Genre/Influences: Dark-soundscape, dark-ambient.

Background/Info: Behind this new dark sonic project is hiding Swedish artist Pär Boström. He got some recognition for his work as Kammarheit, Cities Last Broadcast and Altarmang. Bonini Bulga is a new and more minimal-like project. The album “Sealed” was originally released in 2017 on Hypnagoga Press on cassette. Cyclic Law has now released the album on CD format.

Content: “Sealed” clearly sounds more minimal-minded than other projects Boström is involved with. It comes close to soundtrack compositions and mainly reflect the effect and impact of a few single sound. Both last pieces are a little bit more elaborated.

+ + + : Bonini Bulga is not exactly the kind of project I’ll become totally fascinated with. “Sealed” is an album you have to discover in the right circumstances. It also has a strong visual appeal so I can imagine a better impact listening to “Sealed” with some visual content on top. Both last tracks are definitely more exciting revealing mysterious sound atmospheres.

– – – : There’s less happening when listening to this album. It’s more the kind of work you have to discover when taking the time for it, sitting in a sofa, dimming the lights and only focusing on the music. I get the impression I was waiting for an apotheosis, which unfortunately never came.

Conclusion: I like most projects Pär Boström is involved with and I even share a great fascination for the Kammarheit stuff. Unfortunately I wasn’t convinced at all by this debut of Bonini Bulga.

Best songs: “Becoming”, “Sealed As One”.

Rate: (6).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Bonini–Bulga-1805438956437951

Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw

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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.

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Sweden’s highly productive Pär Boström of Kammarheit, Cities Last Broadcast and Altarmang presents yet another project, this time under the name Bonini Bulga. The debut for Bonini Bulga, “Sealed”, is available via Cyclic Law records.

The album itself was originally recorded and released in 2017 as a limited edition cassette on Boström’s own label Hypnagoga Press (a label he founded together with with his sister Åsa Boström). The version released via Cyclic Law comes in a remastered and extended version. You can expect 3 new tracks next to the 5 original ones in this edition (which is limited to 500 copies in a special 10 panel, cross fold out digipak).

Fans will notice that Boström’s Bonini Bulga project has a more lo-fi loop minimalistic based approach compared to his other musical creations. You can order this album right here via the label itself on CD (available here) or as a download via Bandcamp (available here).

Check out the album preview:

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Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, experimental.

Background/Info: Altarmang is a music project set up by Pär Boström (Kammarheit, Cities Last Broadcast ao) and Kenneth Hansson. This debut work was originally released on cassette format in 2016 and on Hypnagoga Records. “Void” has been next released in 2017 as a vinyl on Autarkeia and CD on Cyclic Law. The CD version features both original cuts plus 2 extras.

Content: “Void” is a dark-ambient exposure with some extra experimental treatments on top. It’s a new experience in darkness and isolation revealing spooky sound waves and frightening tones getting the listener into fear. The music sounds pretty stormy, this way accentuating the tormenting atmosphere hanging over this album.

Both extra cuts are a bit shorter, but especially “Salamander” is a poignant piece carried by an oppressive sound atmosphere.

+ + + : “Void” features all requested ingredients to create a successful and terrific dark-ambient opus. It’s sometimes monotonous, but frightening. It especially creates this desperate feeling reminding me of great records from the Cold Meat Industry era. Both original songs of the album are cool, but especially the ‘new’ cut “Salamander” is great piece of music with a divine climax. So this extra cut is really worthy of examination and a bonus for the CD version.

– – – : “Salamander” reaches a great climax, but the next (new) cut is totally different and not exactly a track I would recommend to discover this band.

Conclusion: Altarmang reflects this desperate feeling of solitude, accentuated by the impression of an endless Winter season. This is a cool release although I prefer other projects from Pär Boström.

Best songs: “Salamander”, “Aether”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/altarmang

Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com