Cyclic Law – SIDE-LINE

Beckahesten – Svältens Tid (Digital/CD/Vinyl Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 07:00:00 +0000

This summer, the Swedish trio Beckahesten comprised of Peo Bengtsson, Per Åhlund, and vocalist Viktoria Rolandsdotter, released their third album, “Svältens Tid” (translated as “The Time Of Famine”). The opus features four captivating new tracks that serve as a perfect continuation of their previous work. Drawing on Dark-Ambient atmospheres infused with Ritualistic percussion, the music conjures images of forbidden, shadowy rituals, perfectly complementing the overwhelming soundscapes that offer a rich visual appeal. While it evokes elements of dark fantasy, Beckahesten primarily showcases their talent through this meticulously crafted record. Additionally, “Svältens Tid” is available on vinyl through Cloister Recordings. (Rate:8½).

Listen to “Min Sista Måne”:

Min Sista Måne by Beckahesten

About Beckahesten

Beckahesten is a Swedish trio set up by Peo Bengtsson, Per Åhlund and vocalist Viktoria Rolandsdotter. Åhlund was previously involved with Sophia and has also been active with Skare and Diskrepant, next to appearing as a live member of Karjalan Sissit. The band name refers to a creature from Nordic folklore, an insidious water spirit that tricks people into riding on its back before pulling them into the water.

The trio released the albums “Vattenhålens Dräpare” (2020) and “Tydor” (2021), plus the single “Midvinter” (2021), through Cyclic Law, with Johannes Ahlberg mastering all three releases. In 2022, Per Åhlund talked about the band’s working process in Side-Line’s Click Interview with Beckahesten.

“Svältens Tid”, released in 2024 on Cyclic Law with a vinyl edition through Cloister Recordings, is the trio’s third album.

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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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Sophia – The Age Of Narcissist (Album – Digital/CD/Vinyl – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 07:00:00 +0000

It took several years, but the wait for Sophia’s new opus was well worth it. Peter Bjärgö, along with his wife Cecilia, and collaborators Stefan Eriksson and Per Åhlund, took their time to craft this latest work. The style remains a blend of various influences, guiding the listener on an imaginative journey through Dark Ambient, Cinematic, Ethereal, and a touch of Occult elements, all of which eventually bring us safely back to shore. The production is intricate, enriched with bombastic, epic arrangements. Peter and Cecilia add a layer of emotion with their voices, creating what I consider a little masterpiece. (Rate:8½).

Listen to “Mouth Of Mammon”:

Mouth Of Mammon by SOPHIA

About Sophia

Sophia is the project of Swedish musician Peter Bjärgö, also known for his earlier band Arcana, working with vocalist Cecilia alongside Stefan Eriksson and Per Åhlund. Formed in 2000, Sophia builds on martial rhythms, orchestral arrangements and dark ambient textures. The project has released a series of albums through Cyclic Law, including “Unclean” and “Deconstruction Of The World”, with “The Age Of Narcissist” marking its latest full-length for the label.

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Ulvtharm – 7 Uthras (Album-Digital/CD/Vinyl – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Two years after Ulvtharm’s phenomenal debut album, Jouni Ollila (MZ.412, Pouppée Fabrikk) releases a new full length. The influences remain similar and lead the listener into an obscure, imaginary world of unease. This is a new masterpiece where Industrial sound treatments and Dark-Ambient atmospheres flow together in a tormented experience. This work sounds like the imaginary merger between In Slaughter Natives, Brighter Death Now and Raison D’Être. No real comparison is possible because this work is above all a confirmation of Jouni’s unique talent in this genre of music. (Rate:8½).

Listen to “Sinners Will Inherit The World”:

Sinners Will Inherit The Earth by Ulvtharm

About Ulvtharm

Ulvtharm is the solo project of Swedish artist Jouni Heikki Ollila, also known for his work in the EBM duo Pouppée Fabrikk and the Dark-Ambient project MZ.412, as well as Mr. Jones Machine, Project-X, Teleskop and Burg. Ollila began the Ulvtharm recordings as demos while living in Malaysia, then re-recorded them after moving back to Sweden around 2019/2020. The project’s debut album, “Wrēkō”, was released via Cyclic Law. “7 Uthras” follows two years later on the same label, on digital, CD and vinyl.

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Desiderii Marginis – Bathe In Black Light (Album-Digital/CD/Vinyl – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Swedish Dark-Ambient master Johan Levin originally self-released this ‘new’ album in 2021. Cyclic Law has now immortalized this masterpiece on CD and vinyl. It is an extremely dark experience where field recordings and deep, vibrating sound waves are mixed. There is also some percussion audible which all adds up to a scared, paranoid and apocalyptic experience. A new sonic gem in the Cinematic & Dark-Ambient genre. (Rate:8½).

Listen to “Tears Of Wax”:

Tears Of Wax by DESIDERII MARGINIS

About Desiderii Marginis

Desiderii Marginis, a Swedish dark ambient music project, was created by Johan Levin in 1993 in Mjölby, Sweden. Initially a solo project, it released its first three tapes – “Consecrare”, “Via Peregrinus”, and “Triptych” – in very limited editions, which were later included in the 2009 compilation album “Years Lend a Golden Charm”. The project’s debut album, “Songs Over Ruins”, was released on Cold Meat Industry in 1997. Over the years, Desiderii Marginis has produced several albums, including “Deadbeat” (2001), “Strife” (2004), “The Ever Green Tree” (2005), and more recent works such as “Vita Arkivet” (2018), “Departed” (2020), and “Serenity / Rage” (2023).

“Bathe In Black Light” was first self-released by Levin in 2021 before Cyclic Law reissued it on CD and double vinyl, the edition reviewed here.

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Undirheimar – Ginnungagaldr (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Ritual, Dark-Ambient, Experimental.

Format: Digital, 2CD.

Background/Info: Chris Undirheimar has released an impressive number of productions over the past few years. He now moves back to Cyclic Law unleashing “Ginnngagaldr” which resulted from very personal experiences.

Content: The first disc features 7 cuts leading the listener into an obscure sound universe featuring Ritual elements mixed with a dense, Dark-Ambient music style. Heavy droning percussion empower the impact of the work while throat singing accentuates the Ritual side. The second disc features a single cut which is the title track. Sound-wise the influences remain exactly the same.

+ + + : I remain fascinated by the technique of throat singers. It has something intriguing, definitely Ritual but still magic. It injects a true bonus to the composition which is totally fitting with the obscure sound treatments. The heavy percussion drones inject some diversity. It’s interesting using headphones to discover the sonic welfare of this production.

– – – : A few passages sound a bit monotonous and missing substance. The title track is cool and definitely interesting to accentuate visual art but also a bit monotonous after a while.

Conclusion: “Ginnungagaldr” appears to be a true offspring between Ritual- and Dark-Ambient music.

Best songs: “Gandreiðarstafur”, “Þursaseiðr”, “Uphafsdauðsþjòt”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/ThursianRitualArt

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

About Undirheimar

Undirheimar is the solo Ritual and Dark-Ambient project of Chris Undirheimar, a prolific producer with a steady stream of releases over recent years. “Ginnungagaldr” marks a return to Cyclic Law for the project, drawing on throat singing and dense droning percussion to build on the obscure sound world of its earlier work.

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TeHÔM – Legacy (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Industrial.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Croatian TeHÔM is a project with a rich and eventful past which is driven since 2010 by Miljenko Rajaković. “Legacy” is the second album ever released by Cyclic Law.

Content: “Legacy” sounds in the line from previous works; a strong Dark-Ambient music production intermixed and reinforced with Industrial sound treatments. The tracks reflect a ghost-like atmosphere accentuated by subtle field recordings and an impressive canvas of noises. You’ll also notice a few spoken vocals by guest performer Rob Bees Fisk (Curse All Kings, Common Eider, King Eider). Last but not least there also is a track originally composed by Arvo Pärt which has been totally reworked and retitled.

