BEAST OF PREY - [ Label ] - ::& d a r k&& a m b i e n t&
::& i n d u s t r i a l& ::& n o i s e& ::& d a r k w a
v e& ::& p o w e r&&& e l e c t r o n i c s& ::&
n e o f o l k
:: new &in distro ::
PHURPA - &Mantras
PHURPA - &The
Magic Rituals&
PHURPA - &Trowo
Phurnag Ceremony&
NORTHAUNT - &Istid
APOCRYPHOS - &The
Prisoners Cinema&
MARGINIS - &Hypnosis&
IN SLAUGHTER
NATIVES - &Cannula Coma Legio&
SHRINE - &Nihil&
FUNERARY CALL - &The
Mirror Reversed - Part 1&
TREHA SEKTORI - &Endessiah&
CUSTOMER.NOISE – &Chaos
Factory& digipack
RITUAL – &:08:16:02:&
LA PIETRA LUNARE
WEIHAN – &Blódslitinn
á Steininum&
MARS – &Blood Is The
Food Of The Gods&
LUFTWAFFE –
&Trephanus Uhr&
FAHL – &The Halls Of
TRAUM’ER LEBEN - &Was wird bleiben&
MARGINIS - &Thaw&
INNER VISION
LABORATORY - &Austeros&
INNER VISION
LABORATORY & NEPENTHE -& &Ambit&
MACHINEFABRIEK -
&The Measures Taken&
MACHINEFABRIEK - &Dubbeltjes&
RAPOON - &Seeds
in the Tide Volume 3&
RAPOON & PROMUTE -
&Machine River&
EXPO 70 - &Frozen
Living Elements&
EXPO 70 - &Corridors
to Infinity&
MANINKARI - &Continuum
Sonore 7&1&
NAGAMATZU - &Neural
JARL / ENVENOMIST
- &Tunguska Event&
FORRREST DRONES -
Flexilis Exequiae&
IN SCISSORS -
&Orbis Terrarum Requiem&
INDIA CZAJKOWSKA
& SEBASTIAN MADEJSKI - &Tańce Snu&
MACIEK SZYMCZUK &
SLOWTION - &Ways&
ORRYELLE - &156 =
Musick = Babalon = Kaos&
OUROBOROS - &Opus
SYNAPSIS - &Officina
Ferraria reworked&
SIEBEN - &Each Divine Spark&
AUN - &Black
TRIANGULAR
ASCENSION - &Leviathan Device&
DARKWOOD - &Schicksalsfahrt&
:: !! New& Beast Of Prey
releases !! ::
MORDFABRIK
Death Industrial
/ Dark Ambient /
MORDFABRIK in
Beast of Prey label. Almost 40 minutes of cold death industrial
music in 7 tracks. Climate album refers to the heyday of the music,
to the first half of the 90s, when the CMI label thriving
determined the trends in our music.
&Obsucre the Sun&
created by Bartosz R. founder of the project is an album whose
driving force is cold, predatory sound. Dreamy postindustial
visions carved in dark ambient compositions, raises the ominous
atmosphere. The album definitely a night to contemplate.
The album produced
in collaboration Beast of Prey. Digipack.
..........................................
informator
kultury niezale?nej
Inside interviews
with RAISON D’ETRE (Peter Anderson),
PURGIST, B°TONG, DARKRAD, TUNDRA, 1997EV, THESE FATHERS HAVE
PLUMES, RAFA?EM KOSEL?, JACKIEM DOROSZENKO, SPETTRO FAMILY.
Articles about:
ETHEL LE ROSSINOL and
voices of the Archangels, THE ORB,
ULTIMAE (panoramic music), MAURIZIO BIANCHI (Italian
indigestible), SOUND AROUND, relation from festivals:
Intermediale,
Wrotycz Festival, Celebrating 23 Years Of Loki-Found, Castle Party
and 12 pages
reviews!!! On the cover and in
this number are presented pictures
and the profile of magical artist
Rafa? Kosela.
number of HARD ART / 68 pages about the music, art and independent
culture. The
in Polish language.& HARD ART 09 +
V/A - &Sound Around& CD
..........................................
IN SCISSORS
Circus of Ichneumons&
Dark Ambient /
Neo-Classical /
IN SCISSORS returns
with its fourth full length release &The Circus of Ichneumons&,
delving deeper into the cinematic themes hinted from previous
works. Within the four acts of the album, expansive melodies
ranging from baroque to ethereal and avant-garde create the
soundtrack for a film or a theatrical play, that aches to be
Vincent Andelmoth is the director of this dream act, Aimaproject
the main narrator and the rest of the cast is full of special
guests, including Maciej &Dragos& Mehring from Bisclaveret, Evor
Ameisie, Michiel Spape from H.E.R.R. and Annamaria Bernadette
Christian.
Mastering: Peter Andersson aka RAISON
This imaginary travelling company introduces to us the life cycle
of the ichneumons. The mysterious members of this circus satirize
the pestilence of man over nature and its similarities with the
parasitic insect. Parasites can be found amongst all species.
collaborative release of Beast of Prey and Zoharum Records in
limited edition 300 copies. Beautifully designed ekopack by Johna
Santerinerossa. 70 min music.
..........................................
of independent culture
Inside interviews
KARPATY MAGICZNE
(Marek Styczyński), MACHINEFABRIEK, HER BELEX,& RE-DRUM,
MIRT, AABZU (Maciej Szymczuk), 1000SCHOEN, WROTYCZ RECORDS,
GHOSTS OF BRESLAU, MICROMELANCOLIE, TER, DARIUSZ WOJTA?, ECHOES OF
YUL, ACCOMPLECE AFFAIR.
