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Artist: Xerxes the Dark Title: Transmutation Label: Kalpamantra Date: November, 2016 1. Proma Materia 2. Insomare 3. Limbo (MMVIII) 4. Tabula Smaragdina 5. Cold Sanctum 6. Xtra Terrestrial 7. Aeon (Bonus) I came across this awhile back and it stayed with me. Kinda like witnessing an exorcism would stay with me. Please allow me to introduce to you Iranian Morego Dimmer an electronic music maestro that has been around since 2005. This album is reminiscent of the Atrium Carceri style of dark ambient intent on scaring the sh*t out of you if you decide to listen to this at night. Dark Ambient and drone, sounds of things crawling and cracking and whispers echoing across an abandoned castle while nightmarish pads rise and fall in a sea of darkness. An evil presence lurks behind every corner. There is zero light to be found here. Zero. It's a slow, hopeless march into oblivion as demons herd you through the gates of hell. It's enjoyable (insert irony after last sentence) in the sense of trying to focus on all of the individual sounds that make up this slow descent into madness undoubtedly enhanced by the many horror movies I've watched. The vocals on Limbo are wet with the possibility of demonic possession or is that my own imagination? All the tracks are long to make sure you get wrapped up in the horror. My feelings about evil drone like this are similar to my daughter's. "It sounds creepy." Yes it does. A perfect soundtrack for passing out candy on Halloween night. But if you listen to this while you take your kids to school or pick up the dry cleaning....seek professional help. Xerxes the Dark Bandcamp

Artist: Schuldt Title: First Error Code Label: Aurinko Records Date: 2003 1. Prologue 2. Stained 3. One Step Closer 4. Search For Salvation 5. Tearing the Fright 6. Constant and Sharp 7. First Error Code 8. Picked To Pieces 9. Traced Back 10. When Anger Cries 11. Deceived 12. Forget?! Is that...? Holy sh*t it is! Picked up a bunch of Cds from Discogs and this was one of them. It's an album by Tim Schuldt (actually it's an industrial project he founded) and it was cheap so I said what the hell? He was always on the fringes of psytrance with dark and edgy productions, but with this album he goes full industrial with his band and it is aggressive. The whole thing is dark with a futuristic feel. Looking at those track titles will make you think they needed more hugs from Daddy. When you hear it you'll think of artists like NIN, Skinny Puppy, Pig...But it's not just ballistic, all out sonic mayhem. Tracks like Search For Salvation really channel Front Line Assembly with it's dark, thematic overtones yet easily accessible melody. Even the bruising Tearing the Fright is a drum n bass track with eerie breaks and touches to make it heavy and light. He uses breakbeats to great effectiveness and even though I'm not a big fan of the screechy vocals often found in industrial, the musicality of it was so good that it had me wanting to find some Doc Martens and create some general anarchy! Gotta say a little something about the final track Forget. Starts off with a Korn-esque smooth break beat and has a lounge feel. It's over in 7 minutes, but contains 5 minutes of silence before it has a last industrial gasp. I hate that sh*t. Just make an epic dark ambient closer. Last track aside this is a great listen when you're tired of the triplets and common sh*t found in psytrance or goa. Great combination of psy, industrial, breakbeat, and yes guitar trance. Some of it is too heavy and noisy, but not a lot of it. Perfect for breaking stuff! Good work Mr. Miyagi