+ + + : This album contains all the ingredients for an achieved Dark-Ambient production. The songs are well crafted with a wide range of sounds and arrangements. This leads to an opus with a strong visual strength. Sound-wise, I like the deep, dark sounds as well as the pieces with bombastic percussion.

– – – : The work is fully enjoyable but missing a true apotheosis.

Conclusion: TeHÔM has a nose to bring Dark-Ambient and Industrial elements together.

Best songs: “Space For Dead Souls”, “Lamentation”, “Subterranean Waters”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.tehom.altervista.org / www.facebook.com/tehom.croatia

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

About TeHÔM

TeHÔM is a Croatian Dark-Ambient project driven since 2010 by Miljenko Rajaković. “Legacy” is the second TeHÔM album released through Cyclic Law and features a guest vocal contribution from Rob Fisk of Curse All Kings and Common Eider, King Eider, alongside a reworked and retitled Arvo Pärt composition.

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Grande Loge – Unruh (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Ritual, Soundtrack.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: The new album by French project Grande Loge comes three years after their great debut-album “Mantras”. The new work consists out of a single track that was released as a Soundtrack to the book “Soliloquium” in Splendor, by Oksana and Gil Prou.

Content: Forty-four minutes of Soundtrack that takes us on a journey through our imagination. As for “Mantras”, the composition is worked out with acoustic instruments that only enhance the mystical atmosphere. The song seems to consist of several parts that were nicely brought together. The song contains parts with percussion, Ritual chants and a certain melancholy brought by the instruments.

+ + + : There’s a strong visual strength emerging at the surface of this work which means that it’s a successful Soundtrack. You clearly notice this kind of music was made as a sonic support to another artistic expression. I like the atmosphere coming out of this work which is mainly due to the playing of real instruments. The different passages with chants create a little extra, like a climax getting through.

– – – : I prefer listening to the several tracks instead of a single, extended, piece but this is due to the concept of the work which is part of a wider artistic creation.

Conclusion: Grande Loge confirms by this work the potential they shown on the debut album. Graceful Ritual music!

Best songs: “Unruh”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063352772956

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

About Grande Loge

Grande Loge is a French project set up in 2017 by musicians known as Nostra and Flexor, both previously active in the black metal band Malepeste. The project grew out of acoustic, Ambient interludes the pair developed during Malepeste rehearsals, and released its debut album, “Mantras,” on Cyclic Law in 2020, establishing the Ritual and Dark-Ambient direction continued on “Unruh.”

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Curse All Kings – Feral Earth (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Ritual.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Rob Fisk -mainly known for his Common Eider, King Eider-project, strikes back with the third full length-album of Curse All Kings. “Feral Earth” resulted from the collaborative efforts together with Fabian Van Beek (Kluizenaer, Lavvra, Hagiophobic), Bryan Bray (Gates, Sutekh Hexen) and Edie. (La Haine, Common Eider King Eider).

Content: The new work sounds like a continuation of the previous album with explicit, Dark-Ambient influences, but now spiked with a refined, Ritual touch. A few pieces with voice enhance the mystical nature of the album. The songs are very dark, carried by boiling sound-waves that end in an apocalyptic feeling. You will also discover some passages with Industrial sounds and even guitar playing.

+ + + : The addition of the Ritual element brings an extra dimension to this album and in a way a new sonic path for the project. The sung passages are a true bonus to the work. There are several cool songs featured but I highly recommend listening to the debut piece ending in a sonic climax.

– – – : The last cuts sounds as an anti-climax for being totally different from the rest of the tracklist.

Conclusion: A poignant and intimate sound fusion.

Best songs: “As The Spirits Watch Over Us, We Reciprocate”, “Wounds Of Land And Body”, “Ünmaal”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/CommonEiderKingEiderCaribouPeople

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

About Curse All Kings

Curse All Kings is led by Rob Fisk, the musician behind Common Eider, King Eider. “Feral Earth” is the project’s third full-length, built with contributions from Fabian Van Beek (Kluizenaer, Lavvra, Hagiophobic), Bryan Bray (Gates, Sutekh Hexen) and Edie (La Haine, Common Eider, King Eider), extending the Dark-Ambient and Ritual direction the project set out on its earlier albums.

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Desiderii Marginis announces new ambient album on French label Cyclic Law – Pre-orders available now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:00:31 +0000

The latest album from the Swedish ambient act Desiderii Marginis, “Bathe In Black Light”, will be out on May 3rd via the French label Cyclic Law.

The album will be available in various formats, download, a CD edition in 4 panel digipak and a double vinyl edition limited to 100 copies in Marbled grey and black, and 200 copies in black.

Desiderii Marginis, a Swedish dark ambient music project, was created by Johan Levin in 1993 in Mjölby, Sweden. Initially a solo project, it released its first three tapes — “Consecrare”, “Via Peregrinus”, and “Triptych” — in very limited editions, which were later included in the 2009 compilation album “Years Lend a Golden Charm”. The project’s debut album, “Songs Over Ruins”, was released on Cold Meat Industry in 1997. Over the years, Desiderii Marginis has produced several albums, including “Deadbeat” (2001), “Strife” (2004), “The Ever Green Tree” (2005), and more recent works such as “Vita Arkivet” (2018), “Departed” (2020), and “Serenity / Rage” (2023), showcasing its evolving dark ambient sound.

You can check already a few tracks on Bandcamp.

Bathe In Black Light by DESIDERII MARGINIS

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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OLOMUHD unites Samuel Vaney and Loïc Grobety for ‘The Absurd Silence Of A Mute World’ album – Out on March 29

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 12:05:56 +0000

“The Absurd Silence Of A Mute World” is a collaborative album by multi-instrumentalists Samuel Vaney and Loïc Grobety under the OLOMUHD moniker. The project was initiated in early 2022 and combines their interests in abrasive textures and deconstructed rhythms.

You might know Samuel Vaney from his work with Eeli Helin as part of the Swiss/Finnish drone-rock duo known as Fargue. This group, founded late in 2019, is notable for its multi-instrumental prowess, focusing on ambient, drone, and post-rock genres.

The album is out via the French label Cyclic Law. It holds just one track that explores ‘both contemplative and intense soundscapes’.

Drummer Michael Anklin contributed to the album as well next to vocalists Hemlock Smith and Mütterlein. Samuel Vaney handled the mixing and mastering in Switzerland. The album’s artwork was created by Stefan Thanneur.

It will be released on March 29th in a limited edition of 300 CD copies, each presented in a 6-panel digisleeve with matt lamination with a running time of 43 minutes and 31 seconds. You can order it here on Bandcamp.

You can check a few fragments below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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øjeRum – The Limited Circle Is Pure (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 08:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Paw Grabowski has released an endless number of productions over the past fifteen years. The Danish project appears to be a real label shopper but now strikes back to Cyclic Law unleashing an extended, single, track entitled “The Limited Circle Is Pure”.

Content: The track holds you in its grip for 30 minutes. The Ambient mood is built up from a quiet, abyssal, sound canvas which has been progressively joined by discrete, extra, sound treatments.

+ + + : øjeRum injects a kind of mysterious, relaxing, touch to the dark label roster of Cyclic Law. It however has a visual strength creating surreal images which are totally matching with the front cover of the work.

– – – : Just a single track isn’t a major problem but it rapidly starts to sound linear. I’m missing diversity.

Conclusion: øjeRum remains hard to label and hard to catch.

Best songs: “The Limited Circle Is Pure”.

Rate: 6½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/oejerum

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

About øjeRum

øjeRum is the Danish project of Paw Grabowski, who has released a large number of works across numerous labels over the past fifteen years. “The Limited Circle Is Pure” is a single, extended track running 30 minutes, released through Cyclic Law.

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Top 25 industrial / darkwave albums of the year 2023

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 11:58:15 +0000

Referring to the events that unfolded globally, 2023 has again been a bloody, terrible year. Music continues to be a true therapy for soothing pain and suffering, though it seems to have a diminishing impact on the ongoing horror. Therefore, I’m once again wrapping up the year with a personal selection of my very own ‘best of’ albums.

