Sa Bruxa Brings Ominous Nightmares To Life With Perilous Soundscapes On ‘From The Depths’

Have you ever had one of those dreams or nightmares that seem memorable, but when you wake up, you just can’t seem to recall the events that took place? Then, at some random time you come across an object or engage in a conversation that has you suddenly evoking those thoughts from the subconscious that haunted your mind. Fortunately, that scenario will never happen with Sa Bruxa’s ‘From The Depths’, as its chimerical induced soundscapes and chilling drones have the capacity to shift its nightmarish narrative from the subconscious dream state to a ghoulish reality. Containing just a single, nineteen and a half minute track, Sa Bruxa shares a dark and relentless scheme of grim proportions that will have you wishing that your nightmares never existed in the first place.

The albums’ only track, “From The Depths” commences with thunderous tones from the apocalypse, while crisp keyboards play a dismal melody. As this daunting sound continues, an underlying and unorthodox synth synchronizes to condense the sound. In the background, layers of soundscapes and field recordings are contributing to the hellish result of this offering. At around the five minute mark, all of the chaos descends into darkness while a distant drone plays a steady tone. The sound of slow, heavy footsteps (or unknown movements) creep around as if someone is on the hunt for another victim. Random synths and effects produce a harrowing affect as anticipation continues to build. Inaudible voices can be heard off in the distance, adding another layer of mystery to this horrifying track. At around the eleven minute mark, the drones suddenly increase in volume, as terrifying sounds of someone getting closer – and dragging a weapon of sorts – conjures thoughts of imminent and agonizing pain. As the drones continue to increase and decrease, an intense deep breathing sound pulsates loudly, enough to give you a sudden dose of the chills. This happens one more time – less intensely – and then the reverberating drone fades out slowly to end the song.

‘From The Depths’ is a very intense recording and demands the attention of the listener. Although it contains the typical setup of a Dark Ambient recording – drones, field recordings and soundscapes – there is a lot going on and it takes shape quicker than your typical Dark Ambient album. That being said, this near twenty minute long track seems a lot shorter than it actually is. If you’re into the horror and fantasy realm of Dark Ambient, I would definitely recommend checking out Sa Bruxa’s ‘From The Depths’. Please support this innovative artist and download the album from the link below.

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Links:

https://sabruxa.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-depths-2

Count Shirintsu Infuse Traditional Sounds Of Asia With Meditative Synths On ‘Spirit Of The Earth’ EP

The sounds of the Orient have such a soothing & amazing tone and the aesthetics of it’s energy certainly fit in with synth music. In this case, Dungeon Synth perfectly fits the mold for what Count Shirintsu has accomplished over the past several recordings. On latest effort, ‘Spirit Of The Earth’ EP, there is a buoyant sound that provides an introspective look at ancient Asian culture as well as the delicate side of Dungeon Synth music, entwined uniquely across three short, memorable tracks that are superbly written and contribute to a unique side of the genre.

Album opener, “Spirit Of The Earth” begins with a hearty amount of retro synth wave modulations, followed by an exquisite lead keyboard chop that maximizes on melody and early-morning visions. This would be a perfect theme song for an 80’s throwback television show. Even though this track is just over two minutes in length, there is a lot going on and it’s the perfect introduction to the Count Shirintsu sound. Next up, is the ethereal sounds of “稲荷大神”. This is where the music of Asian influences really shine, as the into harmony resembles the twang of oriental stringed instruments. After a bar of of this enthralling endeavor, it seamlessly blends with with additional layers of Far East sounds. This wonderful refrain continues with the inclusion of several instances of lead instrumental work that puts the listener in the heart of a peaceful Byzantine land, where the culture is at the forefront of all other endeavors. Field recordings of flowing water in random patterns and the calming natural sounds of chirping birds complete this meticulous track. The final song on this EP is “Spirit Of The Earth (Reprise)”. Containing the same melody of the album opener, this reprise is a single keyboard recording, stripped down to the original beauty of the arrangement. This is an excellent Dungeon Synth track that is charmingly played and on several occasions, when the half-notes are hit, a sense of awe will embellish the listener.

Count Shirintsu is such an amazing artist with an amazing ear for beautiful melodies that stretch across multiple genres and cultures. ‘Spirit Of The Earth’ is not only a relevant Dungeon Synth recording, it is also an eclectic piece for synth music in general, and that is an amazing feat in itself. I know this was just an EP but I would have loved a full-length album of this material to soak up for a longer period of time. At any rate, this is an excellent album and I can not recommend this enough, so please click on the link below and download this incredible piece of work.

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Links:

https://countshirintsu.bandcamp.com/album/spirit-of-the-earth

Diaspora Psichica’s ‘Eprom’, Interprets The Horrific And Unhinged Ordeals Of The Artificial Intelligence Era

We’ve all seen the movie; an artificial intelligence (AI) being of some sort turns against its maker or civilization and provokes all sorts of havoc. A glitch in the system causing a reactionary output that has nullified all previous code and syntax, is now enemy number one. If you’ve not seen the movie, I’m sure you’ve read the book or have watched the TV show or at least have envisioned a scenario similar to this. In the computer age, things like this aren’t supposed to happen. Systems and components are presumed to work and function as designed. Even if there is a bug or malfunction, a failsafe is typically written to prevent the devastating effect of a hostile machine takeover. On Diaspora Psichica’s latest album, ‘Eprom’, a ghastly nightmare unfolds that is the equivalent to a systematic meltdown of frenzied proportions.

