Atrium Carceri & Herbst 9 – Ur Djupan Dal (CD Album – Cryo Chamber)
Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, cinematographic, experimental.
Background/Info: “Ur Djupan Dal” resulted from the common efforts between Simon Heath (Atrium Carceri and Cryo chamber owner) and Frank Merten plus Henry Emich (Herbst9). Both projects are long-time renowned artists active in the wider fields of dark-ambient music. “Ur Djupan Dal” will take you away on a mysterious sonic journey of 9 tracks.
Content: “Ur Djupan Dal” clearly reveals familiar dark-ambient components, but it still reveals an experimental touch. I get the impression some ideas have been worked out, which both artists never dared to fully integrate in their respective projects. The writing is pretty delicate, now and then driven by a down tempo cadence and progressively getting darker and darker. Whispering vocals emphasize the spooky side of the composition.
+ + + : Atrium Carceri and Herbst9 are used to work with other artists. It might explain the complementary achievement of this opus. But it first of all is an interesting and original work revealing a kind of dark-ambient ‘free-style’. It sounds like a work without real compromises, but just an exit to exorcise different ideas. I like the diversity of the work while the writing process features a great progression resulting in a few outstanding cuts. It’s an obscure opus with a strong visual appeal reinforced by the whispering passages. Last, but not least want to point out the gracefulness of the composition.
– – – : The last few cuts of the album aren’t my favorite ones. The sound formula becomes a bit repetitive and the magic is a bit gone there.
Conclusion: It all feels like both protagonists have already worked together on different productions. There’s a real chemistry between both bands and that’s why this album is absolutely accomplished and a must have!
Best songs: “Blott Den Vet Som Vida Reser”, “Vida Jättars Väg”, “Mot Främmande Land”, “Ur Evighetens Pipa”.
Rate: (8).
Artists: www.atriumcarceri.com / www.facebook.com/Atrium–Carceri-376509390774 / www.herbst9.de / www.facebook.com/Herbst9-117885473622
Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber
About Atrium Carceri & Herbst9
Atrium Carceri is the dark ambient project of Swedish musician Simon Heath, born in Stockholm in 1977. Heath debuted the project in 2003 with the album “Cellblock” on Cold Meat Industry. In 2011 he left Cold Meat Industry and founded the dark ambient label Cryo Chamber, which has since become Atrium Carceri’s home. The project’s discography includes “Seishinbyouin” (2004), “Kapnobatai” (2005), “Ptahil” (2007), “Souyuan” (2008), “Phrenitis” (2009), “Reliquiae” (2012) and “Void” (2012), alongside collaboration albums with Kammarheit and Apocryphos such as “Onyx” (2015) and “Echo” (2017).
Herbst9 is the German dark-ambient duo of Frank Merten and Henry Emich, active since 1997. The pair debuted with “From A Dark Chasm Below” in 1999, followed by albums including “:Eta Carinae:” (2001), “Consolamentum” (2002), “:Enenylyn:” (2004), “Buried Under Time And Sand” (2005), “Through Bleak Landscapes” (2007), “The Gods Are Small Birds, But I Am The Falcon” (2008) and “Usumgal Kalamma” (2011), before signing to Loki Foundation for “Fragmentary” and “Dark Night Of The Soul” (both 2015). “Ur Djupan Dal” brings the two projects together for the first time.
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