Throughout the year, over 700 productions were selected, and 450 reviews were conducted. Some productions were declined because the style of music didn’t fit, others weren’t reviewed for not being ‘good enough’, while a final portion of reviews will be postponed to early 2024. I am immensely grateful to all the labels, bands, and promoters for considering my work, and I look forward to collaborating again in 2024.

I extend my deepest gratitude and thanks to Rich Bova (NEIKKA RPM), who has been reading, correcting, and improving the reviews for many years. Without Rich, these reviews would not exist. I also want to thank Bernard Van Isacker, chief editor of Side-Line Music Magazine, for our ongoing, successful collaboration. Last but not least, I thank my lovely wife, Katja, for giving me the time and freedom to pursue my passion.

However…

Looking ahead to 2024, I’ve been scaling back my activities for a few years and plan to reduce them further. Having started with my first reviews and interviews back in 1991, I feel the end drawing near. My aim is to reach 2025, but nothing is certain. I’ve grown a bit tired and disillusioned with how things are evolving.

That’s why I want to express a big ‘F*** you’ to so-called ‘artists’ and label owners who fail to realize or appreciate the work I do in creating reviews and preparing interviews to spotlight them. Guys, I do this for free and in my free time! The attitude and lack of respect shown by some – fortunately a very few – is very, very sad. But, I’m afraid it reflects the world we live in. Behind a genius artist doesn’t always stand a great person. It’s odd realizing that the ‘biggest’ and long-established artists in this scene are often the most accessible.

Writing reviews remains highly subjective and a source of discussion. Remember, it’s always the reviewer’s perception. I assure you, I always strive to substantiate my reviews as best as possible. A review is subjective but must be honest!

Like every year, I’ve selected the best albums of the year 2023. This ‘TOP 25’ encompasses various styles like EBM, Dark-Electro, IDM, Synth-Pop, Ethereal, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Ritual, Cinematic, Gothic, Post-Punk, Cold/Dark-Wave, Dark-Techno, and a few related genres. It’s always an exciting yet challenging task.

This ‘TOP 25’ is based on the promotional material I received, excluding compilations, ‘best of’ productions, EPs, and singles. So, here’s my ‘TOP 25’ from 2023, and don’t forget to share it with your friends…

Stéphane Froidcoeur (for Inferno Sound Diaries/Side-Line Reviews)

Top 25 albums of the year 2023

CERULEAN VEINS “Black” Cold Transmission Music
LIEBKNECHT “Fabrikat” Ant-Zen
FRONTIER GUARDS “Colony” Aliens Production
SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS “Alone At Sam’s – An Evening With…” Apocalyptic Vision / Trisol
WAVESHARD “Waveshard” Corvus Records
THE EMPATH “Black Hole” Audiophob
VNV NATION “Electric Sun” Metropolis Records
EFF DST “Incarnate” Ant-Zen
ENZO KREFT “XL” Enzo Kreft
DELEYAMAN “The Sudbury Inn” TTO Records
GIRLS UNDER GLASS “Backdraft” Dependent Records
ALIEN VAMPIRES “Return Me To Hell” Alfa Matrix
SUN’S SPECTRUM “The Silence After The Fall” Cold Transmission Music
DANIEL MYER “Hingab” Sonic Groove
SHROUDS “Shrouds” Hands
DIARY OF DREAMS “Melancholin” Accession Records
MONO INC “Ravenblack” NoCut / SPV
ROME “Gates Of Europe” Trisol
OHNE NOMEN “The S-Witch” Cold Transmission Music
THE SEVEN WHORES OF THE APOCALYPSE “All Through The Waste” Scanner / Dark Dimensions
SPANKTHENUN “The Bunker Tapes Vol.3” SpankTheNun
BLACKCARBURNING “Watching Sleepers” COP International
GOD BODY DISCONNECT “The Weight Of Regression” Cryo Chamber
MILDREDA “Blue-Devilled” Dependent Records
PASCAL SAVY “Simulacra” Cyclic Law

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Sinke Dûs – Modus Vivendi (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Sixteen years after the debut album “Akrasia” (still released by Cyclic Law) Swedish solo-project Sinke Dûs -aka Marcus Lönebrink, strikes back with an unexpected new work. The work is meant as an introspective travel and features eight tracks.

Content: “Modus Vicendi” in a way let us rediscover this forgotten project but from the very first cut you immediately will notice the pure Dark-Ambient approach accentuated by icy sound treatments, hostile atmospheres moving into obscurity. You’ll also notice passages featuring field recordings. “Modus Vicendi” also reveals a very few evasive parts featuring icy strings.

+ + + : The global atmosphere recovering this work is extremely cold -not to say frozen, and characterized by impressive sound waves. It instantly creates a strong visual appeal leading to facing hidden demons. It feels like traveling throughout hell. I recommend listening to the album by using headphones to better realize the post-apocalyptic sensation.

– – – : The biggest challenge for this project is to get back its place on the map of Dark-ambient music but this album has enough potential to seduce fans of this genre.

Conclusion: This album sounds as a great come-back for a project we clearly have forgotten.

Best songs: “Misgivings”, “Contrition”, “The Pilgrimage”, “Vastatio”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551070491510

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

Listen to “Modus Vivendi”:

Modus Vivendi by Sinke Dûs

About Sinke Dûs

Sinke Dûs is the solo project of Swedish musician Marcus Lönebrink. The project’s debut album, “Akrasia”, was released via Cyclic Law in 2007. “Modus Vivendi” is Sinke Dûs’s second album, arriving sixteen years later on the same label, with artwork by Viktor Kvant and a collaboration track featuring Pär Boström of Kammarheit. The album is released in an edition of 300 copies in a 6-panel digipak, holding seven tracks.

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Lẽtum – Dreams And Illusions (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Mattias Henriksson strikes back with a new album of Lẽtum. “Dreams And Illusions” is the sixth full length by the Swedish project and the first one released by Cyclic Law.

Content: Henriksson invites the listener to visit dark sound atmospheres which are moving in between pure Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music. Low sound resonations and overwhelming, monstrous, sound treatments create the illusion of an imaginary horror universe from which you can’t escape.

+ + + : Lẽtum remains faithful to its intimate sound universe where you sometimes get the feeling to become the witness of a sacred rite created by the power of music. The tracks sound like sonic collages with a strong visual appeal. The atmosphere supporting the work is menacing which is accentuated by some overwhelming sound blasts. The work is polished by dark strings.

– – – : I no longer experience the same magic as on the early works released on Cold Meat Industry. That was already back in the early millennium years.

Conclusion: Lẽtum remains a true sonic experience for lovers of Dark-Ambient music although there’s no similar climax as in the early years.

Best songs: “Dreams And Illusions”, “The Roar Of Death”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/mintm.mintman

Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw Read the news on ‘Dreams And Illusions’.

Listen to “Dreams And Illusions”:

Dreams and Illusions by Lẽtum

About Lẽtum

Lẽtum is the dark ambient solo project of Lindesberg, Sweden-based musician Mattias Henriksson. The project released its debut album, “The Entrance to Salvation”, via Cold Meat Industry in 2001, followed by “Broken” in 2006. “Dreams And Illusions” is Lẽtum’s sixth full length, issued by Cyclic Law in an edition of 300 copies in a 4-panel digipak, holding seven tracks mastered by Frederic Arbour.

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Natura Est – The Folly Of Mars (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The Folly Of Mars” is the fourth full length album by British-German duo Tony Young (Autoclav 1.1) – Andreas Davids (Xotox). It also is their second opus released by Cyclic Law. The work is inspired by the ‘man’s desire to conquer outer space at all cost’ resulting in numerous consequences.

Content: The compositions are moving on a similar line as the previous work; an experience in Dark-ambient and Cinematic music featuring tracks that have been slowly built up. Switching from relaxing- into darker passages the album is diversified although driven by a haunting sphere accentuated by growling sounds and overwhelming sound waves.

+ + + : I especially like the deep, low, resonating sound waves this album has been composed. It resulted in a few absolute high lights but especially “The Fallen Empire Of Man” is a great cut to discover. I also like the switch from relaxing to obscure, mysterious, passages.