At the commencement of this album is the eccentric “Trasmisson”. Luminous sound effects race hysterically from one speaker to another as if the system startup is commanding an explicit set of code from memory. However, the narrative throughout the track repeats the same seven words over and over again, exhibiting a glitch in the system. Cosmic sounds and noises provide further evidence of a system failure, as this track finally ends, never completing the startup process. “Vision” begins with daring, low-end drones and minimalist but vibrant synth tones that are eerie and perplexing. More systematic narratives commence – a few words at a time – as if providing clues to a code. “Equilibrium” starts with a bizarre synth wave loop as if the balance of AI and Human intelligence is stuck in a type of EPROM, unable to be erased, and now must work together somehow to overcome this disaster. A deep voice can be heard providing details of their predicament. Although the voice is human-like, it definitely represents the machine. “Daleth” commences with industrial synth loops and samples, and a few oddities thrown in the mix. A few wandering drones fade in and out of the mix while a cryptic narrative repeats the same eight words over and over again. Coincidentally, each word starts with the letter D. Without warning, the track suddenly fades out. Next up is “Vertigo”, with pounding drones and enough pulverizing looping sounds to cause a panic. Searing high-pitched synth tones race through the speakers at several different random times to keep this track compelling and aggressively dark. “Afternum” is a short track of bleak drones that sound as if they are slowly breathing. Maybe this is the AI finally coming to life due to the continued interaction with human intelligence. Random thoughts regenerate at the end of the track in vocal patterns that sound straight out of a horror movie. “Hysteresis Human Mind” is the most sinister track on the album as the monotonous drones are austere in nature as well as the jumbled sound effects placed throughout. The humanoid narration – matched with this music – is completely frightening, and it continues the same format as previous tracks, in that it repeats the same few words over and over again. The final track on the album, “Thelema” is completely different from the rest of the tracks, containing an astonishing drum beat to go along with sound effects placed in a melodic pattern. Synthesized narrations play a key part in this track as well, giving it that futuristic – but at the same time, retro – feel to it. This is the perfect track to summarize this intelligent but disturbing album.

Diaspora Psichica have created a monumental album in ‘Eprom’. Although this album was recorded a few years back, it was recently brought to my attention and I’ve enjoyed this album very much. I’m very much looking forward to hearing more from this artist and I dig their unique style and quality. ‘Eprom’ is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD from the link below, so do yourself a favor and add this amazing album to your collection.

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Links:

https://diasporapsichica.bandcamp.com/album/eprom

The Genre Eclipsing, Progressive Synth Compositions On Jenn Taiga’s ‘Plight’, Are Nothing Short Of Extraordinary

This album has been in my queue to review for several months now but due to my hectic schedule and backlog of review requests, it’s taken me longer than expected to get to this. Well, the time is finally here and I must say that this is one of my most anticipated reviews of the year. Jenn Taiga is a phenomenal musician and songwriter and on her latest effort, ‘Plight’, the bar has been raised yet again, as two long-form compositions show strong multi-genre influences including Berlin School, 70’s Progressive Space Rock, Krautrock and avant-garde. In addition, these pieces will take the listener on a retro-futuristic journey like no other.

The opening keyboard arrangement from “Solivagant” sounds similar to an outlandish communication pattern from an unidentified craft from outer space, trying to make an initial contact. After a few minutes of this abstract melody, it dwindles down into a decaying deep tone to make room for a slowly ascending synth pattern that sets a galloping pace while various leads fill the airwaves with crushing sounds of nostalgic audible poetry. At various times throughout this twenty plus minute track, the galloping rhythm in the background changes octaves to match the cacophonous effort that continues to take center focus. At around the nine and a half minute mark, the background sequence is modified into a slightly different rhythm, bringing a new found dexterity to the track. The continued use of various effects on the lead parts are simply exhilarating and it’s just so easy to close your eyes and get lost in this massive adventure. The second and final song on the album is the massive twenty two plus minute long ‘Proteus’. After a few seconds of silence, harsh modulations permeate, creating a sense of isolation, then frantic frequencies spread at a rapid pace before an old-school synth interpretation begins a trotting loop. Layers of lead synths and keys build a massive wall of sound that takes the listener back in the past and forward into the future, as if they’re embedded into an 80’s style video game with modern technological themes. The swaying, saucy synths around the fourteen minute mark are some of the most intriguing works on the album and definitely one of the highlights for me personally. I could listen to this stuff all day! The final four minutes of this track are special as well, as the echoing effects on the keys are both eerie and compelling. As the end approaches, the echo effect increases, becoming louder and more predominant, ending this album on a distraught high note.

Jenn Taiga has created an extremely special album with ‘Plight’. With hints of retro, Berlin School influence from artists such as Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream, as well as progressive space rock from the 70’s, there are also modern twist and turns to keep the sound fresh and relevant. This album does an excellent job of absorbing the listener and emerging them into a completely different world for it’s forty three minute duration. Without a doubt, it’s one of my most played albums of the year, and the cassette release sounds even better. I highly recommend checking this out and supporting this exceptional artist! Click on the links below and enjoy ‘Plight’!

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Links:

https://jenntaiga.bandcamp.com/album/plight

Cassette Release:

https://tridroid.bandcamp.com/album/plight