Issue 5 (Winter 2017)

We're back on track with releasing quarterly issues. Please allow Issue 5 to get you through the cold, dark days of winter.

Interviews with: This Morn' Omina, Shibalba, Oureboros, Audiotrauma [Label], Mytrip, and Apocryphal Throne

Reviews of a bunch of stuff from labels like Cryo Chamber, Ant Zen, Artoffact, Audiotrauma, Alfa Matrix, and more!

Features work by photographers Erik Keosz Osvald and Chris Whitmore

[ DOWNLOAD PDF ]


Let me know your thoughts in the comments and feel free to make any suggestions for future content!

Atiq - "Sonorous EP"

Artist: Atiq
Album: Sonorous EP
Year: 2016
Label: Onset Audio
Genre: Drum & Bass, Ambient
Website:  onsetaudio.com















Basics:
After an excellent split album with EnK on Tympanik Audio in 2013, Dutch DNB producer Atiq returns with a solo EP which is a mixture of halftime dnb and ambient atmospheres.

Stuff:
I'm not a huge fan or follower of DNB, but the Atiq & EnK split was incredible; it perfectly utilized the elements of drum and bass that I enjoy and mixed them with plenty of diverse melodic and atmospheric components to craft captivating songs. That said, I had high expectations going into this EP and I feel that they were met. This release opens with the title track "Sonorous" (featuring fellow Tympanik alum Tangent) which gives us a good idea of what we're in for - halftime dnb-style breakbeats and bass bursts mixed with evocative pads and drones. The production is very clean & spacious which bolsters the enthralling quality of the music, and everything sits perfectly in the mix. While it is a bit repetitive (though less so than most dnb), all the elements are interesting enough to overlook that. Definitely something to check out if you're a fan of atmospheric music driven by (slow-ish) breakbeats. The other tracks follow a similar style, but utilize different sounds and some variation on the sad/meditative atmospheres of the opener such that they all sound completely unique. "The Euclidean Perspective" has an even more lofty feel it it; perhaps due to the title and/or the samples from Interstellar. It features some stellar (get it?) pads over a crisp, driving beat and it introduces a great little outer space-y melody towards the end. I don't listen to all that stuff much like this so I'm not sure about references, but it kinds of takes me back to old school LTJ Bukem & the like which had really lush, evocative textures and connected with you on a much deeper level than hard-hitting DNB aimed at clubs/raves. "Hiraeth" and "Real Life (Awaits Us)" are a bit darker; the latter especially, bringing to mind the atmospheres of classic dark jungle, slowed down with the atmosphere really brought to the forefront. This stuff reminds me a bit of guys like Kryptic Minds. The nostaglic nature of it is appealing and the music is plenty interesting on its own.
The album ends with 3 remixes. The first one, a mix of "Sonorous" by Red Army completely harkens back to dark 90s dnb. This is a great sound and definitely takes me back to some of the stuff that got me into this style back in the day. As with the bulk of that stuff, it's pretty repetitive and minimal, but that's par for the course. The second one is by Aeon Waves and it's very happy sounding (in a post rock sort of way), the beat is awkward and I just can't get into it. The final remix, by Dyl, and it has removed nearly all the percussion and is a predominately droning ambient track. Though sparse, it was pretty cool, especially the parts with almost tribal-esque hypnotic percussion and the buried choir pad; certainly a fitting closer for the EP.

Overall: 
A captivating EP and suitable follow up to Fear Of The Unknown. Definitely something that will be appreciated by fans of labels like Tympanik or Atiq's own Mindtrick Records. For beat-driven atmospheric stuff you can't go wrong with this EP.

Phonothek - "Lost In Fog"

Artist: Phonothek
Album: Lost In Fog
Year: 2016
Label: Cryo Chamber
Genre: Dark Ambient, Avant-garde
Website:  cryochamber.bandcamp.com
















Basics:
Cryo Chamber brings us another debut release of an unknown project, this time from Georgian project Phonothek. I don't know anything about this project, but immediately can tell that it's something a bit different for the label. Also, that cover art is amazing.

Stuff:
It's nice to hear Cryo Chamber bring on another project that writes interesting/active ambient. I find it hard to classify Phonothek as their songs contain innumerable varied elements, but to attempt to put it concisely: it's dark ambient with an avant garde slant to it. I saw a post describing this as "ambient / jazz" and I guess that's somewhat fitting - sort of foggy, disembodied jazz-esque bits dot the otherwise snowy, tranquil landscape of this album. Overall, the songs tend to contain beautiful sleepy, droning textures, but they are also chock full of numerous other sounds from piano, to ghostly voices, to sfx, to glitchy textures, to bells, to distant horn-esque sounds, and so on. There is never a dull moment in any of these tracks. For the most part the songs are really good (e.g. "Last Train", "She was in a Dream") - hypnotic ambient textures mixed with a constant barrage of new sounds overlaid, plunging the listener into a weird, but captivating, surrealist dream sequence. Occasionally the songs become a little too jarring or meandering with too many opposing elements (e.g. middle of "Something Happened") or descend too far into art wank (the end section where it sounds like they're playing ping pong in "Heavy Thoughts") but after a bit they usually smooth out and go back to something I enjoy listening to. Although the layers of sounds used here are quite diverse, Phonothek manages to splice them together in such a way that most of the time they mesh together well and feel like a bizarre but cohesive idea. Not sure what I could really compare this to; the best I can do is that if you took one of those Jazz-y IDM acts like Ametsub or Zinovia and removed the beats and put their sounds into an ambient framework than you'd get something vaguely like this.

Overall: 
I like their non-traditional approach to the genre, and I feel that it helps them stand out among contemporary dark ambient producers. Their music is definitely different and interesting, although at times it's a little too disjointed for me. Overall though, with continued listens I find myself liking it more and more. It's a complex gem and it's takes a bit of time to acclimate to, but the payoff is worth it. Lost In Fog is quite a diverse record and is worth checking out for fans of ambient music who want to be challenged and/or are looking for something more on the artsy side of the spectrum.

Atrium Carceri - Archives I-II

Artist: Atrium Carceri
Album: Archives I-II
Year: 2016
Label: Cryo Chamber
Genre: Dark Ambient
Website:  cryochamber.bandcamp.com















Basics:
Atrium Carceri has released a 2 disc set of archive material dating from 2005-2015; this set consists of material originally written for b-sides, forgotten songs, etc that has been re-worked, re-mastered, and compiled into two long pieces; the first being 43 minutes in length and the second being around 40 minutes.