Articles about GRUPA W
SK?ADZIE: ((history of legendary project), THE WARP ((history of label), &MYRNINEREST
/ MADGE GILL (paintress, artistic outsider), relations from
Wroc?aw Industial Festiwal, CoCArt Festiwal, Hrabdy Samoty
Festiwal and :Audioskopia:, 14 pages
reviews!!!. On the cover and in
this number are presented pictures
and the profile of
Wiktor Jackowski.
The eighth
number of HARD ART / 68 pages about the music, art and independent
culture. The
in Polish language. GRATIS one CD from two:
NEKYIA - &Putgatory As the Serpent Domain& CD or
K.STANISLAVSY - &End of All Thing& CD.&
..........................................
of independent culture
Inside interviews
DESIDERII MARGINIS, AQUAVOICES,
VOICES OF THE COSMOS, PARANOIA INDUCTA, RIGOR MORTISS, Rados?aw
Deruba, MAMMOTH UTHANA (Rafa? Ko?acki), PAULUS (Totart),
VULTURES QUAETET, LAHKA MUZA, BRUNO ?WIAT?OCIE?, SECRETIA (Mirrorman
& India Czajkowska), MORDFABRIK, GAAP KVLT, GAMMA FUNCTION.
Articles about: TOUCH (history of label),&HILMA AF KLINT
(Old Chaos),
D?WI?KI ZAKL?TE (acoustic in Stonehenge),
PHURPA (russian project with bon music), AN ANTHOLOGY OF
NOISE & ELECTRONIC MUSIC vol. 7 (Sub Rosa), 9 pages
reviews!!! On the cover and in
this number are presented pictures
and the profile of
Iwona Górska.
The seventh
number of HARD ART / 68 pages about the music, art and independent
culture. The
in Polish language.& HARD ART 07 +
–&&In Progres vol. II&
- GRATIS - Compilation with: LIPPOK, RAPOON, C.3.3., LAGOWSKI,
JACASZEK, TROUM, PIOTROWICZ, MICHAEL BANABILA, Z'EV & HATI ...
..........................................
ELECTRIC URANUS /
of the Cosmos II&
/ Oryginal Sound
from Cosmos
/ Dark Ambient
Project &VOICES OF
THE COSMOS& is an educational-artistic initiative created by two
artists from Kujawsko-Pomorskie: Rafa? Iwański (X-NAVI:ET) and
Wojciech Zi?ba (ELECTRIC URANUS). Both of them have lot of
experience in creating experimental and electroacoustic music. In
recordings of this album original extraterrestrial sounds captured
from space by radio-telescopes.
The ,,Voices of the
Cosmos II”& is the continuation of the previous album. In this
case the radio signals related to the activity of the Sun became
the main source of inspiration. The record was being created
during the 2013 solar maximum (activity cycle no. 24).& In the
compositions, a whole range of signals, accompanying the aurora
borealis can be heard. They originate in bombarding the Earth’s
magnetosphere with charged solar wind particles. While listening
to these pieces we realize fully the permanent interaction between
the Sun and the Earth.
The &Voices of
the Cosmos II& is released by Beast Of
Prey and Eter Records in a three panel digipack. Project partially
financed from resources the Scholarship of the Grudziadz City in
the sphere of the Culture and Art.
..........................................
New PATCHES:
Two new examples of
patch. The round (8cm) with the &LUCIFER and
THELEMA - the black patch with
grey thread.
..........................................
:: ! New items in
catalog ! ::
PHURPA - &Mantras
of Bon& CD
(Zoharum Records)
The magic and
strength of their music has been appreciated by Stephen O'Malley
among others, who released one of their albums on his own label.
Zoharum would like to present the latest album by the band
entitled &Mantras of Bon.& It is an extraordinary release, even
for such an extraordinary and unusual project as PHURPA. More than
70 minutes of music here is divided into two parts. The first one,
featuring Alissa Nicolai on vocals, shows the band from a
comple the other one presents the most
important and interesting sessions recorded over the past few
years, with a recording from CTM festival where they impressed the
audience with &kuntunzangpo.&
&Mantras of Bon& is an excellent introduction into the adventures
with PHURPA, the world of Tibetan music filtered by contemporary
reinterpretation free from rigid rules. It may enchant both those
looking for interesting sacral music and the ones searching for a
new form of sonic statement.
PHURPA - &The
Magic Rituals& CD/DVD
(Cyclic Law)
It is with great
honour that we present new material from one of Russia’s most
enigmatic act, PHURPA. Lead by Alexey Tegin since 2003, PHURPA has
gained wide recognition and praise for their truly unique
performances and eerie rendering of the ritual chants of the
pre-Buddhist BON tradition of Tibet. Their musical ensemble is
solely based around ritual Tibetan instruments. The main
traditional feature of such an ensemble is the mantra chanting, a
unique overtone chanting called &rgyud-skad&, or the Tantric voice,
which is based on the principle of the singer's transmogrification
during the so-called &chanting meditation&. PHURPA’s rendering of
this special use of the most primordial of instruments, the voice,
is quite simply mesmerizing. Deep low tones and overtones, all
tuned to a perfect pitch, carry one to unchartered realms. These
chants are accentuated by the clattering of traditional drums,
bells, gongs and various horns. Powerful, massive, penetrating and
definitely unique are what PHURPA’s organic aural meditations
could be described as.? This new album is accompanied by a
separate DVD of a live performance in Moscow. Giving the
opportunity to witness their ritual magic in it’s intended form.?
PHURPA - &Trowo
Phurnag Ceremony& CD
(Sketis Music)
The original 2003
lineup of the project that emerged as a result was dubbed Phurpa
(one of the five tutelary deities of the Father Tantra in Bon
tradition), and all the members have carried on with their
research in the field of Bon and Buddhist liturgies up to the
present day. The ritual Tibetan instruments as used by the
ensemble include the following: dunchen, gyaling, silnyen, bub,
damaru, kanling, nga,
The ensemble adheres to the rgyud-skad tradition of Tantric
overtone chanting.
