As the decline of sunlight fades over ancient ruins in a mythical kingdom deep in the woods, the bleak atmosphere of estranged malevolency absorbs the commonwealth. The murky encounters between civilization and the landscape become supernatural and post-twilight harmony ceases to exist. Shaken and anxious, the kingdoms people hide, and wait for dawn; for that it brings peace and tranquility. Pafund’s Dungeon Synth debut effort, ‘Til Rigets Ende’ is the musical direction that synchronizes with these dark and perilous evenings, providing a comfort for where there is discomfort. Consisting of a single track, clocking in at nearly thirty minutes, it’s broken down into two parts to accommodate for a cassette release as well.
“Side A” is a tranquil and brooding track that creates a doleful sound with its layered droning synths and harmonious keyboard melodies that drift amicably as if there isn’t a care in the world. With almost a stringent reverb effect, the keys seem to override each other at times, but the serene arrangement can still be fully heard. At around the five minute twenty second mark, the droning synths disappear and the keys play a catchy, somber melody before fading into a brisk, windy field recording. At this time, theatrical elements become presents and the song takes a darker turn. Spots of dark ambience provide a menacing background as the cinematic keys continue to crystallize into subharmonic patterns. “Side B” begins with an old school dungeon synth vibe as the dense sound commits to a melodic opening section that once again features a low-end background drone. At around the four minute mark, elements of fantasy synth take over as the musical patterns careen throughout the majority of the arrangement from this point. At around the ten minute mark, distorted percussions can be heard, providing a sparse atmospheric tone. The last minute or so is filled with nature-like field recordings that represent the dawn of a new day in the ancient, mythical kingdom.
Pafund’s debut dungeon synth recording is quite an impressive one. With elements of traditional dungeon synth mixed with modern cinematic sounds, ‘Til Rigets End’ easily sparks imaginative tales of fantasy and folklore. I only wish that the sound was mixed a little louder, as I had to listen with my volume all the way up and – at times – it was still hard to hear the music. However, that being said, this is an awesome album and I recommend this for fans of old-school dungeon synth and fantasy synth. Please support Pafund by downloading this album from the link below.
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