Darkest Ambient

[petekelly]

(Insert album title), the latest release from (insert artist), at once transcends and resettles traditional definitions of space, congruence, and integration. Drawing from his well-honed intuition of the meeting of space and motion, (artist) creates here a collection of soundscapes at once introspective and demanding, unfolding in the geschichte of their own (s)pace while remaining tethered to the eclectica of diverse musical underpinnings. These tracks demonstrate (artist)'s expansive vocabluary of both the mathematical edges of sound and the sonic borders of psychology. Expanding even as they collapse in on themselves, these works reach for a galactic understanding of inner barenness, resulting in a clean, wide messiness that bootstraps itelf into Vastmusic.

Great 'review' Michael and not too much of a parody in some cases. I used to work in the Arts and used to read a lot of 'clever' hyperbole all the time, I grew immune to it.

I have to say I find a lot of the self-consciously 'pitch-black' dark ambient to be a bit er, 'forced'. I'd much rather hear an element of 'mystery' than eternally damned, angst-ridden sonic groanings.   

cheers
Pete

[9dragons]

Shinkiro The Way of the Gods is definitely a winner. This is a unique way of expressing the theme of Shinto belief. Not what you would expect. The elements are minimal and well put together. Athanor Records is quite the interesting label. Their website seems to be down though (www.arsregia.org).

[jkn]

Somehow I missed half of this thread and I just read through a ton of posts and found myself cracking a smile from ear to ear.

...and I'll also admit that some of my descriptions of albums get just as bad (or good?) as some of the long paragraphs mentioned, although I'll give the crown to John (Vir Unis) - he's got a flair for saying something in an interesting way most of the time.   I let him write most of the AtmoWorks descriptions.    I tend to be the one that writes artist descriptions that start out "in the artist own words" - and let them talk about it...   I'd say who better to describe their own albums, but sometimes great musicians are not great writers or self-promoters.   Sometimes they are though.

I'm rambling.

I'm listening to FSOL right now which is anything but dark ambient.    Sample heavy, but not dark.  ;-)   Before that was Mudvayne and Shiny Toy Guns... ummm - neither dark ambient in any way shape or form.   

I did listen to Oophoi's Athlit the other day - which I've never considered dark - but has come up multiple times as being a dark ambient album.

I think my definitions of music are all screwed up.   :-)

Speaking of random tangents... have you voted in the Ambient Survery 2008 yet?    There's a special section for dark ambient just for lovers of this very thread!

Thou shalt click on this link to read all about the survey - and yes, thou shalt vote or be consumed by the lava of the eternal internal earth in a dark ambient haze of blackened glory.  Or publically flogged... your choice.

http://www.hypnos.com/smf/index.php?topic=1335.0

[Thaumogenesis]

Well, this discussion has prompted me to bring out the Northaunt (Horizons), and give it a listen. I guess I had one decent listen to it a while back, and just assumed it was good without having listened to it for a long time. But this listen highlights your point for me, Judd. This stuff is kind of dark, I guess, but there is just no depth to it. It is just a bunch of the requisite sounds, but they don't really go anywhere.

Totally disagreed. That Northaunt album has lots of depth and is a different class to most ambient out there. Plus, it actually sounds organic.

[9dragons]

New Terra Sancta album Disintegration has arrived here at the aerie. It is sounding quite interesting so far, and a nice contrast/companion to the previous, much enjoyed Aeon. Terra Sancta does dark ambient in a very "impressionistic" way, building up layer upon layer that really appeals to my thirst for a visual, tactile sense in music. The texture makes me see things in my inner eye which I nevertheless could not really describe to myself consciously. Special praise must be given to the artwork, even though it is trapped in a jewel case. A nice and heavy, excellently textured card stock foldout is included. The art is beautiful, and works with the theme of the music while becoming its own thing at the same time. Amazing. Malignant is a label worth checking out if you are looking for dark ambient in perhaps a more "undirected" though still visual vein. There's an industrial thrust to its releases, but it is refreshingly untainted by some of the things we have been criticizing in other dark ambient labels.

Curious to know what you think...

[Phaenon]

Yes, new album by Terra Sancta!
I've enjoyed the previous one and now I need to get this one from Jason ASAP.
Should be a great exprience, judging by listening to sample on Myspaces http://www.myspace.com/sanctaterra.
The artwork was designed by Vestigial, another interesting act in dark ambient genre.

P.S. I guess it's time for me to send something to Jason...

