tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36400265061408226082024-02-07T05:17:56.360-08:00Dungeon Excavationthekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-36017648738620371272021-11-12T21:14:00.002-08:002021-11-12T21:14:57.599-08:00Alchem - Morninglight - The Beginning<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcPce6ZTKxYY5Yl4vFlozl7_i88FUqI6ujgleYPLTZSv-Nyai7T3LhEnXG-bh2-tjKGd1tUgUCXy5LjFy5tbmo_s3_B2uyEt0IYrzwSvhgn0xeeg8bQ7t-DZVns28b-yz-sR7R2aF0KR4/s2048/jcard-cut.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcPce6ZTKxYY5Yl4vFlozl7_i88FUqI6ujgleYPLTZSv-Nyai7T3LhEnXG-bh2-tjKGd1tUgUCXy5LjFy5tbmo_s3_B2uyEt0IYrzwSvhgn0xeeg8bQ7t-DZVns28b-yz-sR7R2aF0KR4/s320/jcard-cut.png" width="306" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hope you all have had a good year. Coming close to another year between posts. I really have no good explanation! Life is very busy and full these days, and rarely do I get to sit down and do nothing but listen to a tape; however, this night I've been able to do just that<i> and</i> take the time to cut ripped tracks and write up this post. So here you are.</p><p>Alchem's <i>Morninglight - The Beginning</i> always piqued my interest after finding its lone discogs page. The j-card, titling, lack of info, and its whole presence exuded 'dungeon synth', a foresty lost relic that seemed to be just the kind of thing I would love. I was hinted towards this artist from the single mention on (the classic) Asmodian Coven blog, on the side-panel requesting help with lost rips. Years later, a good friend of mine acquired this in a private overseas sale and was generous enough to send me a rip of its audio, including scans of the j-card. Finally, this obscurity has come into the (morning)light.</p><p><i>Morninglight - The Beginning</i> is seemingly the only release from Poland's Alchem, released in 1998 through The Gathering of Funeral Gods Productions. For those privy to cult status 90s black metal tapes, you may know this label as home to the original issue of the first LSSAH demo. From what I can gather, I'm betting this was either a vanity label for one artist behind the only 3 projects present on the roster, or it's a small group of friends from the same area in Poland.</p><p>The tones present here are very foresty, airy, druidic, and overall rather pleasant. The melodies are fairly simple but nonetheless catchy and welcoming. 7 tracks make up the entirety of the release with each title matching the general feel of each track. The tape opens up with bird sounds and some minimal keyboard tones leading directly into the first proper track, 'Last Warrior'. Long droning chords often back up a track while other orchestral presets create melodies that build and layer on each other. The artist uses repetition quite well, almost in the way that dance artists construct their mixes. Track 3, 'Journey Through the Misty Lands' might be favorite on the tape, a breezier and slightly more somber song that invokes a foggy image of wandering through the heavy misted fields of a world unknown. Two tracks on the tape titled 'Kold's Way' reference 'stages' of sorts, which I'm guessing is supposed to be an imagined video game soundtrack. There is something a little more engaging about these two tracks that I could see working in a dungeon crawler. <i>Morninglight</i> is a generally pleasing tape that I'll be returning to every so often. While not groundbreaking by any means, it's well made, evokes nice imagery, and doesn't bore in its repetition. Check this out if you enjoy Cernunnos Woods or Era of Ice, similar synth tones and feelings.</p><p>You'll notice in the download that I've left a few different versions of tracks. The j-card references these tracks really as two distinct pieces divided by sides of the tape, with movements within. The tracks were easy enough to split save for the very first two which flowed together seamlessly. I've included versions of the entire sides as well as the split up tracks, so take your pick (I prefer split tracks just for the sake of keeping the titling accurate to the smaller movements). I haven't removed any of the hiss between the split tracks, so they'll still match up as they play and you won't notice a shift when listening to the full thing in a playlist, save for the shift to side B of course. Lastly, side A was mixed or recorded a little bit hotter than side B, so I've included versions of the B-side tracks with a bit of a boost to match the levels of side A. The hiss between tracks is still not as pronounced, but they do match a bit more in presence. Note that the download is a little larger due to all of these inclusions.</p><p>See you... some time</p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fPkQY6tREokfRT7icXvU2HR_-S3NGiqi/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Descend</a><br /></p>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-50576824278233482822020-12-21T14:32:00.002-08:002020-12-21T14:32:42.548-08:00Caduceus - Viduramžiai <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtRD0TDD5Xvek9Z4BLyTnIncdiFlbUgAVUzO6VBS7qptTEGTcgCdmU04eq8rmTSozFm_lulpcrEQXjBdIj4mImEeMZpmzO8cwTVk6qybet_xjrLpdssjQqACCE93c4W41MlKf_6XSo-fC/s1207/virduramziai+scan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtRD0TDD5Xvek9Z4BLyTnIncdiFlbUgAVUzO6VBS7qptTEGTcgCdmU04eq8rmTSozFm_lulpcrEQXjBdIj4mImEeMZpmzO8cwTVk6qybet_xjrLpdssjQqACCE93c4W41MlKf_6XSo-fC/s320/virduramziai+scan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hello, readers. Has been another long lapse, my apologies again. Free time is quite hard to come by for me in such a weird year. Figured since the holidays are coming up and since the solstice has arrived, I'd share in the spirit of giving by providing a new upload for everyone. Still much more to post, but being that this release is among the most legendary and elusive recordings in maybe the whole genre of dungeon synth, it's about time it got put it out there.</p><p>If anyone was unaware, the last Caduceus tape <i>Middle</i> <i>Ages</i> was revealed to be little more than a collection of tracker songs from the 90s that were stolen and released as Caduceus' own music. Went a very long time before anyone noticed, but thanks to some keen ears among the tracker-users in the DS genre today, all has been revealed. You can read more about this <a href="https://dungeonsynth.proboards.com/thread/803/middle-ages-unveiled" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><i>Viduramžiai</i> is the infamously impossible to find second 'release' from Caduceus released in 1998, apparently only circulated among his own circle of peers in Lithunia back in the day, with many being quite withholding of information about this. But now here it is, a 40 minute neoclassical dungeon synth monster of cinematic composition and dusty dungeon romanticism. This rip was provided to the blog by a well trusted confidant (who will remain nameless unless they wish to be named) with a great deal of insider info. Some very slight editing has been made to side A to improve audio quality, but this diminishes nothing from the base sound. Alas, <i>Viduramžiai</i> is another case of tracker .mod file theft. While posed as two compositions comprised of smaller movements, the tracks within are also stolen from tracker music artists without their knowledge. So far among the Excavators, we've identified one track within this tape as being 'Kingdom Skies' by the artist Jase. This track appears at the 15 minute mark on side A. Being that <i>Middle Ages</i> was entirely stolen and that we've already ID'd one stolen track here, it's safe to assume that the rest are also stolen. Very unfortunate that these original artists never got the proper credit for their music which is now lauded as some of the best 'old school DS' in the genre, but it's good that we can now begin to appreciate the contributions of artists that we would otherwise be unaware of. If you're able to identify any other songs within this tape, please email me.</p><p>Now, scandals aside, this is another monumental release of extremely well composed fantasy music that would fit squarely into the cheese of 80s and 90s sword & sorcery films (if only!) Sweeping orchestration, complex percussion, emotional crescendos, atmospheric dark synthesizers, it's all here. In fact, this might be outside of the taste of many DS minimalists who prefer the somber straightforward stylings of many modern bedroom projects, but for many hi-fi fans or OST listeners, you'll certainly love this. If you want an even higher fidelity taste of similar music, browse through the medieval and classical tags on sites such as Mod Archive wherein many of the true <i>Middle Ages</i> originals are available, including 'Kingdom Skies' from this tape.<br /></p><p>So, take it as it is. Enjoy the music that is here and keep in mind the true artists behind these compositions. I guess we could say thanks in a sense for the timeline where this whole ordeal has led us to discovering or rediscovering the demo scene tracker music history of the 90s. It's terribly unfortunate that this music comes to us through the unveiling of theft. Even in the modern day we've seen similar scenarios in the genre where various tracks or even whole albums are stolen and labeled as another artist's music. Just goes to show you, nothing stays hidden for too long.</p><p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B1rXQv4AFA199D_g-HSB-qt2KXRD-VN9/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Descend</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-54095115660098250462020-05-18T17:34:00.001-07:002020-05-18T17:39:39.919-07:00Sole Occidente - Ye Last Journey of Mine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello again, readers and followers. It's been some months since the last post, but hopefully people are still checking in from time to time. Still have quite a backlog to get through, so the blog won't die off anytime soon. I have lots of priorities these days, but I wanted to squeeze in another post since everyone's stuck at home lately. Some new (old) dungeon synth can hopefully ease the mind. Hope you're all well.</div>