Stuff:
At this point I feel like it's pointless to review new Atrium Carceri material. It doesn't need it; everything he releases is incredible, never fails to make it on my top 10 of the year list, and should be owned by everyone who reads this blog. You'd be hard pressed to find a more consistently excellent musician out there. It's unbelievable to me that I can own SO MANY albums by one guy and each of them is brilliant.

Anyhow, this is an interesting, if unexpected, release - for whatever reason AC's mastermind Simon Heath has decided to revisit his archives and rework some old material that never saw release. It's presented in 2 longform tracks, although during each there appear to be "breaks" which, at least to me, feel like spots that could have been used to divide this into separate tracks, but whatever. While I love everything AC has released, the first 3 albums are still my favorite. That said, I was excited to hear this material dates back to 2005 (not quite the beginning, but back to Kapnobatai at least). Everything you've loved about AC over the years is here - the trademark bass, sfx, and industrial sounds of the early years; the emotive, forlorn piano melodies; the deep, rumbling chthonic atmospheres of the inner sanctums of the earth; the calm droning soundscapes of the newer material; and the interesting & varied composition he has always been known for. He fuses all of these elements into material that is a perfectly cohesive blend of all of his past styles, while still managing to make it sound like a fresh, brand new album. Of course it's got very polished, modern production so it doesn't have quite the same feel as the old material, but the sentiments are certainly there. Definitely a great and fulfilling release for people like me who have enjoyed the characteristics of each of his albums over the years. In many instances, these "archive" releases result in a bunch of old b-sides which are only interesting for novelty purposes, but aren't particularly good songs you'd listen to often. This is absolutely not the case here and AC has re-assembled his archive material in a way that renders it fully listenable and relevant. You could hand this disc to any fan of dark ambient without them knowing what it was and they'd be like "yeah this is some great contemporary sounding stuff" and not "oh this sounds old/dated/b-side-y/etc".

Overall: 
Even though this release was created from b-sides and unused tracks, the final result is definitely as good as any of his traditional albums. It's very pleasing to see an artist put out something like this and put this much effort into it. If you're a fan of any of Atrium Carceri's work than you will highly enjoy this release as well. With every new release he further solidifies why he is one of the most relevant artists in the history of (dark) ambient music and why he is in the (at least my personal) top 3 dark ambient acts of all time. Definitely a must own for fans of the genre. If you're still new to AC than this would be a solid place to start and get a a glimpse at all the different places he has taken listeners to over the years.

Hymnambulae - Orgelhuset

Artist: Hymnambulae
Album: Orgelhuset
Year: 2016
Label: Hypagoga Press
Genre: Ambient, Field Recording
Website:  hypnagogapress.com















Basics:
Pär Boström (of Kammarheit) and his sister Asa Boström have started a new label called Hypnagoga Press and their first release through it is their new joint ambient project Hymnambulae. Fans of Pär's projects Kammarheit and Cities Last Broadcast will already have some idea of what to expect here: minimal, yet emotional, droning ambient soundscapes. Additionally, this comes in what sounds like a spectacular package, containing a 32-page booklet and gold embossed lettering.

Stuff:
No one will be surprised to hear comparisons to Kammarheit, which are of course fitting. Orgelhuset certainly has that drifting, emotional, isolationist feel, yet it also comes off as a bit more "sad". Like if you combined the minimal, flowing dronescapes of Asleep and Well Hidden with the forlorn sadness of The Human Voice (side project of fellow Nordic ambient maestro Northaunt). I like the tracks with flutes the best (ex. "Ett Ord Från Öknen", "Sandkornen") as they achieve that state of maximum disassociation / sadness. Something about those languid melodies really does it for me. While I prefer more active ambient, there are a few acts expert enough to nail that whole "highly minimal, yet profound" style without descending into the "highly minimal and boring" pitfall, and Pär Boström has always been one of those musicians. As such, you can be sure that this album will not disappoint. I probably would still have preferred more stuff going on (sfx, melody), but I cannot argue that this perfectly captures the bleak atmosphere and isolated feel of the extreme frozen north. Anyway, albums like this aren't meant to be confined to crude textual description, they need to be heard and experienced. So just go listen to it already!

Overall: 
After a lengthy silence, I'm glad to see Pär Boström has come back in force over the last two years: releasing a brand new Kammarheit album, a collection of older material, a split with Atrium Carceri & Apocryphos, and now this new label and music project. I really like the mission statement of the siblings' new label and look forward to whatever they put out. If this album is any indication than future output should be quite memorable. Overall, Orgelhuset is definitely something to pick up for fans of the more minimal, droning and/or arctic ambient acts on labels like Cyclic Law, Glacial Movements, etc. I also imagine this would do well in that whole field of "regular, non-dark ambient guys who use their real name".

Quick Looks 3/22/16

God Body Disconnect - "Dredge Portals"
[Cryo Chamber]

Despite this being the first album from the project, it displays a high level of maturity so I'm guessing the guy behind it has been writing music for quite a while. After a few listens, Dredge Portals is shaping up to be one of my favorite releases from the label. Of course the album is full of the typical foggy, darkened droning atmospheres that one would expect from this label, but it's also got quite a bit more going on which sets it apart from its contemporaries. God Body Disconnect expertly mixes in additional sounds (field recordings, pads, even some post-rock textures here and there) while utilizing ebb and flow to craft epic, captivating aural landscapes with plenty of dynamics. Each song explores similar territory, but all are different and fully have their own sound and characteristics. The cover art is a perfect representation of the sound here - walking in the rain through an abandoned city or ancient ruins in a barren field that are shrouded in a dense fog. Even the color scheme of bluish grey is extremely fitting. God Body Disconnect excels at creating sweeping environments which are quite dark yet extremely beautiful and above all, immersive. Additionally, with songs like "The Reflection Tower" and "Lost In The Astral World" he shows that he is capable of crafting some of the most intensely meditative dark ambient out there. It's hard to articulate these sorts of things accurately, but just know that if you are looking for some enthralling ambient with a strong mystical undercurrent than you need to get this. My only complaint is that a lot of the tracks take a while to get started and the intros can be a little bland, but that's a small drop in an ocean of great attributes. Definitely a must pick up from this label, especially if you like more active elements with your drone! In my opinion, I feel this is the best non Simon Heath related thing the label has released since Aegri Somnia. I hope there is much more to come for this project!