[9dragons]

The Terra Sancta, after a few more listens, is excellent. Also very much enjoying Caul/'kirchenkampf' album Sleep Night Death, from the same label, the wonderful Malignant. Exquisite, very well crafted dark ambient fired by streaks of strange luminosity.

[Wanterkeelt]

The Terra Sancta, after a few more listens, is excellent. Also very much enjoying Caul/'kirchenkampf' album Sleep Night Death, from the same label, the wonderful Malignant. Exquisite, very well crafted dark ambient fired by streaks of strange luminosity.

I just received my Maligant records page with the new Terra Sancta, Wolfskin "O ajuntar das sombras" and Caul/kirchenkampf split. From the comments made here, the new Terra Sancta could well be at least as good as Aeon, which is one of my favourite ambient albums (with a darker touch). Let's check that

From the Malignant label, I also like Raan (or written R|A|A|N), Phaenon, Blood Box "A world of hurt" and Yen Pox. The 2 latter ones have probably been mentioned already a few times, but anyway. Jason has some really good bands in his roster imo

[9dragons]

Sleep Research Facility - Nostromo. Just got it, listened last night. Subtle, luminous, dark, an absolutely gorgeous work.

[burning 4 revenge]

I love dark ambient if its melodic and sad. Maybe I just like sad ambient

Is that a genre?

[Undershadow]

I love dark ambient if its melodic and sad. Maybe I just like sad ambient

Is that a genre?

Yep. It's a sub-genre known as 'Sambient'. A sub-sub-genre actually. The sub-genre is 'Dambient'. There are lots more: http://www.vancooten.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=83

<grin>

[Seren]

Hambient for over the top.

Crambient for short listening times.

Bambient - soundscapes for small deers.

 

[drone on]

Wham-bam-thankyou-mambient for post-coital interludes...

[jim brenholts]

Hambient for over the top.

Crambient for short listening times.

Bambient - soundscapes for small deers.

 

oh no! not again!

[Seren]

I know, I Know - just could not resist it

I wonder if the wordplay works in other languages???

[cvac]

Here are some of my favorites, not necessarily all "dark ambient" but all have at least some elements of ambiance and darkness in them. I guarantee all these blow away any of the current crop of uninspired "dark ambient".

RAFAEL TORAL: violence of discovery
MANDIBLE CHATTER: hair hair locke and lore
ALAN LAMB: night passage; primal image
THOMAS KONER: teimo; permafrost
TANGERINE DREAM: zeit
BRIAN ENO: on land; apollo
JEFF GREINKE: cities in fog
LULL: cold summer
KK NULL & JAMES PLOTKIN: aurora
LUSTMORD: heresy; place where the black stars hang
HARRY BERTOIA: everything
MAEROR TRI: both "meditamentum" compilations
PAUL SCHUTZE: surgery of touch
VOICE OF EYE: transmigration
FINAL: one; two
ROBERT RICH: trances & drones
VLADISLAV DELAY: entain
STARS OF THE LID: music for nitrous oxide
TEAR CEREMONY: resin
TETSU INOUE: organic cloud; slow and low
CRAWL UNIT: vs silence
ULTRA MILKMAIDS: oldies vol.1
PGR: hole of unknown depth
PAULINE OLIVEROS ET AL: deep listening
ZOVIET FRANCE: monomische

[9dragons]

Some definite heavy hitters in that list. "Organic Cloud" is one that I am hoping will have a reissue. Far as I know it is unavailable.

[cvac]

Re: organic cloud, for anyone looking for it, you might want to check with Ear Rational mail order, direct by email.

I don't know if I got the last copy, but I was able to buy a copy from him recently at a "regular" cd price (think it was $17, don't remember) even though it was not listed in his online catalog.

Emusic also has the album.

[cvac]

Two more I forgot...well worth tracking down:

ILLUSION OF SAFETY: of & the

ASMUS TIETCHENS: eisgang & dammerattacke

[DeepR]

Organic Cloud is awesome but the real standout tracks are the 'light' relaxing ones (3 & 4).

I'd like to mention Klaus Schulze - Mirage (1977) for its first track Velvet Voyage in particular (original releases, NOT the 2005 rerelease with a weaker version).
I consider it to be one of the greatest dark atmospheric electronic tracks. A cornerstone track. I don't think there was anything like it before that could be better compared to dark ambient. It's something I always return to eventually. Not 'strictly' dark ambient, but many familiar elements.