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Instead of the usual tape rip, here we have a CDR of the only album from Ukranian artist Sole Occidente. This was released in 2003 on OMS Records, who put out some other underrated DS albums back in the early 00s like some of the Old Monk's Saga material and the much overlooked Silentium/AR split. Sole Occidente is work of Duke Amduscias, Incubus (comma included) who also fronted the black metal project Ignis Nocturnum which produced a single tape release 5 years before this SO album. This upload was made possible by a longtime patron of the blog whose knowledge and resources are always bountiful. Thank you, again.</div>
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The overall sound of this album is reminiscent of the very early Bandcamp era of dungeon synth, with digitized instruments creating thoughtful and ambitious compositions coming from a very grand personal fantasy world. I know I've heard these particular instruments before, but I can't quite put my finger on where. It's a very string heavy album which at times reminds me of Darkstroll, a classic from this early BC era (I highly recommend the compilation <i>Sounds of the Taiga</i> on Dungeon Lore Foundation, one of my favorites). The moods on this album recreate a varied and long adventure for the listener, with some tracks like the opener giving a very verdant and bright mental image while others like "Ye Crying of Lilith" painting a much darker and dreary sort of gothic atmosphere. As I said before, the strings here are always at the forefront in various forms: harps, violins, piano, cello, even harpsichord in a few places. While each track may intend a different image mood, the compositions are always driving forward with lots going on. You don't get much of a break here as the pace stays fairly consistent throughout, only slowing down at times when focusing in on creating a darker atmosphere. With 13 tracks in total, things do tend to blend together a bit in places since you're mostly getting the same instruments in each track with a similar pace. Two tracks that really stand out to me are "Ye Crying of Lilith", which has a strong gothic tone and serves as something of a dark respite during the surrounding upbeat and adventurous tracks, and the track "Ye Circle of Ye Fate". Ye Circle features a kind of Asian sounding flute tone, which is a new and welcome element, and there's something about the composition that reminds of Steve Reich. I'm not versed in music theory so I can't explain this very well, but there's just something about the key that this is written in or the range of notes being reached that gives me a modernist vibe. Great track.</div>
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Overall, there's lots here to catch your attention. You can hone in on one instrument at a time and follow an interesting melody or take it all in its in digital grandeur. That said, something about the similar pacing per track and the repeated instrument patch usage makes things blend together at times, but the tracks that do mix it up really stand out. I can definitely see this being a great background RPG album.</div>
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And here ye have ye download for ye listening pleasure:</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ZJFBFevorimEaXcEnVukem9TzfOJbKBR">Descend</a></div>
thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-47403990965672722112019-09-18T08:26:00.001-07:002019-09-18T08:29:15.494-07:00Aldaron - Forest Path<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was very lucky to come upon a copy of this recently on Discogs for an overly reasonable price (thank you, friend!) This tape sits both on the periphery of dungeon synth and deep into its core chambers where the isolated bedroom naivety of the genre materializes. <i>Forest</i> <i>Path</i> by the Greek artist Aldaron is the first of two short demos the artist released in the early to mid '00s. I believe this one was self-released while the other demo, <i>When Dawn Rise Again</i>, which I'm still hunting down, was given a release from what I'm assuming is the artist's own label considering its the only release on the roster. Essentially self-released either way. <i>Forest Path</i> from 2004 is a short demo though it is nothing short of intriguing. What we have here are four tracks of sparse Roland Soundcanvas MIDI instruments, totaling about 11 minutes of playtime. The on-point timing here makes me believe that these were written in a tablature program, perhaps Powertab considering the date and since there is no drum-kit being used. The j-card credits the artist for guitar and synth, but I don't think anyone's being fooled into believing the guitar here is real. Not saying I don't love the old MIDI sound, though.<br />
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What is striking about is this tape is that the tracks somehow avoid having a recognizable or familiar atmosphere. Perhaps it's the overly accurate timing due to the program being used to compose the songs, but there's something just unfamiliar and vaguely alien about this whole thing. Even the title track, which is the most conventional of the four and is actually rather 'pleasant', still has an anomalous sense of confusion. I am indeed transported by the music, but not to where I am often taken. Whereas other DS releases may take you to fantasy realms of wonder, or medieval scenes of old, the forest path we are set upon here is from another world formed by unknown magics, a scene constructed to look like our own surroundings. The soil, the trees, the smell of wood, the branches snapping underfoot, are all conjured by an inhuman wizard attempting to recreate the human world. Occasionally the artist jumps to an off key note, yet it remains true to its intention. The instruments mesh at times and clash at others, experimenting with each other to give us the forested images we wish to see, but their form is warped, even uncanny. Volume fades and swells and you become disoriented. For some reason, you cannot stop wandering down this unnatural path. There is an end, but it remains perpetually out of reach. At that end sits the inhuman wizard, bent over his alien tomes, casting unearthly spells to construct the world in which you wander, a world he wished was natural. A verdant vision from the nonexistent childhood of the most innocent of demiurges.<br />
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I would say that <i>Forest Path</i> sits well within the realm of Hekaloth material (Xynfonica, Gluttony, etc.), though on the folkier and less dissonant side. The demo is intriguing enough to warrant at least one listen, but this isn't going to be for everyone. However, I know there are some of you who will listen to this over and over. I'm on my fifth listen this morning.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1U0xdtySHPQukFydW9cfhgiZktUKzdyNn">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-7021897693637605232019-09-10T10:04:00.001-07:002019-09-10T10:14:09.576-07:00Arcana Liturgia - The Reign of the Mighty King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And at last, the final tape of the three original Arcana Liturgia releases: <i>The Return of the Mighty King</i>. Back a little early since I wanted make up for such a lapse. I've had this on the shelf for quite some time. Originally, this was the release I had planned to post after the last Alviss post in 2017, but equipment issues at the time kept me from getting a decent rip of the audio. After far too long, I'm happy to be posting the most epic of the three class AL tapes. In the meantime, Arcana Liturgia has actually come back to making music, and the new stuff is great, picking right up where he left off many years ago. His first album in 20 years, <a href="https://arcanaliturgia.bandcamp.com/album/tales-of-an-ancient-world">Tales of an Ancient World</a> is on Bandcamp with a tape on High Cathedral Records (though I believe this is long sold out). AL's previous demos also got a recent re-release in one tape on Gondolin Records. Different mix than the rips here, definitely <a href="https://gondolinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ars-moriendi-mccxxxi">check them out</a>.</div>