ProtoU - "Lost Here"
[Cryo Chamber]

After a split with Dronny Darko, ProtoU delivers her first full length with Lost Here. The album opens with the title track, which is the best one on the album. Beautiful sweeping drones merge with pulsing ocean/water sounds and melancholic pads, accented with the occasional distant clang. Really deep and captivating stuff which vaguely reminds me of fellow Cryo Chamber act Halgrath and/or old CMI (as does the artwork). The second track "Static Memories" is quite similar, although more celestial sounding and less water-y. These two tracks should definitely be heard by fans of this label/style. Unfortunately, the album drops off from there and the rest of the tracks don't live up to the heights reached by the openers. Furthermore, just about every track on the album sounds the same - the same droning sounds, the same sweeping textures doing more or less the same thing over and over for 5 tracks. Not to say the sounds are bad, but with each subsequent track I found myself thinking "hey didn't I just hear this song?" It's not until the final track "Believe" where some truly new territory is explored. Unfortunately, this track is super minimal and didn't grab my interest either. All that said, this album is pretty standard issue Cyro Chamber material - minimal and droning. While not terrible, it doesn't rise above similar acts. However, songs like "Lost Here" prove that there is some real ability here to craft meaningful and deep music, so I'm curious to see where ProtoU goes from here. If she can work on writing more dynamic material with the refined & mature sound of the opening track than I very much look forward to future material.

Quick Looks - 2/17/16

Leidungr - De Nio Kraftsångerna
[Equilibrium Music]

For all those people who are like "Man, I really like Arditi but I wish they were somehow also a neofolk band" - Leidungr has heard your call and answered. Leidungr is the "nordic ritual folk" project of  Henry Möller (of Arditi - hey, that's convenient! and Puissance), Michayah Belfagor (of black metal bands Nefandus and Ofermod) and P. Ståhl. It's got that same dismal, ancient world vibe that Arditi's work carries along with some of the martial components (chants/choirs, percussion - though in much smaller doses), but with more neofolk elements such as guitar, spoken neofolk-y vocals, etc. Some of the songs are a bit too minimal and sparse for me to get into, but I did enjoy the ones with more elements (most notably: "Vindålder" and "De Nio Kraftsångerna"). Check this out if you want dark, raw medieval sounding neofolk created in the most murky, darkened nordic forest you can imagine. Also definitely for people who can appreciate lo-fi, primitive black metal atmospheres.

Synapscape - Rhythm Age
[Ant Zen]

Rhythm Age is a kind of back-to-basics album from rhythmic noise veterans Synapscape, and I mean that in the best way possible. I haven't followed Synapscape all that much in recent years (ever since they became cowboys with Imminent) as I'm not much of a fan of their more experimental stuff; however, on this record they go for a pretty straight forward rhythmic technoid/industrial sound which takes me back to the days of Positive Pop and thereabouts, and it works brilliantly. Every track is pretty much a combination of crunchy rhythms, beeping synths, cold atmospheric pads and sometimes their trademark distorted vocals (which I love)...and they pull of this style / sound expertly. While every song can sort of be described in a similar way, they manage to keep each song sounding unique & fresh, and the album only feels monotonous in a good way (in that hypnotic boom boom boom Orphx techno way). It's very groovy and quite accessible while still containing crunch, distortion, solid atmospheres and interesting sounds. If you're looking for cold, calculated rhythmic industrial than you need to give this one a listen. Definitely a very "Ant Zen" record and my favorite thing they've put out in years.

Quick Looks - 12/30/15

Council of Nine - "Diagnosis"
[Cryo Chamber]

The second album from Council of Nine fits perfectly into the sort of standard Cryo Chamber minimal-droning-ambient sound. Like I mention in practically every single review I do, I'm not a particularly avid fan of this real minimal stuff. That said, Council of Nine makes it known that he can pull off this sound. His work has noticably matured since his debut, despite this being released less than a year later. Diagnosis is full of ghostly, incredibly spacious atmospheres that take the listener through seemingly endless amorphous, darkened realms. Tenebrous droning swells mix and wash over each other, occasionally co-mingling with more melodic droning to create contemplative aural environments. With this kind of minimal music there is truly a fine art to crafting subtle brilliance vs. boring shit, and Council of Nine is well on his way. While this doesn't quite achieve the profundity of something like Kammarheit, it is certainly getting there. For me, the best track is absolutely "Void Of Regret" which succeeds at being brilliantly hypnotic and capturing the boundless depths of unseen/inner worlds. Judging by the improvement from debut to second album, I am eagerly awaiting what Council of Nine will put together in the future.

Wordclock - "Self Destruction Themes"
[Cryo Chamber]

Similarly, here was have the second album from fellow Cryo Chamber project Wordclock. To be honest, I never listened to the debut; it was one of those records I put on once and wasn't captivated within the first 12 seconds so I turned it off and then never had the time to go back to. However, this one has quite a lot of hype behind it so I figured it was worth a more in-depth listen. And its got collabs with the always-excellent Apocryphos and Simon Heath (Atrium Carceri/Sabled Sun) so it must be good. Unfortunately for me, it's of the minimal drone variety, and like all that stuff each track is basically a couple of drones and little else. However, Wordclock succeeds in cultivating all the appropriate characteristics of that style - hypnotic, captivating, etc. While this style isn't my favorite, I cannot deny that these songs are richly textured, well crafted, and engaging. Even though some pieces could, I suppose, be labelled as "dark ambient", this record reaches way beyond that into much more accessible realms of ambient and drone music. While many of tracks, such as "When Indecision Strikes" are charmingly meditative pieces that feel like slowly floating through the nebulous astral realm, Wordclock explores several moods and environments on this record. For example: "It May Come" is a beautifully sombre and highly cinematic piece which would fit perfectly into a moody film noir, "Something Else" has something of an eastern/desert current running through it, and the closer "Lack Of Language" explores churning, post-rock vibes. You really cannot go wrong with this album if you are looking for something minimal yet inexpressibly deep and wonderfully evocative. Even though I'm not a huge fan of this minimal sound, this record won me over and I feel like I could listen to this for days on repeat. I think this will prove to be quite a hit with fans of the label and ambient music in general.

Flowers For Bodysnatchers - "Aokigahara"

Artist: Flowers For Bodysnatchers
Album: Aokigahara
Year: 2015
Label: Cryo Chamber
Genre: Dark Ambient
Website:  cryochamber.bandcamp.com















Basics:
Don't know anything about the artist, but I find myself fascinated by the strange project name. As for the album itself, Aokigahara is the name of the so-called "Suicide Forest" in Japan; you can't really go wrong with subject matter like that which merges nature and death.