– – – : The work sounds in the line of the previous work “Real Seasons”, but being familiar with the work of both artists I’m sure they’re able to do better and especially to create a true climax in their work.

Conclusion: This work is touched by an eternal darkness.

Best songs: “The Fallen Empire Of Man”, “We Will End Time”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.naturaest.org / www.facebook.com/NaturaEstDA

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

Listen to “The Folly Of Mars”:

The Folly Of Mars by Natura Est

About Natura Est

Natura Est is the British-German duo of Tony Young, also known for Autoclav 1.1, and Andreas Davids, also known for Xotox. “The Folly Of Mars” is the duo’s fourth full length album and second release on Cyclic Law, following the earlier “Real Seasons”. The album holds six tracks and explores humanity’s drive to conquer outer space while pressing issues remain unresolved on Earth.

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Shinkiro – The Birth Of The Gods (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematic.

Format: CD, Digital.

Background/Info: Manabu Hiramoto started making music twenty years ago. The Japanese artist released an impressive number of works by multiple labels like Athanor, Ant-Zen, SSSM, Zhelozebeton ao. He this year released his first album by the leading Dark-Ambient label Cyclic Law.

Content: The work takes off with impressive, overwhelming, soundwaves leading the listener into an icy, frightening sound experience. We next visit imaginary, abyssal, sound depths creating reverie and achieved with subtle sound treatments. The work is progressively evolving featuring metallic- and other Industrial noises plus an impressive canvas of effects.

+ + + : The work is diversified and not always that easy to catch but the opening- and penultimate cut -which are quite different from each other, reveal the strength and creativity of the project. Shinkiro has used a true sonic arsenal to achieve this production appealing for a wider audience and not just Dark-Ambient fans.

– – – : The diversity of the work has something confusing.

Conclusion: I have mixed feelings with this opus but I prefer emphasizing the crushing passages which are just great.

Best songs: “The Wind”, “Mountains”, “Fire”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/ShinkiroOfficial

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

Listen to “The Birth Of The Gods”:

The Birth Of The Gods by SHINKIRO

About Shinkiro

Shinkiro is the dark ambient/industrial project of Japanese artist Manabu Hiramoto, who started making music twenty years before this release with credits on labels including Athanor, Ant-Zen, SSSM and Zhelozebeton.

“The Birth Of The Gods” marked Hiramoto’s first album for Cyclic Law.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Click Interview with Pavor Nocturnus: ‘A Musical Manifestation Connected With Fear, Dreams And Some Kind Of Spiritual Perception’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 18:00:00 +0000

Pavor Nocturnus is an Italian solo-project driven by Eugenio Mazza. He this year released his newest album by Cyclic Law. “Ecatombe” is a poignant production featuring elements of Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music while you’ll notice numerous Industrial sound treatments and slow rhythms. I can’t affirm this album innovates although it has an atypical and refreshing approach.(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: What can you tell us about your music background and what have been the triggers to set up Pavor Nocturnus?

Eugenio: I think the roots of my music are in between my classical piano studies, extreme Metal and Soundtracks for movies and videogames. When I started my project I was in search of a musical language that could fit with my expressive needs and that could give me the creative freedom I was looking for, despite I was not that much into Electronic music; later on I started to discover more Electronic artists and genres.

Q: You’re now busy for a couple of years and released several albums plus collaborative productions. How would you describe the sound and eventually ‘concept’ of Pavor Nocturnus? And how do you perceive the evolution of the project?

Eugenio: Pavor Nocturnus Is my personal display of what I experience in my life, a musical manifestation connected with fear (that lies in the monicker too), dreams and some kind of spiritual perception, although I am not a religious person.

The sound of the project is variable but its foundations are dark and unsettling as a nightmare. Sometimes it is unclear for me too, but I am understanding that the better I feel (as a person) the darker my music becomes.

Q: Tell us a bit more about your way of composing music? What are the main stages in the creation of your sounds/noises/field recordings/rhythms etc. resulting to tracks/albums?

Eugenio: If the concept is well defined in my mind I start to translate it with sound design or collecting samples, otherwise I usually start playing with some instruments and I get carried away.

I have made large use of field recordings while I was working on my previous album inspired by H. Bosch’s paintings, but for this album I chose to sculpt sounds on synths or work with samples and previous recordings. When I have all the sounds I need I start to record and build the tracks, trying to keep in mind how to reproduce them live.

Q: Your new album “Ecatombe” has been composed during the confinement. What has been the impact of this particular situation to the creation- and content of the album? And what do you want to express?

Eugenio: “Ecatombe” originates from the time spent in confinement but it is not an album about the pandemic. It is a journey through the thoughts and emotions that stormed during those days. Many suggestions have been collected from different inputs, I have been diving into very unpleasant moods, so I decided to translate all those feelings in sounds, re-elaborate them as archetypes and finally dispel them.

One thing (I think) I wished to express was the urge to escape that stagnant existence we all were living.

Q: What have been the high lights in the creation of this work? And how do you look back at the result right now?

Eugenio: Working on the tracks was a smooth process, the concept behind each composition was clear except for “Abisso” and “Supplica”; I had to understand what I was experiencing while composing those tracks, get back to the moment when my mind was drowning and I could not see the bottom of the abyss. That’s why “Abisso” is the longest track of the album, like an endless descent.

I think this is my most intimate album so far, I am pleased with the result and with the feedback coming from people during live performances.

Q: Talking about performances, how do you transpose your music and equipment from the studio to the stage and how do you see yourself as a live artist/performer?

Eugenio: I usually try to build the foundations of my tracks on the same setup I will use for live performances, then I make some adjustments and prepare samples for the synths/sounds I can’t take with me live. I also like to have some space for improvisation, the live tracks will not sound exactly the same as they are on the album.

The more gigs I play, the better I understand how I want to engage people during my performances, figuring out what is effective in a live set and what is not.

Considering that there is no interaction between me and the audience except for the music, I am trying to improve my formula to obtain that kind of engagement I look for when I am attending a concert.

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Shedir – Before The Last Light Is Blown (Album – n5MD)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 20:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: This is the third full length album by Italian female solo-project Shedir. Previous albums of Martina Betti were released by Cyclic Law.

Content: The sound universe of this artist is characterized by dark, dreamy, compositions. Martina Betti didn’t change her familiar sound formula although she reinforced some passages of the composition by heavy, symphonic arrangements. She also invited a guest musician to play saxophone on one of the cuts creating a ‘film-noir’ sensation.

+ + + : Shedir stands for dreamy, inhibited, music; the perfect mix between Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music. Introverted and refined but still dreamy and orchestral. She works with opposite elements which in the end became complementary. This is the most diversified work of Shedir which seduced me by the Film-Noir like “Deer Fluent In Wind” -featuring saxophonist Guido Tabone but also by the intimate “A Time Gone Out Of My Mind” which is a great last track.

– – – : Hard to say if this is the best Shedir production in time but I still got the feeling this artist has more potential than what comes out in her works. The best is maybe yet to come… who knows!?

Conclusion: Shedir moves on composing dark, dreamy, sound travels.

Best songs: “Deer Fluent In Wind”, “A Time Gone Out Of My Mind”, “The Bald-Faced Sun”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/shedirMartinaBetti

Label: www.n5md.com / www.facebook.com/n5Mafia

About Shedir

Shedir is the solo-project of Italian musician Martina Betti. She debuted in 2017 with “Falling Time”, a limited edition of 300 copies released via Cyclic Law and mastered by Lawrence English. Betti then moved to n5MD for “We Are All Strangers”, and continues with the label for “Before The Last Light Is Blown”, her third full-length reviewed here.

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Shibalba – Dreams Are Our World Of Experience (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 08:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Ritual, Dark-Ambient, Drone.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Greek sonic project Shilbalba has been active since 2009 and has released an impressive number of works. The band progressively evolved in style; moving from Metal-inspired creation towards Ritual and Dark-Ambient influences. This new opus has been introduced as ‘a ritual deriving from the darkest corners of the mind, the deathlike spheres of the Netherworld and the truest essence of the Afterlife, to become a homage to the Force of Life Eternal.’. It’s the first release ever released by Cyclic Law.