Artist: Cryomatter Title: Cryomatter Label: Ektoplazm Date: November, 2016 01 - Cryomatter - Intro (150 BPM) 02 - Cryomatter - The Collapse Of Time (150 BPM) 03 - Cybernetika - Physical Limit (135 BPM) 04 - Cybernetika - Chrono Wave (143 BPM) 05 - Cryomatter - Lunar Maze (124 BPM) 06 - Cryomatter - Reassembly (182 BPM) 07 - Xenofish - Shifted Machines (190 BPM) 08 - Xenofish - Twisted Horizon (170 BPM) 09 - Cryomatter - Cold Dark Matter (175 BPM) 10 - Cryomatter - Conversion (200 BPM) 11 - Cryomatter - Decaying Timelines (100 BPM) 12 - Cryomatter - Azure Particles (138 BPM) 13 - Cryomatter - 7-Dimensional Stasis (170 BPM) If you're a fan of science fiction themed psytrance then you know who these guys are. Cybernetika (Lars Goosens) and Xenofish (Christian Becker) have pooled their considerable talents in a Reese's Peanut Butter cup team-up that should have people salivating. Dark and cold foreshadowing a futuristic dystopia the music is Blade Runner on steroids. It begins lightly, but it doesn't last. With mind bending bpms they unleash a percussive onslaught that at times pushes me to my limits. 200 bpms? That's damn near face melting levels! Both of these guys have been quite prodigious when it comes to this type of music, but I can't help but feel that we didn't get the best they had to offer. The music (while superb in places) felt like b-side stuff without much cohesion. It's relentless pounding with a frenetic pace that gets really heavy. Think...thrash metal drum n bass. Even when the tracks weren't punishing (Chrono Wave) it wasn't that interesting. The best bits for me were the short dark-ambient interludes as they contained the most emotion. Tracks like Decaying Timelines. So while I appreciate both artists, I came away from this disappointed feeling an opportunity was missed. Now...a dark ambient album from these two...that's something I would certainly pay for. Free at Ektoplazm

Epicuros - Artificial Intelligence vol. 4 (Dark Ambient, Psy-Chill, Psy-IDM, Electro) Mixcloud 01. Intro - Roy meets Tyrell 02. Vangelis - Blade Runner (Main Theme) 03. Mahindra Waves - DNA 04. Between Interval - Sea of Darkness 05. Carl Sagan's last Interview - The Warning 06. Mass Effect OST - Normandy 07. Kammarheit - Provenience 08. Vataff Project - Owl 09. Field Rotation - Tiefflug 10. Juno Reactor - Nitrogen Part 1 11. Mono Junk - Enter 12. Gus Gus vs.T-world - Esja 13. Aphex Twin - On 14. Sephira - Memory Access 15. HECQ - 0008 16. Distant System - Pupillary response 17. Blastromen - Follow The Command 18. Blastromen - Battlenet 19. Asura - Regenesis 20. Field Rotation - Regenzeit 21. Super Fata - Epilogue 22. Vangelis - Blade Runner (End Titles)

Epicuros - Cosmic Hibernaculum (Psybient, Dark Ambient, Psy-Chill) "When ships to sail the void between the stars have been built, there will step forth men to sail these ships." ― Johannes Kepler (1571--1630) Mixcloud 01. Phobium - Distant Sol 02. Jaja - Mintaka 03. Vangelis- Bounty 04. Atrium carceri - ERASER 05. Julien H Mulder- Fragments 06. Mystery Of The Yeti - The Call; The Journey 07. Altus - Black Hole 08. Al-pha-X - Operatic Meow Prelude 09. Solar Fields - Dust 10. Mank - Dijima 11.Hollan Holmes - Zero-Point Energy 12. Carbon Based Lifeforms - Endospore 13. Global Communication - 4 14 14. Hollan Holmes - Outskirts 15.Cell - Under your mind 16. Jose Amnesia - Eternal (Sunrise Remix)

Epicuros - The Fall (Dark Ambient, Psybient, Downtempo) Mixcloud 01. Palpatine's Teatchings (intro) 02. Altus - Event Horizon 03. Simon Wilkinson - Through The Ergospher 04. Biosphere - Hyperborea 05. Tangerine Dream - Rubycon Part 1 06. Biosphere - Third Planet 07. Cosmic Replicant - Space Creator 08. Carbon Based Lifeforms - Supersede 09. Aes Dana - The Meeting Point 10. Blue Planet Corp - Mangrove 11. Bluetech - Oleander 12. Prisma - Extract Of A Fragment Part (1&2) 13. Cyber Cartel - The Stones 16. Asura - Regenesis 15. Molokow - Hydroponic Circuit

Epicuros - Cosmic Hibernaculum (Drone, Space / Dark Ambient, Psy-Bient) Mixcloud 01. Phobium - Distant Sol 02. Jaja - Mintaka 03. Vangelis- Bounty 04. Atrium carceri - ERASER 05. Julien H Mulder- Fragments 06. Mystery Of The Yeti - The Call; The Journey 07. Altus - Black Hole 08. Al-pha-X - Operatic Meow Prelude 09. Mank - Dijima 10. Hollan Holmes - Zero-Point Energy 11. CARBON BASED LIFEFORMS - Endospore 12. Global Communication - 4 14 13. Hollan Holmes - Outskirts 14. Cell - Under your mind 15. Jose Amnesia - Eternal (Sunrise Remix)

