Here are the dark ambient albums that we at This is Darkness have been listening to recently – some are new releases, but a few are older gems we’ve just (re)discovered.
Please check these out by clicking on the Bandcamp link next to each review, and please consider supporting the featured artists.
Enjoy!
If you have a Bandcamp release you’d like to be considered for inclusion as one of our picks of the month , please email [email protected]. (please note the new email address!) Bandcamp download codes for albums to be reviewed are always very welcome, but are not essential.
Brooddark – Elusive Power
I was a big fan of Overvoltage, the previous Brooddark release on the Cryo Chamber label, but with Elusive Power the Belarus based musician has taken things to the next level. This album is, quite simply, stunning! If you are a fan of distorted industrial drones, and industrial dark ambient, then this album is an absolute must… and for anyone else who likes dark ambient or drone, then do yourself a favour and check this out anyway, because this bass heavy dark ambient / ambient drone album is incredible from start to finish! Absolutely breath-taking!
Ystrith – The M Rites
The latest release from Italian dark ambient musician Ystrith is The M Rites – a wonderfully bright and relaxing ambient album that is ideal for chilling out to and for doing a spot of self-reflection. Piano, synthesizers, keyboards and acoustics are skilfully blended together to create an audio experience that is soothing yet deep and multi-textured, with moments that are more melancholic in nature. Gorgeous!
New Risen Throne – Of Grey Grounds
New on the ever awesome Eighth Tower Records label is Of Grey Grounds by New Risen Throne – an album of deliciously dark ambient soundscapes, slow evolving drones, and subtly added effects and field recordings – all combined perfectly together to create an incredible album. With a soaring cinematic dark ambient sound and gloomy / doomy undertones, this is a must have for fans of dark ambient. Wonderful!
Northr – Ruinenlust
Now this is very cool – an album capturing the essence of Ruinenlust – the 18th-century German Romantic-era concept describing “… a nostalgic, pleasurable, or melancholic attraction to decaying, abandoned buildings and ruins… “. Blending elements of dark ambient, slow evolving drones, and organic soundscapes, the music here manages to be both melancholic and uplifting in equal measure, providing the listener with an audio experience that is as rewarding as it is enjoyable. Fantastic!
insectarium – MAMMON
I’m a big fan of insectarium so was delighted when I discovered this new release of ritual dark ambient / drone. Featuring dark eerie soundscapes, a haunting ambiance, and an underlying sense of despair and otherworldly horror, this is one of those albums that gets under your skin and pulls you back in, again and again. Very highly recommended for fans of ritual ambient. Remarkable!
Hannya White – #FREAK
Hannya White‘s latest release of experimental electronica, #FREAK , – is marvellously inventive from start to finish, with an amazing mix of electronic, noise and industrial elements all expertly combined to produce something wonderfully original. The music here is catchy, challenging, rewarding, and exhilarating in equal measure, and in this modern age of disposable and meaningless music, it is so refreshing to hear something like this and know there are artists out there pushing the boundaries. Excellent!
DaemonDark – In The Great Wide Somewhere
In The Great Wide Somewhere, the latest album from DaemonDark, is an album of dark ambient music with light, uplifting undertones, and a sense of positivity running through it from start to finish. Perfect for listening to on a rainy afternoon, this is one of those albums that is ideal for some soul-searching or introspection, as you chill out, look inwards, and let the music carry you away. Gorgeous!
Wilted Perch Vs. Noctilucant – An Atlas To Parallel Ruins
I’m a huge fan of Wilted Perch, Noctilucant, and the Befalling Silence Productions label, so when I heard about this release I was absolutely thrilled. This album of dark ambient and death industrial takes the listener on a journey through the remains of the world, across abandoned landscapes and the remnants of a civilization – it’s dark, moody, and perfectly captures the feel of a post-apocalyptic world in ruins. Stunning!
yuxia krendwa – SERVOS AD VINCULUM VOCARE
New from yuxia krendwa is SERVOS AD VINCULUM VOCARE – a powerful album of dark ambient soundscapes, melancholic acoustic accompaniment, and haunting ethereal vocals. The music here is timeless – almost religious sounding at times – with an honesty and poignancy that is as heart-breaking as it is touching. Highly recommended for those looking for dark ambient with a devotional edge. Wonderful!
Phara – b r o k e n · s i g n a l
b r o k e n · s i g n a l by Sarajevo based musician Phara is a delightful 10 track album of experimental electronica, featuring elements of dark ambient and drone. The music is dream-like, otherworldly, almost hallucinagenic … taking the listener on a remarkable audio journey that provides something new and exciting to discover with each and every listen. Superb!
Day Before Us – Eene Helle- en Hemelvaart
Eene Helle- en Hemelvaart, the latest release from Day Before Us is an impressive album of bleak and brooding dark ambient / post-industrial music of the highest calibre. The title literally means “a journey through hell and heaven” and the 8 tracks on this album do an incredible job of capturing the very essence of such a journey – with the first part an infernal descent of suffering, and the second part a celestial ascension of sublimation. Outstanding!
Caustic Reverie – Ablation Sequence
The latest release from Florida based Caustic Reverie (Bryn Schurman), Ablation Sequence, is a wonderful 6 track / 70+ minute album of soaring dark ambient soundscapes, slow evolving drones, and deep multi-textures, all blended expertly together to create a haunting audio experience that will stay with you long after you have listened to it. I’ve had this on repeat play since I first heard it and highly recommend this for fans of dark ambient / drone. Fantastic!
Substak – Drone Escape Velocity
Regular readers will know by now that I am a huge fan of the music from Greek sound artist, Substak (Kostas Staikos). Their latest release, Drone Escape Velocity, is on the Adventurous Music label, and presents eight tracks of awesome minimalistic dark drone ambient, designed to “… take you on an interstellar mission through the voids of space and time… “. This is one of those albums that needs to be listened to on headphones as you lie back in a darkened room and let yourself be transported elsewhere. Exquisite!
