Darkest Ambient

[Hypnagogue]

I'm late to the party, as usual, but when I saw this topic header the first thing that came to mind was a pretty obscure li'l disk to Joel Hinkle called "Frozen." Essentially a sonic exploration of what it would feel like to freeze to death in a blizzard. I particularly like the parts with muffled vocals samples...  Overall, a gorgeous and dark drone-based work. Not sure where Hinkle's gotten off to...

[darkenedsoul]

For the record, I also love ghost stories and scary music, but I HATE roller coasters!

Come on, take the PLUNGE on the roller coaster! 

Never again!

Last time I was on a coaster was at Cedar Point, many years ago. There was a dark tunnel you go through, while a camera snaps rapid-fire photos of the people in the cars, which are then displayed at the entrance of the ride. My face in the photo was so twisted with horror and agony, that people in the crowd were actually pointing it out and laughing!

I'm a real roller coaster wimp!

Pansy!     j/k

[darkenedsoul]

For me Dark Ambient doesn't have to come off as scary. To me it makes you think/mind meander to the music and see what it provokes in your head. To see if you get/understand where they are coming from on the songs. I enjoy it, some more than others. I have wanted to go the Raison d'Etre/New Risen Throne route for a long time (and other similar artists) but I just work with what I have for samples and go with the flow when something starts to jell and take form. I've stopped/restarted so many times on some tracks because I wasn't happy with where it was at the time, etc...

I guess it's conveying a message/feeling/thought that goes into this stuff moreover than anything else. I don't look for the creepiness in general, I look at a) who the artist is, b) what I have heard/have of theirs already and maybe c) what I find online for reviews for some of the stuff. Some is hit and miss, I'll agree, even on my stuff!

But what I am finding hard is to find that sound to fit what I have in mind for a track to get the vibe going and build upon that till I am done with the track. Sometimes it's in one sitting, other times I come back to it and scrap it or continue on (usually scrap...lol).

But stuff like Inade, Troum, Desiderii Marghinis, Sephiroth, etc... moves me. Not in a morbid way (maybe!)...I was playing in a doom metal band, I still love the stuff, I find it very beautiful/moving in a lot with regards to the music foremost, lyrics secondary (at least to me).

[Ekstasis]

Check out the label Aural Hypnox for good Dark Ambient, however it is not pure dark ambient, it is also mixed with ritualistic and electroacoustic elements.

My favorite albums from that label is

Zoät-Aon - Star Autopsy
Aeoga - Zenith Beyond The Helix-Locus

[9dragons]

Had a most pleasing listen last night to the Herbst9 and Z'EV colloaborative album "Through Bleak Landscapes", a relatively recent release on the Loki Foundation label. Really the kind of dark ambient I like; murky and roiling without being overbearing, vaguely mystical and alive, and some exquisitely industrial rhythm work. My feeling is that it is nice and crunchy, or filling, pleasantly miasmal and lulling. It feels well rounded with analog sounds. Many details to be explored and discovered, so worthy for future listenings.

Loki is quite an excellent label, publishing Inade as well, one of the best:

http://www.loki-found.de/

[DeepR]

Place Where the Black Stars Hang is one of ambient's greatest albums IMO.
During a bedtime-headphones session I actually found it incredibly relaxing in a unique way.

[drone on]

Ditto Oophoi's "Celestial Geometries," in my book still reigning champ of deep dark space music...

[deepspace]

I really want to hear more Lustmord.  I've only heard Stalker, which I love to bits. 
I had no idea he was such a big-shot, in terms of his associations with movie scores etc. 
Viva dark ambient.  He's takin' it to the masses.

[Joe R]

Another deep & dark Oophoi disc is Athlit. Almost black, in fact.
Same with Rapoon's Darker By Light. Although rhythmic, parts of that are as dark as dark gets.

[MPECK]

I had recently purchased the Lustmord-Other release and for the life of me didn't see what makes this artist legendary. So, I dug a little deeper and got a copy of his release Juggernaut. This is album "below beneath" and to me, one of the darkest albums I have ever heard. There is a sense of complex morbidity that permeates this release and yes, now I know why he is revered as one of godfathers of dark ambient.

[Thaumogenesis]

I think OTHER is a great piece of work and the production/sound design is flawless.

As for really dark, and particularly esoteric ambient, I think you'll be hard pushed to beat Halo Manash and Aeoga.

[Seren]

I agree with Joe's recommendation for Athlit....I had forgotten how dark, deep and good that disc is, it was on my collection for going to sleep when I was working away from home.