Stuff:
Aoikigahara is an interesting and dynamic album. Just when you think you've got the sound pegged, he switches it up and takes an unexpected turn. The opening tracks "Prisoner Of Night And Fog" and "And There Is A Darkness" rely on ghostly piano and cinematic strings as their focal points, over top of minimal, darkened textures and nighttime sfx such as thunder & dripping water. The piano melodies are not terribly complex, but are aptly catchy and harmonious (I honestly prefer this style to something more jazz-y or whatever). These compositions are fairly minimal and if the entire album was done in this style than I think it would get tedious, but two tracks are the perfect amount. Strikingly solemn & evocative, I would definitely put these on if I was in the mood for something melodic and minimal such as Robert Rich's Open Window. I also enjoy that his compositions have notably different sections to them and evolve/shift the mood over their duration. "Field Of Ink" is a nice little segue into the next part of the album, although using the same banging noise throughout the entire piece gets annoying. "Kuroi Jukai" gets into more droning ambient territory and introduces heavily reverbed Japanese female singing; coupled with the dismal textures these vocals have quite a creepy feel to them. From here on out, the album gets less melodic and focuses more on droning soundscapes. "There Will Be Lies" begins as a meditative piece which slowly builds with the introduction of industrial-ish mechanical & heavily reverbed percussion. The longest piece on the album "Night Heroin" opens with a long passage of loud, kind of in-your-face wall of sound ambient before subsiding into calm, churning blackened textures mixed with various sound effects. Though lengthy, I never found it to fall into tedium. The title track "Aokigahara" is one of the most interesting pieces on the album; it opens with the melodic piano of the opening tracks for a couple of minutes before descending into waves of drone mixed with evocative forest sounds & muted, haunting flute-esque pads. The final two tracks "A Man Metallic" and "The Games Foxes Play" both feature long passages of pleasantly bleak organic/earthen atmospheric droning mixed with somewhat industrial sfx clanking and scrapping in the background.

Overall: 
Overall, this is a solid debut from a new project that has captured my interest. Certainly fits the bill for a soundtrack to a haunting but yet somehow wondrous forest at night. It does a good job of being dynamic while also retaining enough of a common sound throughout the entire album. It doesn't sound all that much like other acts, but if I had to compare I would say it is somewhere in between Steve Roach and a very stripped down version of Herbst9's The Gods Are Small Birds, But I Am The Falcon with some Hall Of Mirrors thrown in for good measure. While it's quite good (and definitely recommended!), it's not perfect and I am excited to see how this project will develop in the future.

Angelic Foe - "Mother Of Abominations"

Artist: Angelic Foe
Album: Mother Of Abominations
Year: 2015
Label: Equilibrium Music
Genre: Neo-Classical, Darkwave
Website: www.equilibriummusic.com















Basics:

Angelic Foe is the new-ish project of Annmari Thim, best known for being the female vocalist of Arcana. Mother Of Abominations is the second album from the project, though unfortunately I am unfamiliar with the debut so this is my first experience with them. As expected, this album is fairly reminiscent of Arcana in many ways, while also being it's own unique entity in the neo-classical / (dark?) medieval style.

Stuff:

I've always been a huge fan of Annmari's vocals in Arcana and was rather excited to check out this project. On the vocal front it absolutely succeeds - her vocals are as good as they ever were in Arcana and with this project she has the room to fully take the lead and be even more diverse in her delivery. The opening track "Daughter Of Comfort" sets the stage for what can be expected on this album - lofty, cinematic soundscapes and bombastic percussion. Apparently the lyrics for this track are from texts by John Dee and Edward Kelly (enochian magic, bro) so this immediately has my attention. It feels as a sort of prologue & overview which introduces us to the world we'll be exploring for the next 8 tracks. While the opener is good, but seems more suited to being background music, the second track "The Get" is more engaging and catchy. The perfect amount of catchy melody coupled with steady, heavy martial-leaning drumming while the vocals are suitably up front and grab the listener's attention. This song is like the scene where we meet the films protagonists and get psyched for the journey they are about to undertake, as the peons offer cheers and the priests offer them talismans to aid them on the path ahead. The next track "All Her Princes Are Gone" does a good job working with dynamic moods, as it ebbs and flows through several movements during its duration. At this point we hear the sombre-yet-hopeful mood of our heroes setting off their long tumultuous quest. The rest of the album follows this same path, accented with a hobbit tavern here and there, grandiose meetings with charming forest spirits, and numerous epic (so much epic!) scenes of travelling across mountains and/or forests. After much exploring we arrive at track 7: "Workers Of Harm" which is one of my favorites. It's very catchy and the steady percussion carries an almost industrial/mechanical feel. Here the heroes (presumably elves, because elves are the best) have arrived at the mines and are asking the dwarf king for some ore to make better weapons for the final battle. Which brings us (after more epic travelling and seeking advice of the spirits in "The Judgement") to the closing track "Enemies of God" which takes the listener through our fantasy movie of choice's final epic battle where it slows down to emphasize the struggle, and zooms in on the main elf who begins to lament that his crew is getting taken out and he needs to perform some heroic act to win this thing - and then he does cause the last couple minutes of the song are real uplifting. As you can see, I pretty much mentally wrote my own High Fantasy story while listening to this -- easy to do as it's so evocative; and I encourage you to try the same - these tracks really bring your imagination to life. This is pretty much the ultimate Renaissance Faire album, or accompaniment to any given Tolkien or related book.

Overall: 

Angelic Foe lies somewhere between the soundtrack to a well-produced epic fantasy movie and the best moments of Arcana. Musically and production-wise, the album is absolutely incredible and I can't say anything bad about it. The instrumentation excels at conjuring fantastical imagery, the drums are punchy & driving (and epic, duh), and the vocal performance is stellar - I'd also like commend the vocal production/mixing which is masterfully done (perfect use of reverb, harmonies, etc). Fantastic mixing & mastering by Peter Bjargo (of Arcana, et al.) However, stylistically this album is not always my cup of tea and it has some moments which I feel are too cheesy. But seriously, despite not always enjoying it subjectively, I can objectively say that Mother Of Abominations is a really, really well made album and I'm positive that fans of this type of epic medieval / neo-classical will absolutely love it.  