NORTHAUNT - &Istid
I-II& digipack 2CD
(Cyclic Law) 9 long years after the release of the
seminal album &Horizons&, we are finally greeted to a new opus by
Norway's most unique craftsmen of cold, desolate and deep nordic
ambient. Not only is this completely new material, crafted from
recordings made from 2003 up until 2014, but we are offered about
1h20 min on a double CD! Constantly tapping into the singular
northern landscapes of his native Norway for inspiration, H&rleif
Lang&s transposes his views and feelings of the great white north
into intricately deep and poignant soundscapes. Northaunt's sound
can best be described as landscapes transformed into aural
emanations, enabling the listener to in turn be able to journey
through those barren and foreign lands through the minds eye.
Quoted from the linear notes is the idea behind this new album:
&Once the world was alone, the landscapes had no names and there
was no one to see them. An endless number of ice age dawns came
and went unseen. The idea of this world, the world as it was
before man, inspired me throughout the composition of these
tracks. Roughly separated in two parts, one representing the
light, the unburdened world before man, the other a much darker
side of the same place.& Be prepared to embark on a journey to the
world before the world, a journey you might not want to come back
from. 2CD Edition of 700 copies in 8 Panel Digipack.
APOCRYPHOS - &The
Prisoners Cinema& digipack CD
(Cyclic Law) After the dissolution of Psychomanteum,
Apocryphos was slowly formed by now sole member Robert C.
Kozletsky and continues further down the pathways charted by
Psychomanteum. The Prisoner's Cinema is a duality in concept,
exploring two separate paths that intersect each other through
out. The first path revolves around sensory deprivation, isolation
and the frightening, yet spiritual aspects of these experiences.
The second path is that of a personal nature, bearing a literal
interpretation of the title &Prisoner's Cinema& where you play the
prisoner locked away in the confines of your own conscious mind
standing alone against your own darkness. This is the troubled
soundtrack to a soul starving for catharsis, a release from the
chains that hold us down in this uncompromising world. The
Prisoner's Cinema is graced with the signature haunting imagery of
Simon Heath (Atrium Carceri) and also features a special guest
collaboration by Frederic Arbour (Havan / Visions…) on one track.
Psychomanteum may be dead, but out of its ashes, Apocryphos has
risen to expand one's soul. Listen and release...
MARGINIS - &Hypnosis& digipack 2CD
(Cyclic Law) &Hypnosis& is the eight full length
album by the long established and widely acclaimed swedish dark
ambient artist Johan Levin. This new opus is a massive 2CD
release! A truly dark orchestration of the subconscious levels of
the human psyche as it reveals itself through our dreams. As one
could expect from Johan Levin’s undeniable craftsmanship, this is
an engrossing and carefully crafted work. It’s major focus and
intent was to convey the intricate details and strong emotions of
dreams and nightmares that were submitted by friends and fans, as
well as those of Johan himself. With a strong narrative and a
distinct progression from surreal melancholy to feverish fear this
album is an intense odyssey through the ever fascinating
subconscious mind.
IN SLAUGHTER
NATIVES - &Cannula Coma Legio& CD
(Cyclic Law)
We're honored to have legendary
Swedish act IN SLAUGHTER NATIVES join the Cyclic Law family. Lead
by the enigmatic Jouni Havukainen since the late 80's, he is
responsible for some of the brashest and intense releases of the
post industrial genre. This new release can be seen as a prequel
to things to come, it contains 3 brand new tracks, in which we see
ISN plunge into less bombastic terrain and delve into more obscure
ambient territories. Along side these new pieces is reworked,
remixed and upgraded material used in the last years as part of
live performances by extreme body art performer Chérie Roi, giving
new life and direction to some well known passages and lesser
known tracks with the trademark ISN bombastic sound and vocals. A
brand new album is also scheduled for release in late 2014, and
this release serves as the perfect appetizer while we wait for the
main course.
SHRINE - &Nihil&
(Cyclic Law) - &NIHIL& is the second album for
Cyclic Law from Bulgaria's SHRINE. The album was completed in
September'2013 as a commemoration of SHRINE’s 10th year
anniversary (IX.2003 - IX.2013) and brings together seven tracks
composed over the last 5 years. A very personal and poignant work
that differs significantly from other SHRINE releases, being a lot
heavier in atmosphere with a lingering gloom and largely saturated
with negativity. Exploring the burden of the human ego from a
personal point of view, it aims to expose a different look upon
Freud's &Death Drive& theory. Delve into the depths and let Shrine
guide you through it's singular shadow world. &A gift for you, who
wake up in the middle of the night and know you couldn't live with
yourself any longer.&
FUNERARY CALL - &The
Mirror Reversed - Part 1& CD
(Cyclic Law) - It is with great honor that we
welcome Canada's unique and by now legendary Black Ambient act
Funerary Call to our family. For this new opus Harlow Macfarlane
found inspiration from personal interpretations of the Tree of
Death and what is considered to represent the reverse or occult
side of the Tree of Life, a diagram of the negative forces or
Qliphoth (Hebrew, Shells) assigned to each Sephiroth. They
represent the counter-forces of the ten divine emanations as
described by the ancient Qabalists and the paths or tunnels that
connect to these infernal realms and the various demonic forces
that inhabit them. The constant shifting of sounds and tones are a
metaphoric reflection of these various &shells& and chaotic
entities. Built as one continuous piece with various chapters,
this new album serves as a vehicule for delving deeply into the
shadow side. Artwork by Dehn Sora.
TREHA SEKTORI - &Endessiah&
(Cyclic Law) Imagined as the end of a cycle,
initiated with 2012's &Endessiah& album, &Severh Sehenh& is not
really the third album from Treha Sektori nor an e.p. It's to be
seen an appendix, a specific chapter of time. It consists of a
lone track, cut into different movements. The material was
formally composed for live performances, with the overbearing urge
of facing eyes, to live through them. Imagined as a burden to
carry, a day we didn’t expect, and a final step that is unknown.
