue and also a Bandcamp tag of eurorack and generative. Caught between dystopian soundscapes, slushwave, and Berlin school modulation, Skuggkonungen plays true neutral synth offering glimpses of harmony and dissonance in one all seeing cosmic landscape.
Realm of Sleep has been something that has been inspiring and intriguing for many years due to its near absent level of promotion. Shelter Ov Shadows is the work of J. Browne who also created projects such as Of Antler And Oak, Herbarium, and Wistful Gardens. I don’t even know how I stumbled upon the work of the artist who goes by many names and even this one I came across randomly sold through another label. To Leave Thy Light Behind is a collection of drone, Berlin school, and dark ambient tracks which all total around 50 minutes between 4 tracks. It is an undertaking but the artist behind this project and others is no stranger to lofi mediations probably recorded directly to tape.
Tags: electronic, carpe diem, chiptune, comfy synth. Absolute madness. I love finding gentle music on a label that seemed to specialize in vapor related music. There is something grounding and also surreal about comfy synth being surrounded by dino synth, mallsoft, and dark jazz with puppets on the front. This label is the wild west and they made a jar of pickles sheriff. Grandpa Carp, by comparison, is the most normal of music with fanciful VGM style synth which sounds like an indie farm simulator where you are a carp and you have to do chores before night but there are no real consequences since this is a stress free experience. This is truly a wonder to find since I don’t know how i would stumble across this given different life circumstances.