Arditi - "Imposing Elitism"

Artist: Arditi
Album: Imposing Elitism
Year: 2015
Label: Equilibrium Music
Genre: Martial Industrial / Dark Ambient
Website: www.equilibriummusic.com















Basics:

Here we have the latest album from Arditi whom need no introduction - they're one of the front-runners of the martial industrial genre and have been releasing steadily since the early 00s. Their new album is called Imposing Elitism, because it's Arditi and of course it's fucking called that. And as a martial industrial record its 9 tracks of exactly what you'd expect. It has been released in pretty much every format: in CD and 2 versions of vinyl (one being gold) via Equilibrium Music, and on cassette by another label called Temple Of Death Productions.

Stuff:

Once again, Arditi thrusts the listener into a dismal world of perpetual strife and warfare. Over the years they've gotten quite proficient at it and this record absolutely nails the "martial" atmosphere. The opening track "Imposing Elitism" is absolutely my favorite here; it is the perfect mixture of gloomy, ambient atmosphere and militaristic bombast. The rolling snares of marching legions fit perfectly with the muted strings and ghostly drones. One thing that I really enjoy about this record is the focus on ambient passages which develop atmosphere, and not as much emphasis on the bombastic stuff that can easily be overdone in this genre. While many of the tracks of course have the aforementioned heavy percussion, pads, etc; there are also several such as "Heroic Age" which focus exclusively on building atmosphere and either contain no percussion or use it instead as an accent to the heavy, foreboding ambient soundscapes. While these types of tracks may not be as "exciting" per say as the heavier ones, they are crucial in crafting the overall tone and mood of the album. I feel that Imposing Elitism completely captures the feelings you'd have in this old world they've created: The fear and terror of marching into the fog of war to face unknown enemy assailants. The depression of standing in your crumbling homeland ravaged by years of warfare, juxtaposed with the yearning for honor gained by fighting for and defending it. And on tracks like "Sturm auf die Zukunft" the glory of arriving home from battle alive amongst your remaining battalion.  Although they hit all the cliches of the genre, Arditi successfully uses them exactly as they were meant to be used. Tracks like "The Earth Shall Tremble Under The Tramp Of Our Feet" and "Dawn Of A New Mythos" expertly use crushing drums, choirs, speeches, keyboards and drones to deliver that archetypal martial industrial that so many strive for but fall short. My only complaint is that the production is still very raw and not nearly as crisp or hard-hitting as Triarii (who in my opinion is the zenith of this style), but I feel that it is an improvement over older material and I suppose it could be argued that the rawness contributes to the overall bleak atmosphere.

Overall: 

Lets be real, nobody is blowing minds in the martial industrial genre and neither are these guys. But when you want to immerse yourself in the darkened world of an age past, where the landscape is scarred, cities are ravaged, all of humanity is engaged in endless war, and men are struggling for honor & atonement than you can't go wrong with this record. While it remains safely within the boundaries of the typical "martial" sound, I feel that Arditi does an excellent job at "worldbuilding" on this album and each of the tracks further crafts & builds upon this world that the listener is being transported to. Each track works together well and as a whole it is a very cohesive album. As I said earlier, this is pretty much the archetype for "martial industrial" and would be a very good place to start for someone looking to explore this style.

Get This Album: Apocryphos / Atrium Carceri / Kammarheit - "Onyx"

I was going to do a review of the new collaborative album Onyx from respected dark ambient producers Apocryphos (Robert Kozletsky of Psychomanteum & Shock Frontier), Atrium Carceri, and Kammarheit, but let's be real...it's a fucking collaborative project from Apocryphos, Atrium Carceri, and Kammarheit! If you read this blog than you already know this is a must own dark ambient record and there is no review necessary. This is pretty much the dream team of dark ambient drone music right here and, as expected, their joint work is exceptional on every level. Onyx, released via Atrium's own Cryo Chamber label, is full of extremely deep, visionary, and dreamlike soundscapes. The tracks are a mixture of each artist's own sound, but when melded together they take on a life of their own and the end product isn't especially similar to any one producer. The foggy, ghostly drones of Kammarheit are present, along with the more melodic undertones you hear in Apocyphos material, coupled with the subtle sfx and pristine production found in Atrium Carceri's work. As expected it's more on the droning side of the spectrum and the typical Atrum Carceri sound is the least present (although his newer work has been more drone-y). Overall, it's an incredible journey through lavishly constructed, spacious, and beautifully dreary territories. Perfect for meditation and expeditions through the ghostly realms behind the waking world. I've had it on repeat since getting it, with no plans to stop listening any time soon. Again, it goes without saying that this is a must own record - so get it!

[ Cryo Chamber ]

Ouroboros - "Suspiria de Profundis"

Artist: Ouroboros
Album: Suspiria De Profundis (7" vinyl)
Year: 2015
Label: Neve Micro
Genre: Dark Ambient
Website: nevemicromusic.bandcamp.com
















Basics:

Ouroboros is an Italian dark ambient project heavily rooted in the occult and esoteric. I remember hearing the project a while back, probably almost 10 years now, but I've not heard much of it since then for whatever reason. Since then he has released on numerous labels including Sabbathid, Invisible Eye Productions, Zoharum and most recently Neve Micro who bring you his newest work Suspiria de Profundis which is available as a 7" bone-colored vinyl (also available as a CDr and digital download which include a bonus track). As with his other work, the packaging looks quite good and sufficiently occult.

Stuff:

There are only three tracks so I will cover each:

Mater Tenebrarum

- This song grabbed me immediately, as it opens with female operatic singing over plodding, sacral pads and the occasional muted bell hit in the background. I love occult/ritual influenced ambient music and this hits all the right notes. From the start, Ouroboros succeeds in manifesting a deeply visionary and "religious" atmosphere. This record was inspired by both the written work Suspiria de Profundis as well as the Dario Argento films. As such, this certainly carries cinematic and horror movie score undertones, obviously with a nod to Giallo.

Mater Sospiriorum

- This track is something of a continuation of the cinematic droning atmosphere of the previous track. There are some excellent subtle choir pads mixed with the darkened drones which brings to mind the inner sanctuary of a crumbling cathedral. Despite a promising start, unfortunately nothing much happens in this track and by 3 minutes in I started it find it overly monotonous. After the introduction of the choirs at 2 minutes, it pretty much just loops the same stuff for the remaining 4 minutes until its conclusion.