Artist: Cryobiosis Title: Within Ruins Label: Cryo Chamber Date: May, 2013 1. Enthrall 2. Frigid Silence 3. Somewhere Safe 4. Recollection 5. The Corridors Beneath 6. Murkfall 7. Corroded 8. Through Debris 9. Forgotten 10. As the World Decays 11. Departure 12. Serenity What I've come to understand about dark ambient is that it is a vehicle for your imagination. I suppose that could apply to all music, but definitely in this genre. This is pretty good dark ambient that explores the deserted structures of ancient civilizations. Recorded in Romania by Cristian Voicu it is characterized by that eerie atmosphere which Simon Heath (Atrium Carceri) is known for. One aspect I like about this is that while relying heavily on effects and melancholy tone it is more than just drone ambient. Isolating melodies and pads stir up memories of a cold December, perhaps of a fortress ruled by a long dead monarch. Maybe of ghosts wandering beneath a deserted temple. Murkfall conjures up images of a massive Viking vessel with its creaking planks as it lolls listfully at sea devoid of crew. But even though the album starts off strongly it eventually gets lost as you get deeper into it. What was once eerie and interesting soon becomes just background noise. Forgotten sounds like Cristian recorded his cat walking back and forth on his aunt's piano. It moves slowly (very slowly) along with all the sounds you come to expect from dark ambient and you'll notice that a lot of those sounds are repeated. It doesn't frighten yet it does bring about a feeling that you are not alone thereby accomplishing its goal in stimulating the imagination. Think of it as the soundtrack to a dark, slow journey through the past. Not the best I've heard, but worth a listen. If I had to put a number on it, 6/10. Bandcamp Mdk

Artist: Dark Matter Title: How Cold Is The Sun Label: Cryo Chamber Date: July, 2013 1. Be Yourself For Me 2. Creature Called Human 3. Obscured By Clouds 4. Something Like...Home 5. Reality Is Just An Illusion 6. Of Fractured Light and Void 7. Every Empty Evening 8. Psychomachine Picture a frozen landscape and unending solitude. Or a deserted space freighter that should be full of crew. Just you and the sound of your own breathing. Perhaps the crunch of snow underneath your boot. Oh you'll hear voices and see things. Things like a people torn open. Blood splattered all over million dollar hardware. Things like the frost forming on your fingertips and your breath coming in ever shortening gasps. But is it the bone chilling cold or the shocking isolation that has you hearing and seeing things? Is it real or just...something else? Dark ambient bordering on drone can affect people differently. Some love the dark atmosphere and some think it's boring as hell. There are no beats to be found here so effects in this situation can make all the difference. Cryo Chamber is Simon Heath's digital label and it has done it again. The sounds of alien feasting in Creature Called Human is creepy and visceral speaking of an ancient evil that has been awakened. It rises to a cacophony of tortured souls. Something Like...Home is a downright pants sh*tter that will bring to mind all types of terrifying horror imagery. Other tracks rely on the hypnotic wail of drones to push you farther down into the darkness. If you love horror movies and aren't afraid of the dark, get this. It's cold, hypnotic and rife with terror. I found myself holding my breath on several occasions. But be warned...there is no daylight. There is no way out. Whether it's the cold of deep space or a frozen installation lush pads and effects will quicken the heart rate. You'll be carried away. Mdk

Artist: Atrium Carceri Title: Void Label: Cryo Chamber Date: July, 2012 1. Dear Diary 2. Humanity's Cradle 3. A Curved Blade 4. Reselected 5. Victorian Meltdown 6. Passage 7. Endless Deep 8. Debt 9. Trembling 10. Slower 11. Ancient Past 12. Reap Simon Heath is back with another entry into the macabre. If you like the dark side of ambient and horror movies are your thing then this is for you. With eerie melodies and a heaping dose of serial killer mystique this is sinfully delicious. We love to be frightened and the effects used will conjure up every movie you've seen where the dumb b*tch trips and allows the monster to gain ground. Where Jack the Ripper paralyzes an entire city with fear. Most of the tracks are bite sized morsels which helps maintain the shiver quotient, but even the long ones drip with regret. He is the master and if you put this on at 3 am in the dark you will see some sh*t. *rubs arms and looks around nervously* I need to go wake up my kids and play some Candyland in this motherf*cker. Check out all this guy's scary releases. Mdk

