Over the past few years, Dungeon Synth has taken off and sprouted into many wondrous directions. I stay amazed at the amount of influence it has created across so many platforms, and although it may branch off into regions that are far-fetched from the original idea, one can always tell it’s influence by the harrowing compositions that remain dark and uncanny. That definitely holds true for the masterful works of Paolo Rocchi, as he uses the Dungeon Synth foundation to create leading-edge experimental music. By combining eerie synthesizer tones and electric guitar manipulations, Paolo Rocchi conceives a sound of his own on debut recording, ‘Ab Antiquo’.
Self-titled lead off track, “Ab Antiquo”, submerges the listener in an endless dry desert with the blistering sun glaring down on a battered and dehydrated soul. As the high-pitched shrills of a synth fades in, layered electric guitar riffs soon take command and set the scene with a sense of glimmering light and emotional hope. There are touches of melody throughout that you just don’t want to end, and the fast picking toward the end of the track is the perfect climactic conclusion. “Etiam Periere Ruinae” begins with a distant rainstorm field recording, followed by a beautiful piano melody. A haunting synth tone peacefully drifts in to set a somber and atmospheric outlook. The music and the rain seem to get louder simultaneously, creating an emotional setting that may have a captivating outcome, but they both slowly fade off into the distance, leaving the notes of a piano to fill the impassioned void. “Lupus” is a short track filled with guitar manipulations and effects. Although, it seems as a simple interlude, it’s a relative track for this album and fits in perfectly. “In Fabula” is a creative synth wave piece with random sound bits that dart in and out of the main music pattern like a space ship dodging meteors in deep space. At times, the music gains and eases volume control as if someone is loosing consciousness during a violent cosmic flight. The overall sound has a classic science fiction feel to it, creating a nostalgic vibe throughout. “Ex Novo” begins with random high-pitched keyboard sounds that resembles an old style dial-up modem or fax line connection. In the background, theatrical intonations can be heard from time to time, adding a whole new dimension to this peculiar track. The final song on the album is “Codex Temporis” and it fades in just how the previous track ended. With added effects and demented reverberations, this is one disturbing effort. Modular frequencies bend at any given moment, as the persistent keys continue to provide frightening sounds.
Although ‘Ab Antiquo’ is just a short, sixteen minute outing, it’s much larger than it seems. The musical output is very obscure, yet grandiose and unpredictable, and because of that the listener will be enthralled during the entire listening experience. Although loosely based in the post-Dungeon Synth realm, this is full on experimentation full of bizarre twist and calming melodies. I’m very impressed by this album and highly recommend this for anyone that has no genre boundaries. Please show your support for this amazing new talent by downloading ‘Ab Antiquo’ from the link below.
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