No way to unload what is on our shoulders. Acceptance is the only
way to trace a new path. Peaceful times with hard thoughts. Rough
moments with joyful feelings. saveh erh anth ah erah leh, We will
save what ties our throats. deverh ah temehera. koreska enh, We
will remember in our hands, the day when we lost.
CUSTOMER.NOISE – &Chaos
Factory& digipack CD (CustomRec.)
Jednoosobowy projekt S?awka Tutak (Toruń), którego twórczo??
oscyluje wokó? szeroko rozumianej elektroniki. W swoich
kompozycjach wykorzystuje stylistyczne elementy takich gatunków
jak dark ambient, industry/noise czy experimental. Zafascynowany
mo?liwo?ciami ?rodowiska cyfrowego za ?ród?o wybra? wirtualne
generatory z ich nieograniczonymi mo?liwo?ciami kreowania d?wi?ku.
skupi? si? na, jak to mówi, powo?ywaniu do
istnienia nowych d?wi?ków w naszej rzeczywisto?ci. W 2014 roku
podj?? decyzj?, ?e nadszed? czas aby d?wi?ki &z szuflady& ujrza?y
?wiat?o dzienne w postaci p?yty. W tym celu powo?a? do ?ycia firm?
producenck? CustomRec., której pierwsz? produkcj? by? wydany w
grudniu 2014 roku album &chaos factory& zawieraj?cy 7
zró?nicowanych utworów w opisanej wy?ej stylistyce. Z ciekawostek
mo?na doda?, ?e mastering materia?u przeprowadzi? Marcin Cichy
(Skalpel).
RITUAL – &:08:16:02:&
digipack CD (Lichterklang) 7pm Ritual is the new project of
the founding Stein members Norbert Strahl, Nic Sender and Oliver
Sittig who reunited for spontaneous jam-session after a couple of
years, which finally resulted in “:08:16:02”. The album is a
dedicated and conceptional piece of work, based on one of the
biggest tragedies of the past millennium. Musicalwise 7pm Rituals
debut is the perfect blend of songs, influenced by Neofolk and
orchestral, cinematic sounds bands that sometimes remind of early
recordings of In The Nursery, but with a more folky edge. The
songwriting as well as the sound quality are outstanding and
there’s no doubt that 7pm Ritual and their musical diversity will
leave a deep impact throughout the different genres mentioned
LA PIETRA LUNARE –
&Same& CD (Lichterklang) La Pietra Lunare's debut is a concept
album dedicated to the mysteries of Italy. It tells how, in the
years between the two wars, in some small villages of the south it
was believed that magic rites and amulets could have some form of
will on daily life.Taking inspiration from some cult italian books,
such as Tommaso Landolfi's homonymous novel, these song show how
neofolk music has an esoteric origin through their real popular
beliefs. Recorded in five years, the album includes guests from
the italian neofolk scene, such as Egida Aurea, ZSP, Lupi Gladius
and Antiqua Lunae. Their genre could be a strange kind of neofolk
called &verist post-folk&.
WEIHAN – &Blódslitinn
á Steininum& CD (Lichterklang) Stronger than ever before and
seven years after their last album, WEIHAN return with their
impressing new album ,,Bló&slitinn á Steininum“. While the previous
album of the belgium project were characterized by the divergency
between Neofolk and martial based influences, Jurgen and Miguel
used the long period to strengthen their music on a more
sophisticated and variable version of Martial Industrial that is
conceptionally founded in norsk sagas and sacrifial pagan rites.
The title of the album therefore might also be translated as &The
colour of blood on stone&. ,,Bló&slitinn á Steininum“ emphasizes
WEIHANS outstanding position in that particular genre. The album
was mastered by Axel Frank at the ,,Blue Lounge Studio“ in Berlin.
MARS – &Blood Is The
Food Of The Gods& digipack CD (Lichterklang) ‘Blood is the
Food of the Gods’ - MARS, a pagan brotherhood founded in 2011,
present their third release after the folk-debut ‘Sons of Cain’
and the powerful vinyl-e.p. ‘Sacrifice’. Inspired by American
pagan folk and apocalyptic philosophy the sound of MARS is
dominated by purely acoustic arrangements using guitars, various
percussions and two male voices. Their drum-driven hymns tell of
the persisting powers of nature, of the ancient breath of the gods
and of the Eternal Cyclic Law of life. This is no simple escapism
into dreamy realms, it’s a multifaceted journey into the
subconscious parts of the human spirit, driven by pounding rhythms
and accentuated guitars. With ‘Blood is the Food of the Gods’ MARS
has become a powerful force in the European pagan underground.
Their songs are energetic rituals to awaken the forgotten powers.
Like the 12” ‘Sacrifice’ before this album displays unique
hand-painted artwork by Nadine O. Demmler. Featured are new
interpretations of ‘Icarus Falling’ (:Golgatha:) and ‘Man is
Disorder’ (Aeterna).