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<i>King</i> comes as a natural progression from MCCXXXI and Ars Moriendi, creating an epic tale of an usurped king on a journey to reclaim the throne from his deceitful brother. Lots of instruments and atmospheres featured on this album with some familiar sounds from the prior two tapes but really put to the test of building a grand story. What this album does best is allow the music act as narrative. While each track serves as a scene in the king's journey, the music really speaks for itself in guiding the listener through this tale. Occasionally, narrative/spoken vocals are used to add to the story-telling purpose of this album, but they are sparse enough where they only add flavor and override the music. My favorite moments in the album are the combination of the tracks "The Return of the Mighty King", "The Death of Edris", and "Honour and Glory". The final battle between brothers occurs. The bulk of the self-titled track has this kind of tense yet understated repeated passage with piano, choir leads, and drums that represents the action between brothers. This isn't your typical boss battle music, but something more uncertain and understated. The track transitions into some somber piano moments where its as if the king is accepting the the troubling task of killing his brother. The queen soon comes in congratulate the king on his victory. The following track paints the scene of Edris' funeral, melancholic yet hopeful in tone. The sadness doesn't stick around for long before the victorious tavern fanfare of Honour and Glory begins in celebration the king's victory and the freeing of the land of Alghor.</div>
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I recommend reading to the j-card story to get some background of what's going on before listening. We even get a map of the king's travels to follow, another fine touch to the lore of the story. A great tale to conclude the history Arcana Liturgia, with future chapters now unfolding.</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1K8DwVyaLH-cUHprrRz_MvZ72Y5vxpp5J">Descend </a></div>
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<br />thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-26684641112918197612019-09-05T09:50:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:57:39.110-07:00Compendium - Ensemble MCMLXCV<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greetings, again. After over a year of inactivity, I've come back with quite the stash of obscure music to share once again. My ripping equipment is in working condition again, so I've been able to get quite a lot digitalized. Still a handful of tapes to go, but everything I have is currently uploaded and is awaiting a write-up, so I don't have a whole lot of excuse for delay now. Many people have emailed pointing out that a good portion of old download links are dead. I've moved everything to google drive which should stay up for a long time. I've also swapped out the Ashmadai rip with the cut-off final track to a new rip from a friend of mine. I played with the mix a bit so it's not so panned to the right and a bit louder. It was still a low mix tape to begin with, but hopefully this makes it a little brighter. Anyway, please enjoy any old stuff you've missed out on due to inactive links. I think the majority of my rips have been uploaded to youtube, as well. I'm sure posts ahead will make their way over eventually. Glad to be back!</div>
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I wanted to bring this tape up first thing coming off of my hiatus since it may be my favorite tape so far on this blog. Compendium's <i>Ensemble MCMLXCV</i> comes from the legendary Dark Age Productions, released in 1995 during the label's heyday. <i>Ensemble MCMLXCV</i> is lovely EP/mini-album of six tracks making a total of around 20 minutes. I should note that this tape isn't entirely dungeon synth proper. There's a strong element of gothic/neoclassical piano for the bulk of the tape but keyboards, acoustic guitar, cello, and other instruments are woven in to create a very lush and dark romantic atmosphere. I'm a pretty big fan of this kind of atmosphere relating to neoclassical darkwave, so fans of the genre will surely love this. The music is largely instrumental, though the first and last track feature very beautiful female vocal harmonies. If you're not into the whole gothic piano piano thing as much, old-school dungeon synth fans will get their cheesy synth thirst slaked with the synth panflute on the track "The Falls of Caledonia" and the baroque synth harpsichord on "The Dark Enlightened". It's hard for me to pick a favorite out of these, but I'm partial to the first track "Dancing in the Mist". In some ways reminds me of the piano solo tracks of Theatre of Tragedy. A very beautiful tape that's worth the time of anyone into darker piano music or dungeon synth.</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jjghdmSqKhl6BgmoV9DY4NOCFNSDEj9j">Descend</a></div>
<br />thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-52874160999308517162018-08-09T19:28:00.002-07:002019-09-05T09:27:27.631-07:00Cernunnos Woods - Immrama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, it's certainly been a while, but I'm finally back to posting. I currently have about thirteen more releases to post, but I'm always searching for more. What I was previously using to rip tapes is giving me a good amount of feedback now and I can't seem to get it sounding right even with head cleaning, so I'm stuck with posting reader submissions or CD rips in the meantime. I'll try to get something working soon since I do have a backlog of tapes to rip. I also haven't checked this email account in quite some time and I've been alerted that a few of the upload links are dead. I'll be re-uploading whatever has died, so try downloading them again tonight or tomorrow. I also have a better rip of the Ashmadai tape I'll be uploading soon. The last track <i>was</i> cut off on my copy, so those files that have been spreading around aren't complete (though it's just the end of the track that's missing, it's mostly all there).<br />
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For my return, I'm posting a promo tape rip from one of my favorite dungeon synth artists, Cernunnos Woods. Big thanks to the guy who ripped this for me. <i>Immrama</i> was a promo tape featuring three tracks that were to be seen on the <i>Awaken the Empire of Dark Wood</i> full length released on CMI sub-label Cruel Moon International in 1996. These versions here should be considered demos, later being reworked a bit and properly mastered for the album.The first track here, "Enchantment to the Empire of Stone" would come to be named "Dark and Ancient Visions". It's the same length as the album track, though this one trails off with some ocean sounds, so a little less DS, a little more waves. The second track, "Loch Dirge", didn't make it onto the full length, but it's a great one, melancholic and triumphant. The third track, "Into Glory... We Ride", wasn't really changed in any noticeable way for the full-length, save for better mastering. While these promo tracks are technically featured on the <i>Forest Anthology</i> compilation that was released in 2016, the tracks on that release that were labeled as being from this tape aren't actually the same, save for the last track. The Immrama track on the <i>FA</i> comp is closer to the album version and features the same name. The second track labeled as "Cad Goddeu (The Battle of the Tress" on <i>FA</i> is actually not "Loch Dirge" at all, it's a rougher mix of the actual album track "Cad<i> </i>Goddeu". "Into Glory... We Ride" however remains the same across all three releases. If the tracks on the compilation were the same as the tracks on this tape, I wouldn't really have a reason to upload this, but luckily we get some nice demos here and the unheard "Loch Dirge" track. If anything, even if the tracks <i>were</i> the same, this was worth uploading for the cover art alone, made by Bard on one his high school's computers. Some classic DS clip art. A fun little promo from a great artist.<br />
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Definitely check out the <i>Forest Anthology </i>compilation and everything else on Bard's legendary Dark Age Productions label, one of the classics from the 90s now active again and releasing more classic dungeon music.<br />
