Sometimes DIY musical projects create the biggest impact due to the personal nature of the compositions and how they captivate their audience. Sure, we love over-the-top production quality – especially when it comes to Dark Ambient music – but the rawness of self-production seems to hit home when the music is on point. Askiburgion Mists is a prime example of this scenario and with ‘Rübezahl’s Kingdom’, gritty, minimalistic dark ambience paints a bleak picture of nature’s malevolent ways. Although consisting of only three short tracks (in terms of Dark Ambient songs), they could have easily come from a past dimension, where early-90’s Black Metal albums relied on haunting ambience to manifest terroristic visions.
“Morning” slowly fades in, just as a gloomy sunrise would try to appear through a thick fog at daybreak. Production hisses add a grim fidelity that’s not normally prevalent on Dark Ambient recordings. As this minimalistic rush rises and falls with ambiguity, a sense of esoteric desires complicates the mood but doesn’t distract from the trance-like patterns that remain intact. Before the track ends, there is actually a nice melodic arrangement that fits in rather well before it abruptly comes to a halt. Next up is the field recording heavy, “Kingdom”. Commencing with a dense rain sound, hypnotizing drones begin to materialize, creating a baseline for desolate refrain. Scarce embellishments of soundscapes are used throughout, creating a callous atmosphere of darkly arranged instrumentation that are thought provoking. The final track, “Dream Of Giants”, is the most exploratory composition on the album and it (hopefully) sets the stage for more exciting adventures from Askiburgion Mists. Utilizing an array of field recordings and soundscapes, they are masterfully fused with dismal drones setting an enchanting environment of dark times, where hopes of a peaceful future has fallen victim to dystopian accord. This is my favorite track on the album and I’m hoping that more music of this nature is released soon.
Askiburgion Mists is an astonishing up-and-coming Dark Ambient artist that demands to be heard. Although only an EP and a single has been released on the artists’ Bandcamp page, they are both excellent musical endeavors and would be a great addition to anyones Dark Ambient collection. The grungy, lo-fi production is a standout quality for this album and it also provides a unique spin on the typical Dark Ambient sound. Please click on the link below and support this amazing album and artist.
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Links:
https://askiburgionmists.bandcamp.com/album/r-bezahls-kingdom-demo
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