LUFTWAFFE –
&Trephanus Uhr& digipack CD (Lichterklang) Disturbed discourse
unveils ‘Trephanus Uhr’ behind an unsettling child’s voice looped
in a continuous stream, fabricated distortion filtering all
frequencies in some form. Proclamations drive the vocal element
more than attempts at harmony, and given the lice-ridden decay of
percussion and throes of grated mechanisms lends the work a
sinister affair, even when said utterances are drenched in
filtered corruption. The rhythms at times are stilted, but
subsequent tracks demonstrate more hypnotic martial rhythms that
Luftwaffe seems best at on this album. Vanes of looped vocals
adorn the reaches of most tracks, streaming ticker tape of debased
echoes, adding to the dominant theme of the voice as sounding
board. A pall, a mist of ashes obscures nearly all tracks on
‘Trephanus Uhr’, warping all sound in viscera of volcanic
aftermath and destruction, drums grained and vocals rotted to
gargling bellows. Folk tracks oddly pepper the furor with martial
murk, a few of these tracks are not digested through the rasped
tract, and for a large run of successive tracks the industrialism
fades before a blend of folk and martial destruction meets and
leads out the album.&
FAHL – &The Halls Of
CD (Lichterklang) FAHL was founded by Dimo Dimov, Marcel P.
and Cornelius Waldner in autumn 2008. All members have been active
in several Dark Folk, Neoclassic and Black Metal–projects for some
time, among them :werra:, Von Thronstahl, Allerseelen, Sagittarius,
Miel Noir or Svarrogh (just to name a few.) Four years after their
debut ,,Paths To Emptiness“, FAHL’s second album ,,The Halls OF The
Dead“ is not just a compendium of songs lyrically influenced by
the ,,Mahabarata“, Stefan George, Ludwig Fahrenkrog, Carlo
Michelstaedter and Hermann Graf Keyserling, but musicalwise the
consequent continuation of what has been started four years ago. ,,The
Halls Of The Dead“ is a dark opus of 13 occult ambient tracks
that’ll haunt the listeners by it’s lyrical and musical depth and
sincerity. ,,The Halls Of The Dead“ for sure is not an album for
the fainthearted listener. The artwork fort he album was done by
well-known foto-artist Laetitia Mantis, being a long time friend
with the band and it’s members, putting even more emphasis on the
occult character of FAHL.
TRAUM’ER LEBEN - &Was wird bleiben&
digipack CD (Lichterklang)
Five years, characterized by line-up changes and musical
experimentents, the German Darkfolk-band TRAUM’ER LEBEN finally
returns with their impressing new album ,,…was wird bleiben?“ Based
on Hermann Hesse’s novel ,,Demian“ and the trials and tribulations
of that time the album is completed by several more new tracks,
describing personal ripenings and developments as well as the
human interactions of a protagonist not defined any closer.
TRAUM’ER LEBEN have grown personally as well as musically while
the musical tenor has become more dark and melancholic than known
by the band up to this date. ,,El Sol I La Neu“ emphasizes the long
and intense friendship to the Catalan band Arnica while the
remaining songs display what TRAUM’ER LEBEN trademarks have always
been: the characteristic duets of female vocalist Bia and her male
counterpart Jay, the great melodies and the enduring
instrumentations of the perfectly arranged songs. The CD has been
mastered by Axel Frank at the ,,Blue Lounge“ Studio in Berlin.
MARGINIS - &Thaw& digipack CD (Zoharum Records) Of the Swedish
wave of ambient acts from the 1990s, Desiderii Marginis is one of
the few still active and definitely one of the finest of those few.
Far from being a typical project in the vein of Brian Eno/Lustmord,
Johan Levin, the mastermind behind Desiderii Marginis, has created
and developed its own unique sonic palette merging digital and
analogue: melancholic electronica with electroacoustic elements
and intravenous rhythms. From the early days his music met with
positive reactions resulting in albums on renowned the legendary
Swedish Cold Meat Industry label, and lately also on Canadian
Cyclic Law. Over the course of 20 years, Levin released 7
full-length albums, a 3-way split and a collection of rare
pre-debut demos plus numerous tracks on various compilations. His
latest offering entitled &Thaw& compiles the latter and adds 3
tracks from the split &Lost Signals from Unknown Horizons&. On the
one hand, it is simply a collection of rare tracks, but, on the
other, it may serve a purpose of a &best of& album. With the
chronology unaltered, it gives you the full picture of the project
and its progress. It is a history lesson of the last 20 years in
sonic melancholia of Desiderii Marginis.
INNER VISION
LABORATORY - &Austeros& CD (Zoharum Records) ”Austeros” is the
third album of Inner Vision Laboratory, an ambient project of
Karol Skrzypiec, on Zoharum following ”Future Chaos” (2011) and
”Perpetua” (2012), and two collaborative releases ”Decline” (2010)
with Hoarfrost and ”Ambit” (2014) with Nepenthe. On the new album
&Austeros& the artist unite sounds from the surrounding reality.
The meanings and references do not illustrate or deconstruct as
usual, but allow completely new musical beings to peal out, torn
alive from random, lost radio broadcasts, the cacophony of
everyday life, or unspecified ether. &Austeros& is an album that
allows the individual to enjoy the sounds, served with reverence,
which, thanks to its minimal consequences reverberate with the
strength. The more they strike, the more you get into this kind of
futuristic world, disappearing faster and faster into oblivion.
Once again IVLAB shows that the form is a useful tool in
overturning established routines ... to build on their ashes a
message sent to sublime senses. The CD is housed in an ecopak
sleeve and is strictly limited to 300 copies. The cover was
designed by Ewa Skrzypiec.
INNER VISION
LABORATORY & NEPENTHE -& &Ambit& CD (Zoharum Records) Two
years after well-received &Perpetua& album, INNER VISION
LABORATORY returns to Zoharum with their new album entitled
&Ambit&. Not a solo venture, but a collaborative effort with young,
but promising NEPENTHE project. The album was 3 years in the
making when they were searching for a common language and fiddling
with sonic matter using the Internet in this respect, they have
created a monolith - a very cohesive, yet symbiotic world. It
might be easily labelled as &ambient&, yet they break the patterns
of that style. &Ambit& is composed of 7 compositions, clocking in
at 50 minutes. It is composed of beautiful, yet unsettling
melodies, for those who are fascinated with sounds coming from
Cyclic Law and Loki Foundation labels, but also for new-comers to
the genre. For those open-minded for something new and touching, a
kind of music painted with the whole palette of colours and sounds.