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<a href="https://cernunnoswoods.com/" target="_blank">Cernunnos Woods</a><br />
<a href="https://dark-age-productions.com/" target="_blank">Dark Age Productions </a><br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1exPWgLACE7DgG67_X7ox3EcPdVes1Yde" target="_blank">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-68678216623035731252017-10-09T15:39:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:26:54.030-07:00Alviss - Dunkle Wälder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sincere apologies for a delay in posts. This one will count as the August post. I'll post the one for September soon, and the October one should hopefully be coming soon as well. Also, many have informed me that a number of download links have died. All dead links have been reuploaded with nofile, which seems to be the most reliable service I've found so far.<br />
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I've been holding onto to this tape for a while so thought I'd throw in something new before uploading the last Arcana Liturgia tape. Here's the second demo from the German artist Alviss. You might know Alviss from his short first demo 'Fafnir' which Ascoven uploaded last year. Dunkle Wälder is a bit of a bump up in terms of dynamics and variety, but still sticks to a minimalist delivery, leveraging imagery with sparse, repetitive, and hypnotic sound. I think this demo is better than the first, and clearly shows the artists growth. No date here as with the previous demo, but I would peg this either some time in the same year, '96, but more likely '97 since there is a noticeable difference in compositional variety and sound. There's some static crackling a bit in the recording, namely in the first track, but I've checked with multiple tape players and this is part of the recording itself and not the player I used to rip the cassette (perhaps it's the cassette tape itself, but it seems to be in perfect condition).<br />
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Dunkle Wälder, like Fafnir, features three tracks, though these three differ much more than the single synth used previously. The first track is a rather odd and delay-laden minimal track that only serves to confuse you. I feel this track is more of your entry into the dark forests (the English translation of the title), the first steps into a path-less expanse of trees and leaves with no sense of direction. Next we come a upon a flowing stream. We lay down and begin dreaming as wind brushes over us. Traum (Dream in English) is much more recognizably DS compared to the first track, with drawn-out synths blanketing nature sounds. You can kind of hear the keys press down on the keyboard at times. Lastly, we come to the heart of the dark forest, to the Tor zur Unendlichkeit, the gate of infinity. Whether this is within us, brought out by the spirit of the forest, or if this gate is physically happened upon through our wandering is unknown, or perhaps we are unable to differentiate between the two; but we are here, led my drum rolls and melancholic yet uplifting ethereal synths into the gate.<br />
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Dark Forest Musik<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JRMODwrNMu6dsq90tLhb6JkKkjPgFFg6">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-42160357938746297112017-07-26T18:46:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:26:26.580-07:00Arcana Liturgia - Ars Moriendi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back for the official July post (the previous counting as June's) with the second tape from Arcana Liturgia. Glad to be putting this artist into the canon because he really deserves the attention. Ars Moriendi follows the artist's first tape, MCCXXXI, a year after with a fuller sound and more complete concept. Simple j-card layout with a dedication to the great JRR Tolkien. The artist looks a lot like Neige.<br />
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As the insert will describe, Ars Moriendi tells the tale of a great warrior, meant to musically transport us back to a time of chivalry, swords, and all that good stuff. Each track represents a part in the story of the life and death of our subject. Every track fits extremely well with its intention; even without the guided insert, you can glean what is happening based off of atmosphere and composition, which a great feat for an artist to accomplish. In Act I, the soldiers line up on the field, militant and true, putting their life on the line for their cause. Act II depicts the praying warrior before battle, calling for strength and protection. For Act III we have some epic fight music as the war erupts. Pounding drums, driving leads, perfect concept synchronization. An ominous Act IV puts the warrior in the face of death to be taken from the Earth (or Middle Earth?). This track kind of reminds me of music late in a Doom game, kind of somber and hopeless but still tense. The second half of this track breaks from the bombast, softer melodies but still dreadful. Our warrior has perished. Act V serves as the mourning song, a piano elegy. You can picture the tears falling from the cheeks of the warrior's loved ones. Evocative stuff.<br />
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Ars Moriendi clocks in at around 25 minutes in total with 5 songs, which may seems short for some listeners, but I feel this tale is very complete. Kept my interest from start to finish and really drew up some imagery. Looking forward to posting the final Arcana Liturgia tape soon enough.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ty_AtzgYpHWh9FDPCLVV5MjT2Gx5G38Q">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-4771306551782291762017-07-04T14:20:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:25:55.050-07:00Atropos - Amorte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Huge thanks to my Russian and Italian comrades for this rip. I've been meaning to purchase this tape for some time, but before I did I actually received the rip for this along with a great insert scan from the artist himself, passed along to me by a Russian friend who is always a big help with getting some obscure stuff. This is the first tape by the duo Atropos. Atropos was active in the later half of the nineties as a smaller project of Borys Catelani, founder of the Agipunk and Tetanus labels and front-man of the death doom band Forgotten Kadath and guitarist for the crust band Giuda, and Maurizio Guccini, instrumentalist for Forgotten Kadath. As far as I'm aware, Atropos released four tapes between 1995 and 1998, two being splits, one with Forgotten Kadath and another with Myricae, the other full length tape being posted here eventually! If anyone has either of the two splits, I'd love to hear them.</div>
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Amorte is Atropos first release from 1995 and to me is definitely the weaker of the main two releases, but that's not say this one isn't without its merits. The tape opens with <i>Clotho</i>, a fairly lighthearted short song with a deep synth bass pad, playful synthesized pan flute, and live recorder playing (off key at a few points). Reminds me a bit of Bacchia Neraida's or Zweilicht's flute playing. After this brief track, we have <i>Lachesis</i>, a multifaceted song that's almost set up in separate phases. The recorder continues on in a simple melody reminiscent of a campy fantasy movie opening. Eventually the song breaks down and gets darker and incorporates some raspy whispered vocals. Again the song mutates an turns to a church organ as the darkness increases before transforming back to a lighter tone recalling the beginning of the track. The contrast between the simplicity of the first and track and this near twelve minute fantasy journey is nice and the variation keeps you attentive. An odd percussion track follows that is rather sloppy in timing. Not too big on this track, almost seems like its a pallet cleanser after the evolving <i>Lachesis</i>. The A side finishes off with <i>Imago</i>, a rather short folk-ish transition song that brings in acoustic guitar, probably the prettiest song on the tape.</div>
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The B side picks up where <i>Lachesis </i>left off, cutting the lighter feel off and diving right back into a slow building darkness with many elements of the previous epic, church organs and whispers included. A tolling bell at the track's end leads us to the outro <i>Giorni</i>... which in my opinion is the creepiest song on the tape. A period of silence, and we're given a hidden black metal acoustic synth burst outro complete with some falsetto wail screams. A fun way to end everything.</div>