Mater Lacrimarum

- This track is only included on the CD and digital version of the album, and it includes contributions from Johan Levin of the esteemed dark ambient act Desiderii Marginis. Unsurprisingly, this is the best track on the album. It succeeds because it combines the deep, sacral droning of Ouroboros' previous tracks with various Desiderii-esque sound effects and textures which breathe life into the piece and add significantly more depth. I felt that Ouroboros' own tracks were a bit sparse, and these additional sounds proved to be the missing link which were able to take the song to the next level.

Overall: 

I'm a bit torn overall on this record. While it absolutely contains all the right elements and is able to successfully conjure visions of the halls of ancient, abandoned churches stained with dust and dried blood, I also feel that these tracks are too linear & sparse and don't cover much ground from their inception to their termination. After the first 1-2 minutes or so of each of these, they basically just repeat the same thing over and over for the duration. So ultimately, while I did enjoy these tracks, I think they could have benefited from additional sound effects / melodies / more dynamic song writing. I will give a nod to the production as it is quite good, and the mastering by Raison d'etre's Peter Anderssen is excellent as expected. I guess if you are looking for something like older Raison d'etre or Archon Satani which carry that same sacral/occult feel with a barren and striped-down structure (although the Ouroboros record has solid, cleaner, and more modern production) than give this a shot.

Aegri Somnia - "Monde Obscure"

Artist: Aegri Somnia
Album: Monde Obscure
Year: 2015
Label: Cryo Chamber
Genre: Dark Ambient
Website: www.cryochamber.com
















Basics:

First release on Cryo Chamber for Aegri Somnia. I'm not familiar with this project, but it seems as though he has released two prior digital albums: one on Kaos Ex Machina and one on Dark Winter - both reputable dark ambient netlabels. After the seemingly endless wave of minimal drone releases that we have received in the recent past, I was incredibly relieved to once again get some interesting dark ambient. While this record certainly fits the typical Cryo Chamber creed of subtle ambient, it is also chock full of things happening, not terribly unlike the past albums of the label's head, Atrium Carceri.

Stuff:

Monde Obscure grabbed me immediately. The first two tracks, "Naissance" and "Esoterique" are both excellent. Aegri Somnia masterfully crafts dreary, dreamlike atmospheres through layers of beautiful drones and a horde of found sounds & sfx. I absolutely love ambient that heavily uses found sounds - I feel this is the best way to create an atmosphere that is both deep and engaging. Even though the overall feeling is one of subdued tranquility, there is a constant cycling of new sounds to keep your ears attentive. The third song, "Les Temps Ont Change" utilizes excellent ghostly melodies to drag you into the foggy nether realm inhabited by veiled spirits. He channels the old CMI sound on "Noir et Blanc" with the use of sampled choirs (this will always score points with me). "Culture Aveugle" conjures the ambiance of a watery grave, or perhaps the distant churning of a subterranean maelstrom that you hear from within a darkened cave far below the earth's surface. There is even some tribal-esque percussion which brings to mind Herbst9. I see further Loki Foundation influence on subsequent tracks "Faux Prophete" with its strange textures molded into an almost percussive backdrop, and "Obscurite Totale" whose analog squelches bring to mind Circular, among others. But I only bring these up for reference, Aegri Somnia's compositions can fully stand on their own and do not sound like copies of any other. The truth is that I could write an entire page worth of description for each of these tracks, but suffice to say that this short review absolutely does not to justice to these works and I highly encourage you to experience them for yourself. Each piece is deeply introspective and alluring.

Overall: 

I feel that this is one of the best things that Cryo Chamber has released thus far, and this is exactly the type of dark ambient that I love. Exceptionally dark, visionary atmospheres created through active song composition and layers of field recordings that channel the great acts of old like Raison d'etre, Herbst9, and so forth. Each song succeeds in cultivating it's own identity while working in tandem with the other tracks to flesh out a cohesive story. Somewhat comparable to labelmates Cryobiosis and Halgrath. Definitely a must own!

Kristoffer Oustad - "Filth Haven"

Artist: Kristoffer Oustad
Album: Filth Haven
Year: 2015
Label: Malignant
Genre: Drone, Experimental
Website: www.malignantrecords.com
















Basics:

This is the first solo album from Kristoffer Oustad, known for his work in V:28 and the duo Kristoffer Nyströms Orkester which also releases on Malignant.

Stuff:

I enjoyed the previous KNO release The Overlook Hotel, and that was my only reference going in to Filth Haven. The opener “Elberton 1979” feels like a similar, but slightly more minimal version of something from that album. Slow, creeping drones pulsate while a creepy, fragmented voice speaks quietly. Over time the track builds and bring and brings in sweeping high-pitched noise drones and synth warbling. While not horrible, this is easily the least interesting track on the album and initially I was apprehensive about continuing on, however the rest of the album proves to be more powerful. The follow up track “Traveller” takes the ideas of the opener and expands on them. It retains the low, ultra deep drone but utilizes additional noises and sweeps to give it a harsher, though not abrasive, feel. In the middle it subsides into a very placid drone before slowly building up into a tranquil black abyss. “Anti-Clockwise” is a stranger piece. It sounds like he went in almost a Mille Plateaux direction, adding in steady, almost percussive, clicking and a plethora of haunting synth doodling. This album feels very much like it would be at home in an art installation, especially so with this piece. This track is super deep & evocative with its continual barrage of rising and falling ghostly drones, and it is one of my favorites here. “Row Me Over” is another good slow burn; it starts off quite sparsely, but continually builds as it takes you through some exceptionally deep chthonic corridors. Reminds me somewhat of Hall of Mirrors but with much cleaner production. “Liquidator” is a decent track, but has the same shortcomings as the opener – good sounds but doesn't really go anywhere. “The Sun Maker” conjures visions of ancient tribal civilization lost in the jungle (again the Hall of Mirrors reference is appropriate), despite a number of strange sounds that don’t particularly point me toward any one mental image. Some of the high pitched doodling is annoying, but it bothered me less than I thought. I guess the rest of the components make up for it. The closer “The Arch” has something of an industrial vibe and sounds like a huge engine churning underground. Reminds me of cyclic law’s Vortex. Again, good sounds are employed and it builds a convincing atmosphere, but it feels monotonous and doesn't seem to have a path to tread, instead circling the same place for its entire duration.