MACHINEFABRIEK -
&The Measures Taken& CD (Zoharum Records) After last year's
two releases (a compilation of rare tracks ”Dubbeltjes” and the
reissue of a collaborative album with Dag Rosenqvist entitled ”Vintermusik”)
a renowned sound artist Rutger Zuydervelt returns with a
completely new album called ”The Measures Taken”. It is the score
for a dance performance by choreographer Alexander Whitley and
visual artists Marshmallow Laser Feast. ”The Measures Taken” was
originally commissioned by the Royal Opera House (it premiered
there in May 2014). The spectacular performance involves a lot of
hi-tech interactivity between dancers and projected visuals. The
theme of man vs/with machine is magnified by the music, which
combines warm melodic pads with glitchy white noise and (more than
on any other Machinefabriek release) propulsive rhythms. Now you
can enjoy the music from the performance on a physical album which
is also striking without the use of the visual side. The album is
released in a 3-panel ecopak in a strictly limited edition of 300
MACHINEFABRIEK -
&Dubbeltjes& CD (Zoharum Records) New compilation of rare
works entitled &Dubbeltjes&. It consists of 11 track recorded
between 2008 and 2013. Rutger Zuydervelt talks about &Dubbeltjes&:
Short playing time formats, like 7-inches and 3-inch cdrs, are
great to work with. More than on regular albums, the durational
limitations are useful to experiment with and to create really
focused, cristalised pieces.
Most of these tracks focus on a very limited palette of sounds.
&Hilary& and &Jeffery& for example, are constructed using solely
trombone recordings from (you guessed it) Hillary Jeffery (of The
Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble). &Huiswerk& Part 1 and 2 were made
using a simple setup of electric guitar and sampler. And probably
a suprise in my discography are &My Funny Valentine& and &Oh
Doctor Jesus&, two jazz classics, in collaboration with bass
clarinet player Gareth Davis. All these sets of songs have a very
specific quality to them. These tracks are among my personal
favorites. Most of them aren't available on a physical format
anymore, so it's great to gather them on the album 'Dubbeltjes'.
The tracks are presented as pairs or trios, as they appeared on
their original releases. It's up to you, the listener, to either
experience these combinations seperatly, hear the album in
continuous play, or use shuffle mode to make new combinations.
RAPOON - &Seeds
in the Tide Volume 3& digipack 2CD (Zoharum Records) The third
volume in our ongoing series of albums collating Rapoon's rarities
from 2003 and 2004. As always it's composed of 2 discs. The first
one featur number one is ”Monomyth: Par Avion”
CDR (limited to 199 copies only) is a source material for a
collaborative album with Birds of Tin, and number two is ”Jane
from Whitley Bar” 7” vinyl plus a number of tracks from
compilations. The second disc is a real treat as it contains a
previously unreleased recording from a 2004 gig in Vienna. The CDs
is housed in a digipak sleeve and the album is strictly limited to
500 copies. The cover was designed by Maciej Mehring based on
Robin Storey's paintings. &Seeds in the Tide Volume 3& was
mastered by ?ukasz Miernik.
RAPOON & PROMUTE
- &Machine River& CD (Zoharum Records) Not only is Robin
Storey aka Rapoon a very prolific solo artist, but also he
collaborates with many musicians from all over the world. He has
already worked with Mykel Boys, Wyrm, Pas Musique, Kinder Atom,
Cisfinitum, Pacific 231 et al. This time he teamed up with Shaun
Sandor aka Promute to create 8 haunting tracks. This is the story
of their meeting in the words of Shaun Sandor: This collaboration
between Rapoon and Promute is a direct result of the 2011 Endless
Form Tour. For several nights in a row in different cities I sat
in a swirling mist of sound conjured by Rapoon. The music easily
generated notions of timelessness and seductive landscapes. In all
of this, I was realizing that the electro-acoustic set that I was
performing seemed to be a natural compliment to the music of
Rapoon. I created several dozen tracks of homemade instruments,
prepared guitar and bass, and sitar and sent them to Robin Storey
to manipulate, process and edit. I asked my friend Des Kashyap to
contribute some vocals as well, and he agreed. Robin added his
music and vocals as well and did the arranging and mixing. The CD
is housed in an ecopak sleeve and is strictly limited to 500
EXPO 70 - &Frozen
Living Elements& CD (Zoharum Records) It's been three years
since Expo 70 appeared on the ”From Earth to Sirius” compilation
and now they are back to Zoharum with a full-length offering.
Their latest album is entitled ”Frozen Living Elements” and it
features an expanded line-up. Apart from Justin Wright, Expo 70
were Jim Button on drums and Aaron Osborne on bass and additional
synthesizers for the sessions and the result can be described as
space rock power trio. With three tracks spread over 45 minutes,
the trio takes as on a cosmic tour de force. With influences
ranging from analogue electronica through guitar drone to noisy
psychedelia, Expo 70 manages to travel back in time to the 1970s,
yet stay as contemporary as they can without sounding dated or
irrelevant. The musicians transport us to their rehearsal room
drenched in dry ice where they play their extended acid jams
landing somewhere in-between SunnO))), Can and Sperm. The CD is
housed in an ecopak sleeve and is strictly limited to 500 copies.
The cover was designed by Justin Wright. &Frozen Living Elements&
was mastered by Scott Colbrun.
EXPO 70 - &Corridors
to Infinity& 2CD (Zoharum Records) Originally released in 2009
in a small tape and CDR edition (150 and 100 respectively),
”Corridors to Infinity” has been our favourite in their extensive
discography. This edition, which sees the light of the day 5 years
after its initial release, has been expanded to a double album
with an additional disc entitled ”Star Coloured Clouds”. The
original sound of Justin Wright's project – guitar-based drone
psychedelia – has been augumented here with organ and synthesizer
sounds giving it an even more spacious, but also meditative
character. Expo 70 came closely here to Ash Ra Tempel without
copying the German trio's sound, but having a similar feel drawing
a few parallels with their early work. The second unreleased disc,
recorded just one month before the sessions for the main album,
has more guitars, yet manages to follow the same contemplative
path complementing ”Corridors to Infinity” and thus creating a
cohesive 2CD offering. The CD is housed in gatefold sleeve in the
vein of Japanese-style vinyl replica and is strictly limited to
500 copies. The cover is based on the original release and the
design was handled by Justin Wright.