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Overall, Amorte is enjoyable but it feels like the duo is still kind of getting their ideas together to create something larger. I don't fully consider Amorte to be a dungeon synth tape, proper. It incorporates a number of dungeon-y synth elements that provide a lot to the dark lo-fi atmosphere, but there's just something to it that feels different than much other DS tapes. Maybe some would consider this more as dark ambient with folk elements? Perhaps experimental DS? Maybe you'll disagree, give it a listen.</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1luWzJtmJj1nSGBPFJJifEPWBimScOTzn">Descend</a></div>
<br />thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-75117658367746776952017-05-23T23:19:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:25:22.377-07:00Cernunnos - Τα Ορχυχεία Των Νάνων<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you may expect, I've gotten more requests to actually make a schedule again for periodic posting, so I'm going to try my best to do so. From this post forward, I'll put forth all effort to post at least once per month. I have quite the backlog built up of things to rip and post, including a number of submissions, so I won't be running dry for some time.<br />
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As promised in the last Cernunnos post, here is yet another unearthed demo of his that until very recently has had virtually no mention online save for a couple 'for sale/trade' forum inventory posts, one collection list on a blog, and an infoless mention on his Metal Archives page. In the last month, the info for this tape was posted to Discogs, which I am very thankful for. The tape is labeled as DP 08, yet Discogs states that this tape came out in 1997, DP 02 being released in 1998, so 1997 might be inaccurate.The track names on this demo are nearly impossible to read from the scan I have and I've confirmed with the few others I know who have this tape that their copies are no easier to read. Luckily, the Greek names of the tracks were made available thanks to the Discogs post. I nearly uploaded this demo last month with three track names just left 'Undeciphered', but thankfully we now have some proper track titles. The tape name translates to "The Bunnies of the Nannon". Not sure if this is accurate, but it's cute so I'm not questioning it.<br />
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Τα Ορχυχεία Των Νάνων is much more raw and bombastic sounding compared to the previously posted <span class="tracklist_track_title" itemprop="name">Δασος Των Τραγοποδαρων Δαιμονων. Here we have four tracks percussion-heavy medieval dungeon synth. On this tape we're actually left without Athalwulf's signature flute playing, but we do have his memorable blackened whispers on the second track. Something about this tape reminds me of Bacchia Neraida's <i>Ermis</i>, perhaps it's the brevity of it, but it has a similar 'short and sweet' takeaway like I got from <i>Ermis</i>. All four tracks carry differing moods, a short yet satisfying demo. If you're not one for repetition, you may be a bit bored with this release. Each track contains a melody or riff that is well repeated, but in my opinion is still interesting and enjoyable. The third track has something of an awkward pause in the middle, soon followed by what seems the exact first half of the song repeated again (not just the same composition, it sounds like the same recorded track was turned back on a second after it stopped). Fans of the other Cernunnos releases will undoubtedly enjoy this, and perhaps listeners who aren't very keen on Athalwulf's flute-work will enjoy this as well.</span><br />
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Thanks to my usual anonymous Greek tape affiliate for this rip.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iRCgt5wqeA6SDvWaiORQIsTSnOSr-8VQ"><span class="tracklist_track_title" itemprop="name">Descend</span></a><br />
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<span class="tracklist_track_title" itemprop="name">(I've uploaded this as a 7z file in order to keep the proper Greek characters in the song file titles, unarchive with 7-zip, if you're not already using it.</span><br />
<span class="tracklist_track_title" itemprop="name"><br /></span>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-76384557275179591052017-04-09T14:20:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:24:38.547-07:00Arcana Liturgia - MCCXXXI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been just a few days short of four months since the last post, but finally here's a new tape for everyone. Not <i>new</i> exactly, but from 1997 and with very few mentions online as far as I can find. This is the first tape from Italian synth project Arcana Liturgia led by 'Azog the Minstrel'. This first tape of the three tape discography is probably the most primitive sounding out of the three, and despite all the black magic and demon-laden imagery, it's a rather pleasant listen. The synthesizers are kind of crude sounding and very reminiscent of old CRPG games. Four songs all between 6 and 7 minutes with a soft hiss in the background.<br />
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The first track is my favorite of the four, a very simple innocent melody carries the song along with square-wave bass drums accentuating a slower second half with quick synth riffs over-top. The second track takes a bit of a darker turn key-wise, showing off a few more instruments. Side B contains the other half of the tracks, with the next being much more atmospherically focused with organs making up the majority of the track. The last song sums the tape of with a bit of everything we've heard so far, ambience, synth leads, chimes, darkness and light together. All together this is a pretty decent first effort.<br />
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Aside from this blog posting I haven't seen mention of this tape anywhere other than a few collection sales on some forums and a info-less listing on Rate Your Music. I believe this was originally distributed by Elven Witchcraft, but not an actual release they put out on their label. I included a scan of the little slip that was in the case. Glad to have brought this out thanks to an anonymous trade. More to come.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1E9C6bbiEf9kb7G3E9jzC4NzQgHCsuXzX">Descend</a><br />
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(On the last post, I mentioned another coming post for the remaining Cernunnos demo. I have everything ripped and ready to go, but the track names are largely unreadable. I'm getting a bit of help trying to decipher these, but if it turns out we can't figure them out, I'll post the tape anyway and maybe some of you might know).thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-37971299684540566672016-12-13T16:37:00.002-08:002019-09-05T09:24:06.702-07:00Bacchia Neraida - Ermis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfLobftc_oem69uWiyt4d7IQv1xhe7eHkW7o3195Y8MTBDR-1C94q5KqUfPF3H1ON7t-lE_o9yp3TwBFXbWyza0yQf7FD14CBJTEAyuuyw-8L961e3wm4Myl7HpkAtE9zShdTIGBQ2ZWw/s1600/Bacchia+Neraida+-+Ermis+-+cut.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfLobftc_oem69uWiyt4d7IQv1xhe7eHkW7o3195Y8MTBDR-1C94q5KqUfPF3H1ON7t-lE_o9yp3TwBFXbWyza0yQf7FD14CBJTEAyuuyw-8L961e3wm4Myl7HpkAtE9zShdTIGBQ2ZWw/s400/Bacchia+Neraida+-+Ermis+-+cut.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another few weeks late on the posts. At this point, I may as well redact my weekly posting policy since posting has become so sporadic. I'll still try to do my best to keep this updated, but no formal promises.<br />
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Here's the last unheard Bacchia Neraida tape, Ermis. I am not sure if this was the initial release or if it was Dionysos. Ermis has a catalog number while Dionysos does not. A shorter demo, only three songs, but probably some of my favorite BN tracks here. The tape starts of with 'Hermes', a rather haunting almost gothic track with a lot of black metal qualities interlaced with Athalwulf's narration and croaking. In the middle of the tape, we have Circe. Despite this track being pretty repetitive and vocal-less, it's probably one of my favorite BN tracks. Lots of strings, almost live sounding. Lastly, we have 'Kissoforos Vakcheios' (translated on the internet from the Greek titles, please correct me if I'm wrong. Mid-paced black metal feel that's driven by Athalwulf's flute playing. Weirdly melancholic. Thanks to my anonymous source, once again.<br />
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The last unreleased Athalwulf tape to come...<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dKPWW7vh3TB7L6ya-GN8toyeiiYGmYbr">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-38456745909733322742016-11-19T13:18:00.000-08:002019-09-05T09:23:21.233-07:00Bacchia Neraida - Dionysos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a near two month hiatus, I'm finally back to uploading. Gathered some good stuff in my respite. Not going to make up for the weeks away, I'll just start posting weekly again. Hopefully everything will have been worth the wait.<br />