I would also add Max Corbacho's Far beyond the immobile point, it was also in that collection with Athlit and The magnificent void

I love Lustmord's Zoetrope. I think it brilliantly crosses the atmosphere of the part in 'Alien' where they are on the planet before finding the eggs and 'Eraserhead'....surreal, wierd unsettling dreaminess and mixing claustrophobia with being completely isolated....................But apart from Stalker and Where the black stars hang I've not enjoyed other releases as much - will need to listen to juggernaut and carbon/core again sometime....

and when I want to really get depressed and scared I listen to girls aloud.........

[9dragons]

Headphoned Inade's "Samadhi State" last night, and listened to it again this afternoon in a head-cold induced stupor, and I need to write that this album is an amazing work. Inade is in the realm of the masters. Their sound is of the dark ambient nectar via industrial music and futurist ideology, but on this album has reached a serene, magisterial state (as suggested by the title) that even somewhat resembles Steve Roach. But with genius blending of samples and voices.  Fans of the Ghost in the Shell anime will also enjoy some of the sampled voices (so excellently placed into the mix).

Any one else out there checked out this work?

[Thaumogenesis]

Yeah, big fan of Inade and the Loki label in general. Aldebaran is their masterpiece, but all of their work is pretty strong. You'll be pelased to know that they have a new album out in December, too.

Speaking of Loki artists, I've just been spinning 'From a dark chasm below' by Herbst9, which is surely one of the classic dark ambient/ritual style albums. The recent collab with Z'ev is great, as well.

[Seren]

Speaking of Loki artists, I've just been spinning 'From a dark chasm below' by Herbst9, which is surely one of the classic dark ambient/ritual style albums. The recent collab with Z'ev is great, as well.

Does the Z'ev collaberation have a title?

[Undershadow]

Not that recent, but I think this might be the one referred to:

 

http://www.discogs.com/release/997320

[Thaumogenesis]

That's the one.

[9dragons]

A nice bout of snow has finally hit Seattle and my dark ambient antennae are up. Been enjoying Wolfskin's Hidden Fortress as of late, finely balanced darkening drift, with very well placed elements and vast sense of space. Fans of finely wrought dark ambient might want to snatch up his new album out on Malignant Records, O Ajuntar das Sombras . I know very much looking forward to this one. Speaking of the Malignant label, they have some fine quality ambient longform stuff going on. Phaenon's Submerged and Terra Sancta's Aeon are very fine slabs of dark ambient bliss, like inky dragons lifting through black storm cloud skies with volcanoes roiling below...

Looking forward to a spin of Necropolis' Necrosphere tonight, surprisingly well wrought and drifting magic despite the seemingly cheese suggested by the name.

Anyone checked out the most recent few albums from Cyclic Law? They're not that tempting to me, I must admit...I hope I'm not being unfair.

One other thing: As I read through reviews of dark ambient releases, I keep finding the word "suffocating" used to describe them (as a good thing though). This is kind of an annoying conceit, and just plays up the cheesy side of dark abmient, "like dude, my dark ambient is so suffocating, you better watch out" Let's go ahead and shed the last vestiges of being tough death metal rockers...come on, it is dark ambient. Most of the stuff described in such "scary" terms is bliss to my ears, a complete dark nectar chill zone. I just don't see the scary evil, though maybe I am not into the more goth-black metal side of dark ambient...

But music like Inade chills me out completely, so maybe I am just a strange man...

[9dragons]

Well here I go, hypocrite that I am, just as I am talking smack about Cyclic Law, I find myself wanting to order this one: http://www.cycliclaw.com/22ndcycle.html

Though I can't say that I like Hildebrand's other work. Little too selfconsciously gothy, or with Cold Meat residue...but the description of this one is nice, and it is a collaboration.

...some mintues later...

no actually forget it, this is lame...

[judd stephens]

Well here I go, hypocrite that I am, just as I am talking smack about Cyclic Law, I find myself wanting to order this one: http://www.cycliclaw.com/22ndcycle.html

Though I can't say that I like Hildebrand's other work. Little too selfconsciously gothy, or with Cold Meat residue...but the description of this one is nice, and it is a collaboration.

...some mintues later...

no actually forget it, this is lame...

I kinda know what you mean.  Some of the music here is a little tempting but doesn't really reel you in... it's like it's heavy on the atmosphere, but lacking in depth if you listen closer.  Maybe one reason why this could be is the sounds aren't sustained for very long.  There's a coming and going of various dark sound effects, that on the surface don't sound bad, but I'd take Oophoi or Robert Rich as darker than this music.  I guess maybe deeper is the right word, but the effect produced is oftentimes darker, but they seem to achieve it without all the pretense.   I don't mean to diss these artists but if I heard some of that Cyclic Law on a soundtrack for a video game or movie, I'd probably be more into it, but if sole attention is on the music, it doesn't hold you, or lose you like you'd like it to.