Ajna & Onasander – Canidia (Album – Winter-Light)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: “Canidia” resulted from the collaborative efforts between Chris F (Ajna) and Maurizio Landini (Onasander). Both artists are used to collaborating with other artists. This American-Italian work is inspired by Canidia, considered to be Rome’s first witch and often featured in the poems of Horace.
Content: The work takes off with an impressive and overwhelming composition revealing Industrial sound treatments adapted into an ambient perception. The work moves on this style, but still accentuating an anguishing and hostile atmosphere composed by electronic treatments and empowered by field recordings. Humming sound waves are joining in on top of crispy noises.
+ + + : The album features 7 tracks, which is a magic number in alchemy and the least I can say is that there’s a true sonic fusion between both artists. This work is an overpowering production characterized by devastating sound blasts, but still refined with subtle sound treatments. The Dark-Ambient sphere supports the songs and creates this tormenting feeling, which in a way perfectly symbolizes the theme of the work; this album sounds like being touched by the black magic of Canidia. The work also confirms the talent of both artists who became experienced ambassadors in the genre.
– – – : No real minus points at this work.
Conclusion: “Canidia” is an overwhelming Dark-Ambient production between two artists who’re clearly complementary.
Best songs: “Routing The Empusa”, “Demon Of Vengeance”, “Invoking Underworld Divinities”, “Whispering To The Fire”.
Rate: 8½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/onasander
Label: www.winter-light.nl / www.facebook.com/winter.light.1
About Ajna & Onasander
Ajna is the dark ambient project of New York-based musician Chris F, active since 2008 and described on its Bandcamp page as inspired by the paranormal and by esotericism. Discogs lists a long run of self-released and small-label EPs from 2012 onward, among them “Anatomy Of A Nightmare” and “Subconscious Snow Fields” in 2012, “Beyond The Abyssal Plains” in 2014 and “Anamnesis” in 2015. In July 2018 Side-Line reported that Ajna joined the Cyclic Law label with the album “Lucid Intrusion”.
Onasander is the project of Italian musician Maurizio Landini. Discogs lists the self-released EP “Ancestry” in 2017, “Diversion Order” on Distorted Void and “The Queen’s Chamber” on Attenuation Circuit in 2019. Landini spoke about his method in Onasander interview: ‘I really don’t like working on commission’ in April 2025. He had earlier appeared alongside Dany Kloob in the ‘Click Interview’ with Kloob & Onasander in December 2020.
“Canidia” was released on 26 November 2021 by the Dutch label Winter-Light in a limited CD edition and digitally. The album was recorded, composed and produced by Chris F and Maurizio Landini between 2020 and 2021, mastered by Cruel Sound Works, with cover concept, artwork and design by Midnight Sun Studio. It holds seven tracks: “Invoking Underworld Divinities”, “Routing the Empusa”, “Draconian Gateway”, “Invading The Gardens of Maecenas”, “Whispering To The Fire”, “Demon of Vengeance” and “Veneficae”. Onasander returned to Winter-Light in 2022 with “Tempestarii”, recorded with Kloob.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