MANINKARI - &Continuum
Sonore 7&1& CD (Zoharum Records)
Maninkari, a duo hailing from France, should be a well-known one
for ambient lovers. They have already released six albums on
renowned labels such as Conspiracy, Neuropa or Basses Frequencies.
Their influences range from classical music through jazz and free
improv ending with ambient and drone. Therefore, it is not easy to
classify them as a modern post-industrial electronica combo.
The duo works quite intensively. They have just prepared the
second volume of their 2012 ”Continuum Sonore” album. What
enchanted us about Maninkari while listening to part 7-14
”Continuum Sonore” compostion of is their easiness in creating
beautiful, but haunting melodies drowned in cinema-like atmosphere.
It is not surprising as the duo have created music for films of
Thomas Pantalacci. Their other advantage is varied instrumental
textures. Apart from regular synthesizers and not so common
persussion, they use atypical instruments, such as bodhran, viola,
cimbalom, santoor. It brings them closer to the neoclassical
The CD is housed in an ecopak sleeve and is strictly limited to
300 copies.
NAGAMATZU - &Neural
Interval& 2CD (Zoharum Records)
Thanks to music lovers from all around the world, forgotten gems
from the analogue era hidden in basements have been popping up in
the digital age. We have witnessed (re-)discovery and (re-)appreciation
of new age, library music, acid house, post-punk and many others.
One of those hidden gems from the 1980s is Nagamatzu with Stephen
Jarvis and Andrew Lagowski. In their 10-year tenure,
they pioneered their own peculiar instrumental version of the
so-called dark wave, a mixture of goth-tinged post-punk with
pulsating, danceable electronica.
”Neural Interval” collects all the three tape albums from
Nagamatzu: ”Shatter Days” (1983), ”Sacred Islands of the Mad”
(1986) and ”Igniting the Corpse” (1991). It also adds ”Space
Shuttle Shuffle” 12'' (1987) and an unreleased version of ”Lift
Off” as bonus tracks. It gives you an insight into still little
known work by this excellent duo (or trio at times) who should
have been a mainstay of 4AD, Beggars Banquet or Factory back in
the 1980s. We hope that thanks to the vinyl reissues of Dark
Entries and Zoharum CD anthology the band will achieve such a kind
of recognition they truly deserve.
The CDs are housed in a digipak with an additional poster booklet
JARL / ENVENOMIST
- &Tunguska Event& CD (Zoharum Records)
A long time ago we discovered little known musician called Erik
Jarl. We really liked his first albums and we were watching his
music mature over the years. So when Erik contacted us with the
offer concerning releasing his album we jumped at the chance.
Erik has teamed up with David Reed aka Envenomist to create a
sonic reenactment of the Tunguska event. It was ”was a large
explosion which occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in
what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, at about 07:14 on June 30,
1908” [Wikipedia]. It flattened 2,000 km2 of the forest and it
caused glowing sunsets on the horizon. There are many theories
concerning the cause of this particular event. Some scientists
claim it was connected with an asteroid or comet that burst in the
air above the region, others claim that it might have been a small
black hole passing near the Earth. The mystery is still unsolved.
The music, presented here in five parts, is full of oily drones
and industrial blasts intertwined with unsettling ambient textures.
The sound on this recording is of complex and mature nature, which
hardly comes as a surprise when thinking about years both
musicians spent mastering their skills (David with Envenomist and
Luasa R Erik both in IRM and Skin Area, and solo known
simply as Jarl). It is an interesting piece of work for those who
search for something on the fringes of electronic music.
The CD is housed in an ecopak sleeve and is strictly limited to
300 copies. The cover picture and design was made by Karolina
Urbaniak (responsible for the lastest covers Jarl, IRM and Skin
Area albums and widely known for here photographic work.)
FORRREST DRONES -
Flexilis Exequiae& CD (Zoharum Records) A few months ago tracks with old pictures of
various plants started popping up around the net. Tracks full of
organic, ethereal drones. Then this tape with covers made of pages
from some old book was released and it landed in our hands. A set
of 5 tracks entitled &Tallest Trees Gallery&. We listened to it
very carefully and loved it, but still didn't know who was
responsible for those enchanting sounds. We went through the
J-card and found only the email address starting from two words &Cough
Serenades&. Who is that Cough Serenades dude? It's Robert
Skrzyński, otherwise known as Micromelancolié.
For his second offering as ForrrestDrones (but the first one on CD
format) Robert has created one long piece entitled &Najas Flexilis
Exequiae&. A perfect contemplative track which takes you on a trip
to the woods in the middle of the night. It is the world straight
from forgotten fairy tales from sallow books. The owl from the
cover is your guide on this dreamy journey. Is the forest real or
are we only dreaming? Are those clicks, crackles and pops the
sounds of the fire burning or the vinyl being played? Is the
melody you hear soothing or sinister? Many questions keep popping
up while listening to &Najas Flexilis Exequiae&. Are you ready to
take the challenge and answer them for yourself?
The CD is housed in an ecopak sleeve and is strictly limited to
300 copies.