Content: Shibalba doesn’t really change the sound formula from previous works; we’re visiting a dark sound universe mixing Dark-Ambient atmospheres, Ritual, obscure, elements with Drones and Mystic chants on top. The work has been accomplished by multiple traditional, acoustic, instruments plus hand-crafted instruments empowering the Ritual side of the work.

+ + + : Shilbalba reminds me of the magic of 80s Industrial/Experimental projects -think to Zero Kama, for the use of real instruments and self-made equipment like bones and skulls, percussion instruments, Tibetan Horns, Tibetan Singing Bowls, bone & horn trumpets, Darbuka’s (goblet drums) as well as ceremonial bells and gongs. All together these instruments are injecting authenticity but also this obscure, Ritual, spirit to the work. It resulted in a atmosphere which is hard to catch but definitely awakening dark images and thoughts. The work has been slowly built up reaching an ultimate level of terror at “Teλeth VI” and “Teλeth III”.

– – – : Maybe not the most accessible release but you definitely gone like it if you’re into this kind of sonic experiences.

Conclusion: This work is touched by graceful obscurity.

Best songs: “Teλeth VI”, “Teλeth III”, “Teλeth I”, “Teλeth IV”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/ShibalbaHalls

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

About Shibalba

Shibalba is a Greek project that has been active since 2009, originally inspired by metal music before progressively moving toward ritual and dark-ambient influences. The band released early split albums with formations including Puissance, Arditi and Emma Ya Ao, then joined Tumor/Malignant Records for the full-length “Samsara” in 2016. Side-Line rated “Samsara” 8 out of 10.

In 2021, Shibalba appeared on the split album “The Circular Shades Of The Equinox” on Zazen Sounds, alongside Dead Man’s Hill from Belgium and Deathwalk from Norway. “Dreams Are Our World Of Experience” marks the project’s first release on Cyclic Law.

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Pavor Nocturnus – Ecatombe (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 07:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Ecatombe” is the fourth album by Italian solo-project Pavor Nocturnus. It also is the first album of the project released by Cyclic Law.

Content: The album features 6 cuts which have been meticulously built up by dark, freaky, sequences, haunting atmospheres and slow drum patterns. The work evolves into apocalyptic passages while other parts are empowered by Industrial elements. I also noticed a few parts featuring fragmented vocal effects.

+ + + : Pavor Nocturnus can’t be considered as a stereo-typical project. There’re obviously influences of Industrial, Cinematic and Dark-Ambient music but it has been mixed together in a visionary way. It creates a refreshing sensation while the rhythmic and drones make the production more accessible. The work reveals great songs but the last one -which is the title track, is a genius piece of modern Industrial-Ambient.

– – – : I regret the work only features 6 cuts. “Abisso” is the single piece which sounds less inspired and far below the high qualitative level of the other tracks.

Conclusion: Pavor Nocturnus is a strong addition to Cyclic Law’s impressive roster.

Best songs: “Ecatombe”, “Maleficio”, “La Mattanza”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/PavorNocturnusMusic

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

About Pavor Nocturnus

Pavor Nocturnus is the solo project of Milan-based musician and composer Eugenio Mazza. “Ecatombe” is the project’s fourth album and its first release for Cyclic Law, composed and recorded between 2020 and 2021. The label issued the album in a 6-panel digisleeve with matt lamination, limited to 300 copies. Mazza discussed the project’s themes of fear, dreams and spiritual perception in a Side-Line interview later in 2023.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Raison D’Être – Prospectus I / Sublime Edition (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:00:00 +0000

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Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Experimental.

Format: Digital, 4CD.

Background/Info: This special work by Peter Andersson as Raison D’Être brings us back in time. “Prospectus I” was originally released in 1993 on the defunct Cold Meat Industry and became a historic work by the Swedish master of Dark-Ambient. This new format meant as a celebration is featuring 4 CD’s; there’s a reworked disc of “Prospectus I”, the original, remastered, album, previously unreleased material re-recorded in 2022 (the year wherein Andersson reworked “Prospectus I”) and other additional cuts in their original versions.

Content: Back in time“Prospectus I” revealed a new kind of ‘Industrial/Ambient/Experimental’ work; a creation characterized by obscure, haunting, atmospheres, Gregorian chants and other sounds/noises like church bells, bombastic sound arrangements, drones and crashes plus multiple effects. The original tracks have been empowered by a better sound production but I also got the feeling Peter Andersson injected some new, extra, sonic details like effects to the composition. All extra unreleased cuts are more diversified; still Dark-Ambient like but also into pure Experimentalism and Cinematic music. I noticed a very few unusual cuts which I would not directly link to Raison D’Être but maybe to one of the numerous other projects of the artists.

+ + + : “Prospectus I” remains a terrific production and for most of the Raison D’Être fans ‘the’ album that let us discover a new dimension of ‘dark music’. The original magic of the work is still there and even seriously boosted at the reworked edit. The strong visual appeal of the work remains intact. The work still took me by surprise, revealing a detailed and precise writing featuring an endless number of noises and sonic details which you can fully enjoy by using headphones. It’s also a nice bonus getting an impressive number of previously unreleased material. And here again the artist took me by surprise revealing a few unknown ‘pearls’ driven by oppressive atmospheres carried by great string parts, liturgical chants and heavy drones.

– – – : There are no real minus points to mention.

Conclusion: Raison D’Être has released great stuff and “Prospectus I” definitely remains one of the most significant and accomplished works in the impressive discography of the artist. This box is a great format to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of this legendary work.

Best songs: “Katharsis”, “Ordeal In Chapel”, “Anathema / Apotheosis”, “Cenotaphium” + “Enshrouding”, “Inquest”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: https://raison-detre.info / www.facebook.com/raisondetreofficial

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

About Raison D’être

Raison d’être is the dark ambient project of Swedish sound artist Peter Andersson, formed in 1991. The project’s debut album, “Prospectus I”, was released in 1993 on Cold Meat Industry and became one of the defining works of the genre. Cyclic Law reissued the album on vinyl in 2018, and Andersson reworked the material again in 2022. “Prospectus I / Sublime Edition” gathers that 2022 rework alongside the original remastered album and previously unreleased material across four discs, marking the album’s thirtieth anniversary.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Swedish dark ambient project Lẽtum returns with ‘Dreams And Illusions’ via Cyclic Law label

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 15:07:01 +0000

Out via the fine French label Cyclic Law on September 13 is the all new release from the Swedish dark ambient project Lẽtum, “Dreams And Illusions”.

Lẽtum is the dark ambient solo project from the Lindesberg, Sweden-based musician Mattias Henriksson. Mattias works on Lẽtum in his spare time; professionally he is a teacher and the manager of IT company called Mint Solutions; so it’s a rather nice surprise that there is a new Lẽtum material after all.

Lẽtum released his debut, “The Entrance to Salvation”, via the now defunct Swedish cult label Cold Meat Industries in 2001. It was followed by “Broken” in 2006.

The new album “Dreams And Illusions” comes in an edition of 300 copies in a matt laminated 4 panel digipak. The album holds 7 tracks with a running time of 44:08. The mastering for this new album was entrusted to Frederic Arbour.

Check out the first track and video below. Read the review of ‘Dreams And Illusions’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Click Interview with Pascal Savy: ‘London Has Been A Never-Ending Source Of Inspiration’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Pascal Savy is a French artist living and working in London (UK). He this year released his newest album “Simulacra” by Cyclic Law. Pascal has already released several full length albums but being signed on Cyclic Law will probably give him the opportunity to reach a wider audience of Dark-Ambient and Drone lovers. “Simulacra” is an overwhelming, dark and ominous, production. I got in touch with the artist which has a lot to tell about his work and the world we’re actually living in.