Overall: 

Definitely one of the darker records to come out on Malignant in recent years. This album thrives on the slow burn philosophy. When you first start out on a given song it may feel empty or boring, but after you stick with it for a while you find yourself getting sucked in - then once you get to the end you realize “hey, that was pretty solid I’m glad I stuck with it”. I also enjoy the variety; while all the tracks share similar overall feel and some characteristics, they each stand out from one another; that overly homogeneous sound is something that plagues a lot of minimal drone. Filth Haven is something to check out for people looking for somewhat minimal, exceptionally dark droning music in the vein of Vestigial, New Risen Throne, etc., with an experimental edge. If nothing else, “Anti-Clockwise” and “Row Me Over” are must hear tracks.

Gore Tech - "Futurphobia"

Artist: Gore Tech
Album: Futurphobia
Year: 2015
Label: Ad Noiseam
Genre: Dubstep, Breakcore, DNB
Website:  www.adnoiseam.net















Basics:
This is my first encounter with Ad Noiseam’s recent self-described “Deathstep” producer Gore Tech. This album is a mixture of dnb, breakcore, and dubstep that feels like being in the middle of a futuristic war.

Stuff:
The album opens with “>Run (William Gibson)” which obviously piques my interest immediately. It’s basically a 2 minute ambient thing with a sample from a Gibson book – can’t really go wrong there. After the intro, the album kicks into “The Zerofinity Event” which is your standard halftime dnb banger. The sound is dark & gritty and I really like the use of sci-fi & machinery sound effects to give this some atmosphere. The next track is “Optical Hybrid” which further exemplifies what I am assuming “deathstep” is – a dark, gritty, futuristic hybrid of drum and bass and dubstep. This is a head-nodder with good groove and variety. “The Ghost Particle” is another hard, driving track – it’s a good mixture of heaviness, dub and strange darkened atmospheres. Evol Intent had this shit on lock like 10+ years ago, but I mean, this is still cool. “The Plague of Zion” is a mix of breakcore and that rasta shit which I hate, but I guess it’s here if that’s something you want to hear. “Dubwar” is cool and heavy; it reminds me of an old video game, for example like Metal Gear on NES, where you’re in the jungle with heavy artillery shooting people. “Hex Spectrum” is full of really annoying sounds so I skip that one. “Organica” is another good one, albeit something of an interlude. It’s got a cinematic robotics machine shop feel. It builds up over its 4 minute duration and nearly flows right into the next track “Mechanica” which is a collab with Hecq. Unsurprisingly, this track features the most exciting sound design on the record – it carries the aforementioned machine shop atmosphere but with some great intricate percussion. Unfortunately, the 2nd half of this track is this overly extended winding down period, and it feels like they missed an opportunity to amp up the action into a meaningful crescendo. The final track is a remix of Machinecode, whose album I liked. Basically this remix along with its predecessor “In Exilium” is if you take that fucking Chappie robot and make him cripwalk to some futuristic rap made by post-apocalyptic slum denizen who heard a NAS record. He should’ve thrown a cut up ridiculous hip hop acapella over this. Basically, “hard shit” for drunk white boys who wanna to turn their hat sideways and act hard. What I’m saying is just fuckin get drunk and it’s pretty good.

Overall: 
This is a hard record to rate. There are some great sounds here as well as some missed opportunities. To be honest, a lot of this darkstep derived stuff (well, any dnb really) sounds the same to me at this point, so if you want to listen to some Audio or Dylan or Panacea or whatever than you might as well put this on because, why not? I like the futuristic influence for sure, but a lot of it isn't really my style either. The gritty production is a double-edged sword; it gives it something of a “dark” edge but also makes it feel pretty dated, for better or worse. If you like Ad Noiseam stuff and breakcore give it a shot, turn your hat sideways, and drink a 40.

Shinkiro - "Cycle of Rebirth"

Artist: Shinkiro
Album: Cycle of Rebirth
Year: 2015
Label: SSSM
Genre: Drone, Dark Ambient, Industrial
Website:  facebook.com/shinkiroofficial
















Basics:
After two self-released ambient albums and a fantastic split with Empusae on Ant Zen, Shinkiro returns with Cycle of Rebirth on Japanese imprint SSSM.

Stuff:
I enjoy Shinkiro because of his somewhat atypical approach to ambient music. I dig his heavy used of samples and sfx, along with his ability to make densely packed and dynamic tracks with something of a surrealist touch. Cycle of Rebirth is toned down a bit compared to his previous album, Reflection of Her Deepest Fear, but the positive qualities from that work appear here as well.  “1st Cycle” is a great droning track that utilizes a slowly moving minimal drone at its core, wrapped in layers of subtle sound effects that continuous swirl around it, constantly shifting and generating atmosphere. This is a great example of how to make interesting drone music that doesn't get monotonous or stagnant. “2nd Cycle” is similar, although the core drone feels like a plucked string stretched into infinity. This gives it both a distinctly Asian feel as well as a “meditational” vibe. While more subtle than the opener, this track also uses the technique of one main drone while other things softly swirl about in the background. The end of the track completely shifts gears and brings in almost martial style pounding drums and a strange floating melody. “3rd Cycle” is the most “experimental” piece so far and it brings to mind fellow Japanese composer Contagious Orgasm. This piece opens with noisy drones before plateauing into 80s cyberpunk feeling ambient with a strong Knight Rider-esque bassline. The background droning bits and sounds give this the feeling of a dystopian future metropolis at night. It builds over several minutes, adding excellent crunchy industrial drums before subsiding into murky drones for the last several minutes. “4th cycle” has more of a Tangerine Dream or thereabouts sound – dreamy analog pads and a floating melody over heavy low end drones. This one feels like endlessly floating through an abstract, but not unpleasant, dream. It’s the shortest on the album at only 4 minutes, yet the duration is perfect for the piece. The album closer “5th cycle” is similar to the third song in that it is lengthy and makes its way through several phases. It opens with haunting ambiance that feels like drifting through a world of distressed ghosts and spirits. It slowly builds, getting harsher and darker as it progresses. Towards the end, more industrial drums and a nebulous melody emerge and mesh perfectly with the aforementioned ghostly atmosphere.

Overall: 
Cycle of Rebirth is a refreshing change from the more minimal styles of drone that I usually get to review. Shinkiro does an excellent job at crafting an engaging work of ambient music that keeps you interested throughout its duration and includes various surprises along the way. It’s hard to fully articulate why, but I feel that the album has a markedly Japanese mythological / ghost / horror vibe to it. Definitely something for people looking for experimental Japanese music that is more on the ambient/drone side of the spectrum.