Artist: Atrium Carceri & Eldar Title: Sacrosanct Label: Cryo Chamber Date: August, 2012 1. Withering 2. Tomorrow's Dust 3. Freeman 4. The Vault 5. Betrayal 6. So They Speak 7. Sol 8. Of Salt 9. Burial "Hey there! Do you like excitement?" "Do you like suspense?" "Do you like Nell Carter?" "Good cause you won't find her here. This is the house of horror and for you it's absolutely free. Step right in." -ICP What? No Nell Carter? Give me a break... This is the side project (can you really call it a side project when he has released 9 albums?) of Simon Heath of Krusseldorf fame. Actually I think he has been more prolific with this project, so maybe Krusseldorf is the side project. Whichever is right Simon has been producing the dark spooky ambient that will have you recalling images from every horror movie you have ever seen. Be it a Japanese asylum or abandoned prison he creates the atmosphere that will stick with you. On this album he joins forces with another dark ambient producer Eldar. But you have to listen to this at the right moment. You can't bump this in your 64. Because like a husband that is stupid enough to truthfully answer his wife's question, "Does this make me look fat?" there is no bumping. I was gonna say like Dr. Dre with a broken subwoofer, but...you get what I mean. But 4am and you can't sleep cause you've had 4 glasses of caffeine heavy sweet tea? Oh hell yeah. So I sit in a comfy chair in the dark and put the headphones on and immerse myself in this macabre nightmare and hold up...did that...did that shadow just move? Nah, just a chair, I'm stupid. Withering begins the show with a science fiction feel as the cold impersonal sounds of higher technology hum to life. Ok, I'm thinking Event Horizon and the deep cold of an abandoned space freighter. Tomorrow's Dust brings the sounds of wind blowing through the twisted remains of some metal structure and it grows in noisy intensity as a continuous bass note strums. The Matrix when we realize that life outside of that computer program is a shell of yesterday. Man that tension builds. Freeman is my favorite with the percussive pattern and warning pads make this a dark delight. It moves slowly gathering fear of what's around the corner as a primary weapon. This is a lurk with an evil sneer. The Exorcist. Definitely the exorcist. The Vault is the discovery of a tomb that hasn't been opened in a very long time. It breathes with malediction, as if angry its slumber has been disturbed. But what I see is Johhny Depp's Jack the Ripper and the terror that must've enveloped London at that time. Deliciously evil as you can hear the cries of lost souls. Betrayal has more motion and I'm kinda like what the f*ck? This doesn't fit with any of the previous tracks. Perhaps it could be a chase scene before the pads dominate on the way out. I wouldn't have put it there. So They Speak hits you with a 19th century Dickensian London feel. Dark pads and eerie piano melodies slowly ring amidst the winds of early winter. London can be a dreary place anyway, but just imagining it back then and I'm looking for old Xanax prescriptions. Pull the coat closer as the heat begins to escape rapidly. Perhaps Sol could see you wandering the halls of a dilapidated building just waiting for that fat f*ck with the pig mask to fire up that chain saw. Where the f*ck is he? The dark pads rumble (yeah they do) while melancholy piano strings are plucked with remorse. Of Salt didn't impress me. It seemed unfocused and not something you want at over 7 minutes. Maybe unfocused isn't the right word. Lack of cohesion would work here. At times it was hopeful and others dark. In the end it didn't maintain the uneasy or fear quotient. Or...maybe it's the burning of the dead as the flames spit and crackle. Ohhhhh! You so qwever! Sorry, Asian slant. F*ck, that was an accident. I should stop talking. Simon ends with a great closer. Burial was dreary and unending and must've been how Europe felt during the Black Plague. Mountains of bodies, the very fabric of society ripped apart... Man that was 50 minutes well spent. Dark and apocalyptic in places it hit me just right. At 4 am. In total darkness. Look at the track names, this is not a carnival. Unless it's a dark carnival and then I'm sure ICP will have some copyright issues with you. There were some tracks I felt were misplaced, but the mood was maintained most of the way through. His music paints an avid picture and the let's your mind deal with the sordid details. Good stuff as usual. Cryo Chamber Mdk