IN SCISSORS -
&Orbis Terrarum Requiem& digipack CD &(Zoharum Records)
&Orbis Terrarum Requiem& in brief means &The World's Requiem& or &The
Earth's Requiem& and in the case of this album the second
explanation given fits better to its concept and thematology. It
is a requiem for the destruction that has befallen Earth/Nature
inflicted by humans. It describes a world deserted and the only
inhabitants are life forms that used to dwell beneath the Earth's
surface even long before the Nature's fall and they still do after
An excellent follow-up to 'The Veratrine Evangelicum', more
structured and mature. An album that will grow on you after a few
INDIA CZAJKOWSKA
& SEBASTIAN MADEJSKI - &Tańce Snu& CD (Zoharum Records)
”Dances of the Dreams” (”Tańce Snu”) is a sonic journey
through unexpected and undiscovered worlds of human imagination.
This sonic journey is accompanied by the aura of oddity or mystery
straight from the fairytale land. From a rich array of sounds,
colours and surprising ideas, the artists extract haunting, subtle
melodies. Here early music entwines with ambient, oriental
melodies with experimental sounds, folky lightness corresponds
with elements of neo-classical. The duo of India Czajkowska and
Sebastian Madejski created a very suggestive album by means of
early instruments (viola de gamba, psa?terium) flute, piano,
synthesizer, guitars and two u an album that
is very hard to pigeon-hole. Having drawn inspiration from
tradition, it brings a lot of freshness into seemingly fossilised
structure. It is a surprisingly interesting, intriguing and
delightful album for numerous listens. For fans of neoclassical/new
folk sounds of Ataraxia, Jack or Jive, Rajna, Louisa John-Krol,
Collection D'Arnell-Andrea.
MACIEK SZYMCZUK &
SLOWTION - &Ways& digipack CD (Zoharum Records) Album was
prepared together with a British artist hidden under the moniker
Slowtion. 'Ways' is a musical journey into the depth of your own
persona, the diary from spiritual journey in search of the answer
on the meaning of the human existence where, among the
complexities and blind alleys, one can find an element of sacrum,
the contact with the Absolute. Musicwise, 'Ways' show slightly
different traits of Maciek Szymczuk's work. It may have happened
this way because of the collaborative nature of the project and
Slowtion's involvement in it. Also, it may have been the character
of Joanna's voice-delicate, ethereal that resembles Bristol sounds
ORRYELLE - &156 =
Musick = Babalon = Kaos& digipack CD (Zoharum Records) The
Silver Dusk's 156 = Musick Project is an experiment of Process:
Magickal Musick was recorded by members of The HermAphroditic
ChAOrder of the SILVER DUSK -usually in ritual context or with
invocational intent- then posted on CD to other member/s in
another country for them to add more layers to. This continued
progressively until completion. The style of music ranges from
neoclassical ambient orchestral multi-instrumental corroborations
and layered electronic experimentations to simple primal ritual
corroborees with sticks and bells and harmonious voices around a
fire by the Hekate Tree.
OUROBOROS - &Opus
Tartari& digipack CD (Zoharum Records) Album of Italian dark
ambient project which - in its leader's own words - after years of
esoteric and alchemist studies decided to transfer his own
experiences into music. Ouroboros should be then treated as a
medium used in search for its own philosophical stone.
Compositions included on the album lead the listener into the
world of antique and medieval times due to their tunes and the
singing in Latin. Mystical, slightly sacral character of the
tracks has become its leitmotif recognisible for the band.
Marco Grosso known for his collaboration with many session
musicians (with Claudio Dondo of Runes Order) asked a lot of
vocalists (Nuna Luna - soprano voice, Sorath Isis, Aleph Zero,
Malice) to participate in the recordings as well. This resulted in
the creation of 'Opus Tartari' - an intriguing, emotional, full of
unsettling beauty and esoterica journey. The album can be likened
to early releases of Diamanda Galas, The Moon and the Nightspirit
and The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud.
SYNAPSIS - &Officina
Ferraria reworked& CD (Zoharum Records) After critically
acclaimed debut album, SYNAPSIS returns with a new album. This
time, their material has been reconstructed or deconstructed by
other artists. &Officina Ferraria Reworks& is composed of 13
remixes by SUNAO INAMI, GEttNER, ZENIAL, VILGO?, HOARFROST,
WOLFRAM, KOMORA A, C.H. DISTRICT, SELF INFLICTED VIOLENCE, TOMASZ
KRAKOWIAK, MARCIN ?OJEK and others... A mix of ambient,
experimental electronics and noise. An ecopack issue. 500 copies.
SYNAPSIS is a project of Dawid Chrapla (ANTIBIOTIX, NOJSENS, HATED
BRUIT KOLLEKTIV) and Andrzej Turziak (:WULGATA:, MULTIPOINT
INJECTOR). Out of merging two musical profiles comes the band
placed firmly in the industrial stylistics with hints of dark
ambient and noise.
SIEBEN - &Each Divine Spark&
digipack CD
&(Redroom)
AUN - &Black
Pyramid& digipack CD (Cyclic Law)
BEYOND SENSORY
EXPERIENCE - &Modern Day Diabolists& digipack CD/DVD (Cyclic
PARHELION - &Midnight
Sun& digipack CD (Cyclic Law)
PSYCHOMANTEUM - &Oneironaut& digipack CD (Cyclic Law)
THERRADAEMON -
&Den Morke Munnens Sprak& CD (Cyclic Law) -
TRIANGULAR
ASCENSION - &Leviathan Device& digipack CD (Cyclic Law)
DARKWOOD - &Schicksalsfahrt& digipack CD (HeidenVolk)&
HATI & Z'EV - &Collusion&
CD (Idiosyncratics Records)
new Beast Of Prey:
MORDFABRIK-
&Obscure the Sun&
HARD ART 09 -
magazyn / informator kultury niezale?nej
IN SCISSORS -
&The Circus of Ichneumons&
HARD ART 08 -
magazyn / informator kultury niezale?nej
HARD ART 07 -
magazyn / informator kultury niezale?nej
URANUS / XNAVI:ET& - &Voices of the Cosmos II& digipack& CD 2013
& copyright 2005&
Wszelkie prawa zastrze?one.
BEAST OF PREY 2015