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For my first post back, I'd like to share a rather elusive tape that many have sought after. I wouldn't say this tape is 'mythic' or anything (no pun intended), just very difficult to find. I'm very grateful to an anonymous comrade who has been a great help in unearthing long lost tapes. Here's the first: Dionysos by Bacchia Neraida. BN is another of Athalwolf's projects, the Greek black metal force behind Wolfnacht and Cernunnos. Bacchia Neraida is quite similar to Cernunnos, but I'd say borders more on black metal sans any real string instruments. You'll notice the infamous flute whistling like a hawk on many tracks which makes for great atmosphere and a original/memorable touch.<br />
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All tracks are named after Greek mythic figures, though I wouldn't say the the tape resembles any traditional Greek music in particular, much more in the vein of medieval music (not complaining). This is a full length tape with eleven tracks clocking in around 45 minutes. You'll hear the flute a lot, which I believe is an actual flute and not a synth instrument, but the songs vary quite nicely in speed, rhythm, complexity, and tone. The vocals vary between a teenage sounding monotone drone, to high croaking shrieks, and occasional the more orthodox black metal screaming. I wouldn't call this tape pure dungeon synth as it plays with black metal structure quite often (blast beat drums come in at one point), but the grittiness of the recording quality and the crude synth sounds fit right in with dungeon synth tradition. More Athalwolf rarities to come...<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DrOtENROTojh4Pki9UjreMUFATUdfaFt">Descend</a> thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-41337527575346335182016-09-25T14:08:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:22:54.379-07:00Cernunnos - Δάσος Των Τραγοπόδαρων Δαιμόνων<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINAu8Tk8SET6oOmFTWS8tOEoM1XwL3dWk3HCry44T4Rgm85YisUll-Sf2CMhdXJ_b5rouQhUc0etkXQD-2JZYFA3jMvJf3d2dqjrdzBj6WZH3xy2Pghc2d6YMMTrcm9-qqVAPPL-fryn0/s1600/60087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINAu8Tk8SET6oOmFTWS8tOEoM1XwL3dWk3HCry44T4Rgm85YisUll-Sf2CMhdXJ_b5rouQhUc0etkXQD-2JZYFA3jMvJf3d2dqjrdzBj6WZH3xy2Pghc2d6YMMTrcm9-qqVAPPL-fryn0/s400/60087.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I haven't seen this posted on youtube or any other blogs, so here it is from my mp3 collection: Δάσος Των Τραγοπόδαρων Δαιμόνων by Cernunnos. The Greek title translates to 'Forest of Goat-footed Demons'. Released in 1998 on the 'Dionysion' label, which I am assuming is the personal label of Athalwolf, who fronted this project along with Bacchia Neraida and Elfen who are also featured on the label's roster. Athalwolf would later form the infamous Wolfnacht NSBM project.<br />
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This demo differs a bit from Cernunno's later and more well known tape 'Trollfjord' from the Chanteloup label. 'Forest' is much more a traditional demo, tape hiss included. This one has hand drawn art, which I appreciate. Very similar to Dionysos by Bacchia Neraida. Trollfjord had a more put together sound and a bit more variation, but Forest is still an interesting tape in its own right. Side A of the tape is somewhat whimsical and not very percussive, melancholic at times. Archaic and minimal synth accompanied by reverberating flute (recorder? ocarina?) with Athalwolf telling us of ancient myth in his droning and obscured whispering voice. Side B brings more percussion, booming timpani for the heat of battle. The track 'Ta Bonna Ton Manron Etoiheion' is quite triumphant. The tape finishes off on a more melancholic note after the bombastics. Another fun tape from Cernunnos. If you enjoyed this tape and you're not familiar with his other project Bacchia Neraida, I'd give it a listen as well. (I'm currently on the hunt for the elusive Dionysos demo, hopefully I can get it to you soon!)<br />
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Also, if you have a better scan of this tape insert, please email me. <br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1D_OnfFZ4QRILuRnhbgJwR45IeS-3rG48">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-29920017599438422982016-09-18T19:55:00.002-07:002019-09-05T09:21:30.544-07:00Askhem - Bjarki<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNgYVYefek97Gb3tLmULM_Y7VBjC3fXA6ypGQNpYRjqsmLvyt19K9DBFi64ZhtDJ3EGmlCPAFmFDv3jRKmDvqn-W5TPojfuOcnXWPbDFCbndx1kEHSWlcs3PclITve-RC8rI5qtDIt_i_/s1600/BjarkiAskhem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNgYVYefek97Gb3tLmULM_Y7VBjC3fXA6ypGQNpYRjqsmLvyt19K9DBFi64ZhtDJ3EGmlCPAFmFDv3jRKmDvqn-W5TPojfuOcnXWPbDFCbndx1kEHSWlcs3PclITve-RC8rI5qtDIt_i_/s400/BjarkiAskhem.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Big thanks to Eugene and Andrew for the files for this one. Much appreciated!<br />
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This album was listed in the famous 'Dungeon Synth List' from Andrews blog some years ago. Although now deleted, it lives on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbellerophonticsycamore.wordpress.com%2Flist-of-dungeon-synth-albums%2F&h=yAQEBZ__s&s=1">here</a> and <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/mkrasna/dungeon_synth/">here</a>. Bjarki is the sole album from the Italian artist Askhem, initially released in 2003 on CD. What stands out initially in this release is it's influence directly from the greats, Burzum and Mortiis. In fact, the second track 'Hvit' starts off identically to 'Han Some Reiste' from Burzum's Det Some Engang Var, and carries the original spirit of that track in a new way (an re-interpretation, if you will, of the original). The album also brings out influence from the brass selections of Mortiis, triumphant trumpets to carry us into the night. However, though you can hear Askhem's influences, Bjarki still stands on its own.<br />
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The best part about this album, in my opinion, is its dabbling in neoclassical melodies and orchestral composure. Tracks like 'Fading in Moonlight of Velvet' and 'Tune of Doom' are exquisitely well written and add a refreshing classical voice to the album. The songs are quite varied and don't repeat themselves, going from Burzum-worship, to neoclassical, to medieval, and 'Symphony of Northern Skies, Part 2' actually reminds me of RPG music.<br />
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A very well rounded release from Askhem. Gone but not forgotten. If anyone has a physical copy of this release, scans would be lovely!<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Xe7G3bvX39Q9xAsciNDVgJnJIM9D_4Ba">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-65346552613194021022016-09-12T19:59:00.004-07:002019-09-05T09:20:11.702-07:00KirkwoodAs some readers may know, a number of second wave black metal acts who dabbled in electronic territory were greatly influenced by Tangerine Dream (Varg, in particular). If you're not familiar with the music of Tangerine Dream, they composed the soundtrack to the movie Legend, this may give you an idea of their sound. Ethereal synths, slow reverb-laden drumming, the occasional guitar, pretty spacey sounds. TD is a vital component of what would be the 'Berlin School' of electronic music. The two tapes I've uploaded here are arguably part of this sound, though more fantasy driven.<br />
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Kirkwood, later using his full name Jim Kirkwood, was a very prolific artist composing fantasy themed Berlin School/dark ambient/drone/dungeon synth/etc who has put out somewhere around 70+ albums between 1991 and 2011. I've chosen two of his earliest tape releases to feature on here today, <i>Master of Dragons</i> and <i>Nightshade in Eden</i> from 1991.<br />
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(Apologies for the low quality cover art. I've included some better pictures of Master of Dragons in the download but this cover is all I can find from Nightshade in Eden.) <br />
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These are both rips from the original tapes, not the the reworked ones that were released much later on in the 2000s on CD. Pretty interesting stuff. Master of Dragons is the more conventional release of the two. Heavy astral pads envelop you in darkness, spacey synthesizers soon come in to lead you into caves unknown for a perilous adventure. This tape reminds a lot of old sword and sorcery movies. It's not exactly the Conan soundtrack but it certainly has that campy 80s fantasy feel, sci-fi-ish at times. Nightshade in Eden is the more sinister tape. You've ventured further into the cave, to the point of pitch darkness. You can feel odd flora brush by as you stumble ahead. Venture further to see a dull glow. The flora begin to illuminate your path, but only to your dismay. Strange creatures hang from the ceiling and latch to the walls, watching you as you trudge on, following you with their bright pale yellow eyes. Eventually you make your way out, but there is no time to rest, desolate and forbidden lands await you ahead.<br />