(Picture credits by Guillaume Murat / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’re already active for years but I guess most of our readers aren’t familiar with your work. Can you briefly tell us how it all started? How did you get in touch with the kind of music you’re dealing with and do you’ve specific influences and/or references?

Pascal: I guess it started very organically, I was listening to a lot of Electronic music in the early to mid-nineties, mostly Techno and Trance at the time, and I was very interested in how this music was created and the culture behind it. I bought my first machines in the late nineties and started to learn things on my own, just by experimenting and trying things out. I have no classical training, so early on I had to develop a musical vocabulary rooted in my own experience of Electronic music, and I had to trust my instinct as much as possible.

It’s also at this time that I discovered bands such as Autechre or Oval, and I think these discoveries opened a new world of possibilities for me. I wasn’t attempting to emulate their sounds, but their unconventional approach to sound and composition suddenly showed me that it was possible to explore different dimensions of music. This seminal period took a very long time to bear any fruits, and very little remains from what I created during this time; only a few cassettes and minidiscs of very clunky Electronic experimentations influenced by both Techno and more obscure music.

After moving to London I stopped making music for a few years, but spent a lot of time just experiencing it, either in clubs, warehouses or concert spaces. I think that planted the seeds for the next phase of my own journey as I returned to sound creation and experimentation with a new approach, more rooted in the physicality of sound.

Then, around 2007 a strange thing happened. At the time I was still using rhythms and very simple melodies inspired by Techno, but I remember working on a track where I had built quite a few sound layers underneath the more prominent elements, just as a way to fill the spectrum. For some reason however, I was losing interest in the track and slowly grew to stop liking it, until I spontaneously decided to remove the rhythmic and melodic tracks and raise the overall volume to bring out the supporting layers. This led to a complete epiphany, where the background became the foreground in a very strange way. I didn’t fully realize it at the time but this moment led me to discover Ambient- and Drone music, and from that day onwards (probably 15 years or so ago) this became my main musical interest.

Throughout this phase I have discovered a multitude of artists and labels that were previously unknown to me, and it would be difficult to mention specific influences or references as there were so many. I guess in the late 2000 and early 2010 I was really into labels such as Raster Noton, Touch and 12k. They’re probably the 3 labels that have influenced me the most after I started to explore Ambient- and Drone music and they planted the seeds for my own work over the last 10 years or so.

Q: You mentioned you’re now living and working in London (UK). What has been the impact of moving to England and living in London to your music? Do you think specific places/cities can influence an artist in his creation?

Pascal: I think it’s fair to say that moving from Paris to London had a huge impact on my relationship to music, not only the music making part of it, but also the type of music I got exposed to after that transition and the context in which I experienced it. In a way there was just so much going on that I got overwhelmed, and in order to make sense of everything I was discovering I had to stop creating music myself to just be able to absorb what was around me.

Now, to answer the second part of your question, I do think that specific places have a strong influence on creating art, and so for many different reasons. I believe it’s a combination of the social make-up of a place, its architecture, its cultural vibrancy (or lack thereof), its history and its politics. With that said however there are many nuances to this topic as so much of a place’s effect depends on who you are as an individual, as well as how, when and where you experience the place, and what happens to you in that place and how you respond to it. So I think I can only really talk from a very personal standpoint, regarding my own relationship with London over the last 20 years.

For me London has been a never-ending source of inspiration, not only for the music it’s led me to discover over the years (going to concerts and gigs, meeting various artists, etc) but I’ve also been very mindful of the subtle energy of the city, in tangible places such streets and specific areas, or in more transient ones, like on a very late bus night filled with people coming back from parties or going to work in the middle of night, and crossing each-others’ paths. I like times and places where very different worlds intersect and collide, I find those moments incredibly inspiring, and I feel that London is a very special place for this kind of atmosphere, probably one of the best to my knowledge. In a way, I’ve experienced hundreds of these kinds of experiences in and around the city over the years and this has somehow fed into my music, and defined what I ultimately want to express with sound, either consciously or unconsciously.

Q: I read your new album “Simulacra” is directly inspired from the different kinds of turmoil in the UK and elsewhere. Can you tell us a bit more about it and how did you transpose this ‘theme’ into music and the “Simulacra”-album?

Pascal: To answer your question I think I need to start with my album “Dislocations”, released back in 2018. That album was very different from my previous Ambient projects, which had been more poetic in scope, and was in a way a departure from what my music had been up until then, as well as a personal reaction to the political context of the time, where the UK was starting to feel like a very different country to the one I had moved to many years before. I think I started writing it in around 2015 or 2016, right when the UK was starting its journey outside of Europe. “Dislocations” was in a way a reflection on what was happening to this country, politically but also socially and culturally at the time. A ‘dislocation’ from what I had previously known. In time however, it began to evolve into a more intimate project that provided a lens through which I could begin to deconstruct and integrate my own feelings of personal dislocation.

So in a sense, “Simulacra” is a follow-up to “Dislocations” as it continues to deal with the current political context, but does it without being tainted by my own personal feelings or more precisely without dealing with how this context affects me personally. So I would say it’s a much less intimate and introspective album than “Dislocations”, while dealing with similar themes. I started working on it in 2020 and was, at the time, reading “Simulacra And Simulation” by French philosopher Jean Baudrillard. I found that some of the ideas Baudrillard discussed in that book were extremely prescient and resonated very strongly with me.

The central idea behind the album is that the whole political ecosystem of the UK has become a complete simulacrum, where only appearances, representations and symbols count; where political power has become a pure simulation of real power, and no longer serves any purpose beyond its own survival; and where political power has become more violent in order to protect itself from the real power that could oppose it. In parallel, constant overstimulation and sensory overload slowly create a sense of alienation leading to what seems to be a perpetual present.

I wanted the music to resonate with feelings of alienation and powerlessness as well as convey ideas of anger and violence. Overall I worked with heavily textured drones as well as sharp edged sounds and sustained rhythms to echo and articulate those feelings. Some of the tracks were re-worked until their final forms had lost all resemblance to their initial skeleton, something that was partly influenced by the idea of simulacra not representing the real anymore. I also wanted to work more with rhythms, something that I don’t normally do, as I thought it was a good way of exploring the idea of power by saturating the sonic landscape with repetition and pulsation. On certain tracks rhythms were more implied, slowly disappearing or simply absent to reflect this idea of the real not being there anymore. Overall the process I used to make this album was heavily influenced by both the idea of simulacra (sound as a representation of the real but often devoid of true relationship with it) and the idea of connecting to something tangible (drone textures and harmonic movement as a representation of the fragility of the real).

Ultimately, this record sought to process a turbulent period echoed by ideas of political, social and cultural disintegration. Feelings of alienation and loss, as well as a desire for reconnection are at the core of this music, and the album tries to navigate this complex emotional and personal map while avoiding the traps of an escape into the world of pure simulation.

Q: Do you see yourself as an ‘engaged’ artist whereby music can vehicle some ideas or is music a kind of ‘cure’ to exorcize experiences in life? What does the music of Pascal Savy stand for?

Pascal: I’m not sure I see myself as an ‘engaged’ artist, at least not in a traditional sense. Instead, I try to make sense of what happens around me through the lens of music, and then send a signal to the world in the form of an artefact, in this case a record, that reflects in a way how I see things at this point in time. It’s not so much of a ‘cure’ either, but instead simply a transcription into sound of what I often fail to articulate with words. Beyond sending a message or making a statement, I believe that what I do transcends the politically charged context I’ve been describing. I think that things are always multidimensional and so much cannot really be rationally explained, especially with regards to what art or music means.

There is a strong political side to this music that’s true, and that’s partly intentional, but there’s also my own unconscious at play in all this and that of course taints the way I choose sounds or harmonies when I make those tracks. In the end I can also hear in this music a much more human expression, which I hope will resonate with the listener on a very human level. For me, making music and releasing or performing music is a way to have a conversation with the listener, something very visceral and direct. On this occasion, the conversation is in part political but on other occasions it can be much more personal.