Council of Nine - "Dakhma"

Artist: Council of Nine
Album: Dakhma
Year: 2015
Label: Cryo Chamber
Genre: Drone, Dark Ambient
Website:  cryochamber.bandcamp.com















Basics:
First full length from newcomer Council of Nine. His first appearance was couple of tracks on the Tomb of Empires split (alongside Foundation Hope, Alphaxone, and Coph'Antae Tryr), which I unfortunately have not listened to yet, however I've heard several people hyping up this release so I figured I'd check it out.

Stuff:
The opener, "The Magi" delivers pretty much exactly what we've come to expect from Cryo Chamber - deep, placid, fathomless droning soundscapes and crystal clear production. While minimal and undoubtedly subtle, This track expertly conjures visions of ancient times and the wreckage of sunken temples. It's a bit minimal for me personally, but it is certainly captivating nonetheless. I feel that it exemplifies the cover art. The next track, "Tower of Silence", is similar, though it introduces a sombre melody and distant banging which help to bolster the atmosphere significantly. The melody adds a certain dreary and ghostly vibe to the piece; a sad reflection on an ancient relic. "Sacrifice" is the longest track here at nearly 16 minutes and it is simultaneously the most boring. I found this one to be overly long without much of anything happening. If you skip ahead to any point it sounds exactly the same. Couple that with the fact that the last 3 minutes are so quiet that it sounds like complete silence unless I crank my speakers up to max volume and this track falls flat. Thankfully, the follow up track "Nasu" corrects the wrongs of its predecessor and is one of the best tracks on the album. The visionary atmospheres of the opening track return, coupled with subtle sound effects and even more veiled melodic bits. The drones ebb and flow, providing dynamics sorely lacking in the prior tack. As with previous tracks, I feel like this song is more or less the same thing over and over for it's entire 7 minute duration, though the sounds used are solid. "The Ossuary" follows suit: some great sounds that strongly create darkened atmospheres, yet too stagnant as a whole. The album closer "Circle of the Sun" is another piece similar to "Sacrifice"; an overly long, monotonous droning affair where nothing really happens.

Overall: 
Overall, this ends up being a pretty average album for me. There are some really good tracks, but also a few overly bland ones. Council of Nine definitely has skills to craft interesting and captivating soundscapes, but I feel that his stuff lacks variety. These songs need more progression in them - it feels like they tread water and remain in the same position for their entire duration. If he could expand his sound palette and get more going on within some of these tracks than I feel he could make exceptional work. As it is this is still a quality release and will please fans of the label and style. I'm looking forward to what he creates in the future.

Flint Glass & Collapsar - "Deus Irae"

Artist: Flint Glass & Collapsar
Album: Deus Irae
Year: 2015
Label: Ant Zen, Brume, Sealt
Genre: Dark Ambient, Drone, Industrial
Website:  flintglass.bandcamp.com
















Basics:
From the moment I got word of this split, I was excited. Flint Glass is one of my favorite projects and I love his blend of dark sci-fi atmospherics and industrial/idm/techno. Nyarlathotep is still one of my favorite records (you can't go wrong with HP Lovecraft references/influence). And to see him working with crushing space ambient producer Collapsar was quite exciting. Additionally, this was released in various formats: it was released as a limited edition vinyl via SEALT, on CD by Ant Zen, and digitally by Flint Glass's own Brume. The vinyl contains the two long-form tracks "The Servants of Wrath part I" and "...part II", while the CD and digital versions contain 5 additional remixes. I also want to mention that the artwork is absolutely stellar and fits this album perfectly!

Stuff:
As predicted, the two original tracks are nothing less than spectacular. Each one is over 20 minutes long, coming in at 21 and 26 minutes respectively. They are both highly dynamic and show these artists pushing what can be done within the "ambient" genre. 

The Servants of Wrath part I:
This one, overall, is a bit more on the ambient side of things. It opens with clean cosmic droning which immediately transport you through the endless voids of space onto an ancient planet littered with dead technology. While it has some similarities to the Collapsar solo record, overall it is much cleaner which allows it to feel exceptional spacious and dynamic. These textures are truly colossal and worth of the grandeur that Lovecraft writes of. After about 5 minutes they bring in some of the trademark Flint Glass sounds and it slowly builds with slow, plodding percussion, giving it a very cinematic feel - think of spaceship scene in a modern take on Alien. One of the best parts of this album is the incredibly deep and dynamic atmospheres which continually shift and mutate between the percussive sequences, and they are in full effect throughout this song. After the section of slow, heavy drum hits, everything collapses into a pit of subtle darkness before slowly building back up. From 11 or 12 minutes on, it feels similar to a typical Flint Glass track. There are many trademark noises and the click-y IDM-influenced percussion dominates. From here the track shuffles between minimal ambient sections embodying the vast emptiness of space, and similar beat-driven parts, conjuring visions of strange space stations and foreign planet surfaces, several more times before coming to a close. 

The Servants of Wrath part II:
The second track contains the same general characteristics and sounds, although it brings in percussion much sooner. Quickly we're thrown into a very Flint Glass-esque track - again with the click percussion toiling underneath impressively sci-fi atmospheres. There are some spoken word samples and crunchy (though subdued) noise in the background which must be the Collapsar influence. Nothing short of cinematic masterwork. Part II exhibits a similar flow to Part I, although the parts with drums are a bit heavier and more driving. Some of the harshness of Collapsar's work shines through and enhances the Flint Glass palette.

In addition to the 2 album tracks, there are also 5 remixes. As is the case with most remixes, the bulk of these are, sadly, disposable. The only remixes worth mentioning are the ones from Hologram_ and Iszoloscope. Hologram_ provides a captivating industrial-y IDM flavored mix with clicky, complex beats dancing beneath a charming melody and exceptionally futuristic atmospheres. Iszoloscope turns his track into a heavy, rhythmic noise/dark techno banger. He does an exceptional job at allowing his crunchy & driving percussion to coexist in perfect harmony with the massive atmosphereics of the original work. A superb example of how to make interesting, deep, and well produced rhythmic noise. These are both great tracks which expertly utilized some of the best elements of the originals while enhancing them with their own sounds & flavor, and  I can see myself listening to frequently.

Overall: 
An exceptional split that sounds like the two artists fully merged their brains and composed as one. Everything fits together nicely and nothing feels strange or out of place. I feel that the strengths of both artists shine through. The excellent mixing and production further enhance the pieces and turn them into celestial masterpieces. Definitely a must hear for fans of either artists or space-themed ambient/industrial in general.