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Again, these aren't pure dungeon synth, Kirkwood may not have even been aware of Mortiis or the electronic Burzum tracks (or maybe even black metal at all, who can say) but DS fans will certainly enjoy these tapes.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DNr6E7WviyAS-UI8OF-0HCU45aXuoXit">Descend</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=14sg7kFbwx1OOSfZkwK0AV6KkAqROCERS">...Further</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-44745106742366847902016-09-10T18:42:00.001-07:002019-09-05T09:19:24.571-07:00Den - Eternally Traveling the Landscapes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Old material here but only released last May. Withering Crypt has put out some pretty rare stuff from the Burning Northshore odalist scene in the 90s. This tape collects some material from Den, a project of Lesiu, who apparently fronted a few other Burning Northshore bands. Some of these tracks been put out on previous releases, some of the material is was unreleased, I'm assuming the Untitled tracks never got put out. I believe this tape is sold out everywhere at this point, not sure how many were printed. Withering Crypt will continue to reissue BN releases, check the label out, good stuff. Thanks to Wood Path for the tracklisting on this tape. Another personal tape rip. High quality files as always. I didn't scan the back of the insert. It's just black.<br />
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Some very classic lo-fi dungeon sounds. Archaic keys, timpani, pan flute, and strings evoke the Odalist tradition. Everything is played analog, no computers here. Well composed and interesting. Guitar carries one track along really well, might be my favorite on the release. Only six songs total on this tape, I'd say there are about 10 more Den tracks out of print. Hope to see more arise soon.<br />
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Velkaarn over at Asmodian Coven somewhat recently posted a Burning Northshore zine that's worth checking out. Short, but insightful. <br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1p_d8Svpf0M9bsuL4VcfL6hXWRHETydRR">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-76957387390865153432016-09-10T18:40:00.001-07:002019-09-05T09:18:58.733-07:00Blutaxt - Weltenbrand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Apologies for the lapse in posts. I've been rather busy with life and <a href="https://pathofsilence.neocities.org/">the label</a> I have recently launched. But, I am making up for the past weeks and posting two personal tape rips today and two tapes Monday night (unfortunately the files of the last two are on my work computer).<br />
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This tape arrived just in time for today's posts, only just received it from Germany yesterday. I was actually unsure if this would be dungeon synth or not, it was purchased purely on the front image. But I was in luck, DS it is and a great release at that! I cannot find much information at all on the artist, this seems to be their only release (please email with information if you have it, as per usual).<br />
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Twelve tracks of medieval dungeon synth here. The whole tape is under thirty minutes, quite a few songs are under two minutes, but none fail to satisfy. What I like most about this tape is the variation in sounds. All tracks are distinct, ranging from medieval folk with synthesized acoustics and flute, some Mortiis-y stuff with big booming drums, one track features Gregorian chanting (safe to assume the chanting was sampled, but Blutaxt frames the synths around the original chant so everything flows very well), and one track even gets into Berlin School territory. A little something for every kind of DS fan. A solid tape now seeing the light.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wGwkhRfCQbwV0E9sUcx__9DnwATl-G_x">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-10252635367223203632016-08-13T13:42:00.002-07:002019-09-05T09:18:28.695-07:00Snørte - Mort Lente<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This rarity finally came in from Russia. Discovered this a while ago but hadn't had a chance to purchase until it briefly appeared on Discogs. Such a good cover! High quality tape rip as always.<br />
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Snørte is the eponymous side project of the Snørte Skoggath of the French and Swiss black metal bands Helslakt and Profond Barathre (a few of these tracks are actually redone by Snørte for PB's first demo), this self-titled tape from 2007 being his only solo release. The project falls more into the 'dungeon-esque' category. It's not full dungeon synth but it has many of the elements. Snørte is more of a Lamentation-Aakon Keetreh-Lebenessenz hybrid. There's definite influence here from the LLN dark ambient side projects. Slow melancholic piano reverberates with soft synths with some tracks featuring glacial DSBM drumming. All of the tracks are rather depressive, some have a bit more of a horror tinge to them evocative of Lamentation or the eerier passages of Xasthur. I can't exactly tell if the music is programmed in a sequencer or recorded live, but there's a coldness to it. The human element is very feint, a hopeless soun. <br />
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Visitors who come here for dungeon synth may be disappointed with the lack of fantasy synth here, but give it a listen. The chorus-voice synth, slow grand piano, and drum machine may sit well with DSBM fans and dungeon fans alike (but not too well, of course, this is certainly a dark tape). There is one track from this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwjYG__yn-M">posted on Youtube</a> that happens to be the best from this release, if you want a preview.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DPCdQ7P0SnmaqLH96bVRxYJKdLL7OTiN">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-77010747311615580942016-08-07T19:02:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:17:59.355-07:00Arthur - Pagan Sun's Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvcTbSEIAlOTuOsk95vM1nGLWAQVZnpX-cUywV-nU0skKUGISQf2Qf_DOUGTojSS2RiggTFo6UXvwCWECSuWAg0piL6pfthdPmU3b32-oseYff6MT_w4uiL4rr1XC4ZtEaygaR73kqiQP/s1600/arthur+-+pagan+suns+fire+-+cut.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvcTbSEIAlOTuOsk95vM1nGLWAQVZnpX-cUywV-nU0skKUGISQf2Qf_DOUGTojSS2RiggTFo6UXvwCWECSuWAg0piL6pfthdPmU3b32-oseYff6MT_w4uiL4rr1XC4ZtEaygaR73kqiQP/s400/arthur+-+pagan+suns+fire+-+cut.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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A new week and I've decided to do another tape rip from my personal collection. Pagan's Sun's Fire is the only release from Arthur, an eponymous project of Arthur Schkolnick. Pagan Sun's Fire came out in 2005, released with the help of Roman Saenko of Drudkh and Hate Forest (Arthur played bass on Hate Forest's 'The Curse') with no info on the insert other than the track name. <br />
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This is quite a full length tape. Nine songs with most hitting the mid-to-late five minute mark. All of the tracks definitely have their own feel and not many instruments are reused albeit the full on Guitar Pro midi drum set (don't get me wrong, I love it). The composure is quite fleshed out, the songs Witch, Song of Rainy Forest, and the melancholic yet triumphant Hate Is My Love being my favorite examples. Most tracks feature a full drum set, which may throw you off when they first come in but they're warmly welcomed once you've grown accustomed. Some might argue that this isn't 'dungeon synth' per se, maybe 'dark medieval synth rock' or something. True, it doesn't have some of the archaic sounds of dungeon synth keys and the full drum setup may liken it more toward conventional 'rock' music, but I would say this is surely in the spirit of dungeon synth if not dungeon synth itself.<br />