Q: Listening to “Simulacra” I got the sensation you’re more like a sound alchemist who’s collecting, composing and decomposing sounds, instead of a true musician. Tell us a bit more about your perception of sound and your way of working?

Pascal: During the creation of this album, I would record these long improvised sessions in my studio every day, in order to assemble a large archive of sounds, ranging from Ambient and Drone to Noise and rhythms. For these experimentations I only used a very small number of synths, drum machines and effect pedals which made for a varied sound palette nonetheless. Each session was edited down to create a vast library of ideas made of small improvisation excerpts and more refined early demos. After this process was complete, I auditioned each idea and started to create “Simulacra” based on the conceptual ideas I had in mind for this project. All the tracks were more or less formed in the computer by layering and mixing together entire or shortened fragments of that sound library. Further refinements led to the final version of the album which was mixed down a few months later, after a time of maturation and reflection.

So in a sense I would agree with your image of a sound alchemist, as sounds were formed, transformed and muted to slowly give shape to what I wanted to create. With that said however, I would also like to take a moment to reflect on the idea of what being a ‘true musician’ means, as your question seems to oppose it to a more architectural approach to music making. One could say that a true musician has the ability to physically play an instrument, where gesture leads to sound, and articulation in time and space of such gestures leads to a meaningful melodic and harmonic expression. For me that’s only one aspect of it, and that’s probably how most people understand what it means to be a true musician. On the other hand to your point, I believe that using an ensemble of machines, either real (mechanic, magnetic or electronic) or virtual (dsp devices, algorithm or AI-based), to create sound, and then meaningfully arranging it to create a musical object able to powerfully express a certain set of emotions and transfer these emotions to an entirely other person through the medium of a recording or a live performance, is also for me true musicianship, although in a much more abstract way.

I think this is a very important question, and it’s quite difficult to really express those ideas in a few words but this tension is very interesting to explore both from a creation perspective and from the standpoint of critique.

Q: We talked about turmoil which I think is also part of the contemporary music scene –think about the labels stopping their activities, streaming platforms instead of physical releases etc.. What’s your perception about it all and how important is it to you to get signed by a leading label like Cyclic Law?

Pascal: I think a lot has been said about this evolution, either in publications, blogs, or talks, so I won’t try to re-state what has already been discussed by very good writers and thinkers. I can only see it as evident that music is now mostly consumed through streaming platforms that don’t really allow emerging and niche artists to live off of their music. In addition, it seems music is very often consumed as content and not as an experience. So that’s not so great as far as I’m concerned, but that’s the situation at the moment, and I need to acknowledge it.

On the other hand, with the democratization of tools to make and release music there has been an explosion of new artists, new genres and new scenes across the world, which is fantastic. It’s fair to say that it’s impossible to keep track of everything that is happening as there is so much really.

With that said I think there are a few very positive points that somehow counterbalance all this. The first being that the barrier to entry is actually very low, so anyone interested in making sound can actually express themselves quite easily, which I think is very positive on a broad social and cultural level. This also leads to the emergence of new local scenes and artistic ecosystems which is very conducive to creativity and the invention of new music. Further, through streaming and digital releases one can reach audiences that older modes of production wouldn’t necessarily allow, so music can work its way to very unexpected places. Sure, it’s very difficult to get your name out there, and it requires a lot of work and effort, but I believe that with time and patience things can move in the right direction, although on a noticeably smaller scale than before.

At my level, I still feel that well curated record labels are very important as they act as both a container and transmission vessel for music, and medium that people can relate to and actually go to, to find good music in whichever genre they’re interested in. Especially now that the landscape is so wide and deep, finding great labels has never been more important. I’m very happy to be working with Cyclic Law, and feel very honored that they wanted to release this album. I realize that my music doesn’t really fall within the Dark-Ambient umbrella which is traditionally associated with this label, at least not aesthetically, but I’m very happy that in this way my sound can reach an audience that perhaps wouldn’t have explored this type of sound otherwise.

Q: What’s next for Pascal Savy?

Pascal: I’m working on three albums at the moment and they’re all at very different stages of production. They all have strong concepts behind them and I have hours of material recorded for each one; sounds that I’ve recorded and accumulated over the last 2 or 3 years. I’m now working through these sounds to develop them to a stage where I can see and understand their shape and contour a bit better. As for “Simulacra” I’m creating sonic worlds that are heavily concept-based and I’ll be refining them until they feel complete. I’ve always worked very slowly when I’m creating an album, as I like how time affects perception, and what feels exciting and new to me today could feel very much uninteresting in a couple of months. For me the sounds I create must take their time to solidify in accordance with their own logics, and that’s something that I’m very mindful to always let flourish and thrive.

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Conjecture – Nostalgia Futura (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient, Experimental, electronic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Set up in 2013 by Greek artist Vasilis Angelopoulos, Conjecture has already released several productions on different labels like Ars Nocturna, Raumklang Music, Zoharum ao. This is the first work released by Cyclic Law which is meant as ‘an exploration of the rare psychological and neurological phenomenon known as Anticipatory Nostalgia.’ This is ‘a feeling of longing for something that has yet to occur or may not exist at all.’

Content: An interesting psychological concept which has been transposed into icy noises driven by crashing drones and heavy, electronic sound blasts. We get 4 extended cuts which have been slowly built up sometimes resulting in a true Cinematic format.

Listen to “I”:

Nostalgia Futura by Conjecture

+ + + : This album sounds different from the early work of the project. Conjecture seems to be in constant move and exploration of new sonic paths. I was deeply impressed by the great sound canvas this album has been made by. It’s maybe a kind of legacy from earlier IDM-productions Conjecture was dealing with. From heavy, blasting, and overwhelming passages toward refined parts with subtle bleeps this album appears to be an interesting sound labyrinth.

– – – : Both debut cuts are absolutely phenomenal while both last ones never reached a similar level. So the best is right at the beginning while the end rather sounds like an antithesis.

Conclusion: Conjecture remains an interesting project feeling comfortable dealing with multiple influences and (related) music styles.

Best songs: “II”, “I”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: https://vasilisangelopoulos.com / www.facebook.com/conjectreproject

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

About Conjecture

Conjecture is the project of Greek artist Vasilis Angelopoulos, set up in 2013. Earlier releases appeared on labels including Ars Nocturna, Raumklang Music and Zoharum, with a discography that includes the 2019 track “V”. “Nostalgia Futura” is the project’s first release on Cyclic Law, built around the concept of Anticipatory Nostalgia.

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Caldon Glover – Ùir (Album – Cryo Chamber)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: After the last year and astonishing “Labyrintia”-album released by Cyclic Law, American artist Cal Glover-Wessel strikes back with a new work this time released by Cryo Chamber. The idea behind this work deals with ‘dark ritualistic explorations of pre-Roman Celtic tribes lost in time.’

Content: The work reveals a different approach -although features related influences, than on “Labyrintia”. Drones, low sound treatments, resonating kicks and multiple field recordings are crossing each other in a dark and overwhelming production. Caldon Glover again injects vocals -and even throat singing, on different passages.

Listen to “Tiodhlacadh”:

Ùir by Caldon Glover

+ + + : The main power from this work emerges from the tremendous, dark, atmospheres, which are accentuated by low sound treatments. It creates a monstrous effect which is perfectly matching with this kind of work. “Tiodhlacadh” is an impressive, last cut but I also have to mention “Coilltean” and “Fògradh” for the strong, visual appeal. I personally prefer the previous album of Caldon Glover but I like the fact this artist isn’t repeating himself.

– – – : It’s not an easy thing striking back with a new masterpiece after the genius “Labyrintia”-opus. I was held more in the grip of the previous work although “Ùir” has it part of magic as well.

Conclusion: This work enlarges the sonic horizon of Cryo Chamber revealing a perfect twist between Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music.

Best songs: “Tiodhlacadh”, “Coilltean”, “Fògradh”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/cal.gloverwessel

Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber

About Caldon Glover

Caldon Glover is the solo project of American artist Cal Glover-Wessel, who previously recorded as Azfarat before retiring that name in favor of releasing music under his own name for more creative freedom. His debut Caldon Glover release was “Peddlers Of Pastel Delights”, followed by the 2022 album “Labyrintia” on Cyclic Law, built from processed acoustic instruments and field recordings. “Ùir” follows on Cryo Chamber, exploring dark ritualistic themes tied to pre-Roman Celtic tribes.