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A very solid and satisfying release, a shame that it isn't more well known.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eqkg4knwlQEr5ulLzAcshb5u8Kdd9ks8">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-27703909987677523492016-07-30T15:36:00.001-07:002019-09-05T09:17:05.153-07:00Лихо - Есть Лихо<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehA-ZuIa2_lxEhzFhJOA62lDcEfeE33antHWV90s3glhErUiYULpv-D7GKlk63X1rBKNOrsbhaxyso_2kZ0w5RA1tEMqwcS8aWklVVdjvwLXcmUvueisQ0Bji5DTrAXc1cN2lXRafsrds/s1600/R-6924052-1429616912-2741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehA-ZuIa2_lxEhzFhJOA62lDcEfeE33antHWV90s3glhErUiYULpv-D7GKlk63X1rBKNOrsbhaxyso_2kZ0w5RA1tEMqwcS8aWklVVdjvwLXcmUvueisQ0Bji5DTrAXc1cN2lXRafsrds/s400/R-6924052-1429616912-2741.jpg" width="378" /></a></div>
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I'd like to thank Alexandr for submitting a couple rarities for the blog, it is very appreciated. I've been looking for this one for a while, physical and digital, but to no avail. I'm not sure how many copies exist exactly other than Discogs claiming there only exist an 'extremely limited amount'. I'd bet ten or less, so even a digital copy of this is a rare gem to have. Be sure to take a look at the want list on the side of the blog. Submissions allow posts like this to happen!<br />
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Here we have Есть Лихо, the only demo from the Ukrainian artist Лихо. This was realeased in 2000 as the first tape on the Aryan Sturm label. Лихо seems to mean 'evil' in Ukrainian. Online translators tell me the title of the tape means 'there is evil', or 'there is disaster'. I think it may mean 'evil exists', or something along those lines. If you know Ukrainian, please translate.<br />
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'Evil' is quite apt for how this tape sounds. Only three songs for this demo, all rather unsettling. The tape begins with a two minute prologue track which is admitedly somewhat run of the mill for lo-fi Russian and Ukranian DS, warping synths with some muffled drums near the end, but somehow still odd. The second track is where the evil really kicks in. A looping six second synth clip extends for nearly ten minutes, a wind sounding pad with some very lo-fi and far off almost orchestral synths. Garbled and distorted forest animals scream, dozens of frogs endlessly croak, and beasts grunt as the synth loop repeats in the background, eventually fading out. This is definitely an anxiety inducing track. Though not as long as Mortiis dirges by any means, the track doesn't seem to end. Once it does, it feels that you shouldn't have listened to it. The demo closes out with a very haunting and melancholic six minute outro, with some brief vocals near the end.<br />
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A very creepy release. The obscurity of this tape adds to it's unsettling sound and allure. The Blair Witch Project of dungeon synth. Tread lightly.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GDj2m4dPkNTyzK-6HbkSDgNgM1jBCqlS">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-39084494356218519402016-07-24T21:53:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:16:30.072-07:00Ashmadai - Symphonies for the Kings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68jby7naysRdMc3ZoklkHJLKqF5A1ievCqU9YYuyhn7dCHIdA3fze60mE5ddcPaMMtwwwAme7hY5KIsaGV6tdOH717GM90_V9z52cQhjsrS758K84EC4ArFwmXeVvxUViehFx1-5qfQZm/s1600/ashcovercut.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68jby7naysRdMc3ZoklkHJLKqF5A1ievCqU9YYuyhn7dCHIdA3fze60mE5ddcPaMMtwwwAme7hY5KIsaGV6tdOH717GM90_V9z52cQhjsrS758K84EC4ArFwmXeVvxUViehFx1-5qfQZm/s400/ashcovercut.png" width="393" /></a></div>
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For the second post of the night, we have a short release from an artist called Ashmadai. Ashmadai seems to be the side project of Laldaboath from of Celtic Dance and Arkenstone, both from Satanachia and Hades productions in Portugal.<br />
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This is a rather odd tape. Each song is titled as a Myth, which suggests that there might be a concept to this tape. Very minimal pianos and synths for four tracks. Somewhat slow paced with some reoccurring melodies throughout. The melodies are kind of upbeat and rather pleasant, and paired with the green insert the songs evoke images of a verdant medieval pasture.You can hear the synths bend at times as if they were beginning to die, or the recording equipment may have been finicky. The fourth track cuts off before the minute mark, I'm not sure if this is deliberate or if my tape happens to be messed up (please get in touch if you have a copy). A short and obscure tape but enjoyable nonetheless.<br />
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Until next week,<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RrfssqY22HGksusKXWGpqJXxh_kA4bM5">Descend</a><br />
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<br />thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-32566966700150734562016-07-24T21:36:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:16:02.509-07:00Avox - Desolate Land<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_434zl_EsPBSuik8f2KLnz1c07opyvWpr6qPPEcozSbFvZzPEmmpznU7GTtrKJK6gYWPgzsjjflGE0UK4K-CoOJvYVLRCTHlCYbMSJIL4dBDiIeMvFiq8uEHBibvsdtkm9n7QWRbcaDz/s1600/avoxcovercut.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_434zl_EsPBSuik8f2KLnz1c07opyvWpr6qPPEcozSbFvZzPEmmpznU7GTtrKJK6gYWPgzsjjflGE0UK4K-CoOJvYVLRCTHlCYbMSJIL4dBDiIeMvFiq8uEHBibvsdtkm9n7QWRbcaDz/s400/avoxcovercut.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Apologies for the absence last week. Life has been busy. To make it up, I'm posting two personal tapes rips tonight (thanks for the trades, Cameron).<br />
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This is an incredible tape. Seven tracks make for a good sized tape clocking in at almost half an hour. Some gamey sounds that remind me of Moaning Shadows.The synths are very clear and bright, a lot of high tones. The composition isn't very repetitive, which is refreshing. The songs jump around and change in tone and each song stands out from the others. It's a shame that this appears to be Avox's only release.<br />
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The ominous castle on the cover greatly sums up the gothic atmosphere of this tape. Best listened to on a rainy thundering night.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fVAXKDJ-RgG3-A978A7NGtNksSA_P7EP">Descend</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640026506140822608.post-80936252523152540012016-07-10T19:21:00.000-07:002019-09-05T09:15:36.314-07:00Secret StairwaysSorry for the late post, but I assure you it's worth the wait. This weekend we have two ultra lost and obscure albums from Secret Stairways, a project of the rather prolific Matthew Davis who was involved in Twelth of Never, a rather heavy goth rock band, Faces of Bayon, a doom project, and Tears ov Blood, a goth solo project of his. Tragically, Matthew Davis passed in 2011, a victim of suicide. I contacted his friend David who was gracious enough to send me scans of both Secret Stairways releases and full high quality rips (endless thanks).<br />
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Enchantment of the Ring is the first release from Secret Stairways on cassette from 1997. I will go ahead and say it: this is Depressive Silence level classic. I do not doubt for a second that this will become a dungeon synth classic. Beautiful, well composed synths and dynamic instrumentation for a fully fleshed release, with Tolkien themes to make it even better. This is ripped from the original cassette, so the slight tape hiss adds great classic atmosphere. Absolutely a must listen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2r8-HRWhNQoWEkVLaIFEltBtvJHPcs7GdVZXbkOsOx_V9VYmYbw72N6n3eeaMeXx7E7E7jmV1rH2QrpZudEdeYhYKRSNU9PJkz2HveIsCuhPssiH97p-ePCtHKCkAvcLl2mLj9BH-lDB/s1600/turningpointcut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2r8-HRWhNQoWEkVLaIFEltBtvJHPcs7GdVZXbkOsOx_V9VYmYbw72N6n3eeaMeXx7E7E7jmV1rH2QrpZudEdeYhYKRSNU9PJkz2HveIsCuhPssiH97p-ePCtHKCkAvcLl2mLj9BH-lDB/s400/turningpointcut.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Two years later, in 1999, Secret Stairways puts out Turning Point, the debut full length on CDr. I think that instrumentation-wise this is an improvement from Enchantment. The production is more clear and professional and I feel that Matthew spent more time on the composition. Another incredible album. Included in the download are full scans of the CD case inlays and scans of the insert. Both of these releases have been virtually impossible to obtain until now, thanks again to David for providing these.<br />
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RIP Matthew Davis<br />
July 6th 1973 - January 23rd 2011 <br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xWaEifEpjCVp6SPJYtt9jU71tjrzmW2I">Descend</a><br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dYJ1ljUKIYUN982qC4MgO4TsJSCoBQ4L">...Further</a>thekeeperovsekretshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281301893027443823noreply@blogger.com5