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Raison D’être releases 30 year anniversary 4CD boxset for ‘Prospectus I’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 11:26:18 +0000

Out on August 25th via Cyclic Law in a limited edition of 300 copies is the 30 year anniversary boxset of Raison D’être’s “Prospectus I” album. The set holds 4 CDs in sleeves, housed in a rigid box with lid, with matt lamination including a fold out 12 page booklet.

This classic dark ambient soundscape album was originally released in 1993 on the now defunct Cold Meat Industry label. Offered in this massive 4 CD boxset is a completely new re-recording of the original album, made in 2022, in order to obtain the highest sound quality and mix of this 30 year old opus.

Disc 2 in the set contains additional unreleased session tracks, also re-recorded in 2022. Disc 3 gives you the original album in a remastered version and finally disc 4 offers additional session tracks from the period in their original versions.

The boxset is a co-release with Yantra Atmospheres. Read the review of ‘Prospectus I’.

Prospectus I – Sublime Edition by raison d'être

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Pascal Savy – Simulacra (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Drone.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: French artist Pascal Savy is living in London (UK) and already busy for numerous years. “Simulacra” is his debut album for Cyclic Law and is inspired by the turmoil in the UK and world-wide.

Content: The tracks have been conceived by overwhelming, heavy sound waves. They’ll have been progressively built up and constructed from different field recordings and noise sources. There’s a mix of acoustic and electronic noises which have been manipulated into obscure sound waves. It creates an ominous sensation which is often ending into an obscure, poignant, sonic cataclysm.

+ + + : I can’t remember to have heard of this artist before but I can already tell you I’ll not soon forget the “Simulacra”-experience. Pascal Savy rather sounds as a sound engineer and technician instead of a true musician. He decompose and recompose sounds and noises creating a unique sound experience. But the magic of the work is also the way he built up his song structures. It makes me think to a spider which is patently building and rebuilding its web to catch insects. The spider has been transposed into a sound architect and the listeners are the spiders imprisoned in the web. It’s a tormenting sound experience but that’s exactly what I’m expecting listening to this kind of music. I like the sound treatments featuring low, buzzing, sounds which are reinforced by drones.

– – – : The very last cut of the work is the single piece which can’t convince me. It’s an antithesis to a great work although I’m not complaining.

Conclusion: “Simulacra” is a great piece of music revealing an artist who definitely has found his place among the great Cyclic Law roster.

Best songs: “Simulation Of Power”, “Hyperreality”, “Forever Radiant”, “Hyperspace Without Atmopshere”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.pascalsavy.bandcamp.com

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

Simulacra by PASCAL SAVY

About Pascal Savy

Pascal Savy is a French sound artist based in London, active in electronic music since the late 1990s. He started in techno and trance before the work of Autechre and Oval pushed him toward drone and ambient composition; by his own account the turn came around 2007, when he stripped the rhythmic and melodic elements from a track and brought its background layers to the fore. Savy released several full-length albums before signing to Cyclic Law for “Simulacra”, inspired by Jean Baudrillard’s “Simulacra and Simulation” and Mark Fisher’s “The Weird and the Eerie” and shaped around the political and social turmoil in the UK and elsewhere.

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Chaigidel & Neraterrae – Lamaštu (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Ritual.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This album is a collaboration between two Italian projects. Neraterræ (Alessio Antoni) is a more familiar name than Chaigidel (Mattia Giovanni Accinni) but they found each other working on “Lamaŝtu” which ‘pays tribute to the Mesopotamian mythological malevolent goddess, the most terrible of all female demons, daughter of the sky god Anu and lover of Pazuzu’.

Content: The album features 8 tracks leading the listener to visit a Dark-Ambient sound universe which has been spiced with extra Ritual elements plus drones. The tracks have been accomplished with field recordings and mysterious throat singing.

+ + + : I like the atmosphere recovering this album which is much more than simply dark-Ambient. The tormented sphere is empowered by those deep, and poignant, throat singing effect. The droning percussion parts are in total symbiosis with the singing. The opus stands for an anguishing adventure throughout an imaginary, forbidden, place.

– – – : This is a fascinating production which is just missing a true climax.

Conclusion: “Lamaštu” stands for a promising collaboration but I’ve the feeling this project can do better. So I hope there’ll be a next album.

Best songs: “Da’at”, “Entrails Of Souls”.

Rate: 7.

Artists: www.facebook.com/chaigidel / www.neraterrae.com / www.facebook.com/neraterrae

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

Lamaštu by CHAIGIDEL & NERATERRÆ

About Chaigidel & Neraterræ

Neraterræ is the dark ambient/ritual project of Italian producer Alessio Antoni, active since 2009 under the earlier name NHART. The project has released two prior albums via Cyclic Law, “The Substance Of Perception” (2019), a collaborative work featuring artists including Northaunt, Alexey Tegin, Treha Sektori and Ugasanie, and “Scenes From The Sublime” (2020). Chaigidel is the ritual and occult-focused project of fellow Italian producer Mattia Giovanni Accinni. “Lamaštu” is their first collaborative album, released via Cyclic Law in an edition limited to 300 copies, built from tuvan throat singing, tibetan bells, doumbek, balaban and ritual drums with Accinni handling the mix.

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Desiderii Marginis – Serenity / Rage (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Johan Levin strikes back with a new album of his main project Desiderii Marginis. The work is conceptual work dealing with the contradictory human capacity to do both good and evil, where clarity and insight can turn to blind overwhelming rage and how we find ourselves moving back and forth across this vast expanse of human emotions’.

Content: Desiderii Marginis creates a poignant sound atmosphere creating the illusion of desolation. Resonating dark sounds are joined by speeches around the concept of the theme. Overwhelming sound waves and heavy, droning, percussions move crescendo while string parts and field recordings are joining in. From pure Dark-Ambient towards Cinematic music this work is diversified.

+ + + : Johan Levin remains faithful to his favorite influences and elements in sounds without repeating himself. Each album sounds like living on its own while being part of a wider project. I like the apocalyptic sphere hanging over this opus which is reaching its summit at “New Flesh At The Demon Cold” and “The Hours Of Darkness”. The sampled speech parts inject a very own touch to the work while reinforcing the mysterious mood.

– – – : The work is not exactly what I consider as Desiderii Marginis’ best work in history although it remains intriguing and accomplished.

Conclusion: A fascinating exploration of the inner-self transposed into a dark sound canvas.

Best songs: “New Flesh At The Demon Cold”, “The Hours Of Darkness”, “I Was Destroying Icons”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062986161230

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

Serenity / Rage by DESIDERII MARGINIS

About Desiderii Marginis

Desiderii Marginis is the dark ambient project of Swedish musician Johan Levin, founded in 1993 in Mjölby, Sweden. The project released three self-issued tapes, “Consecrare”, “Via Peregrinus” and “Triptych”, later compiled on “Years Lend a Golden Charm” (2009), before its debut album “Songs Over Ruins” appeared on Cold Meat Industry in 1997. Later albums include “Deadbeat” (2001), “Strife” (2004), “The Ever Green Tree” (2005), “Vita Arkivet” (2018) and “Departed” (2020), followed by “Serenity / Rage” on Cyclic Law in 2023.

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Ritualistic black power ambient group Sutekh Hexen and soundscape artist Funerary Call to release joint Album ‘P:R:I:S:M’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 26 May 2023 11:22:36 +0000

Ritualistic black power ambient group Sutekh Hexen and Canadian soundscaping artist Funerary Call (Harlow MacFarlane) will release the 2LP album “P:R:I:S:M” on the fine French label Cyclic Law in cooperation with the US label Sentient Ruin.

“P:R:I:S:M” consists of eight tracks with a running time of 53:43 minutes, in which Sutekh Hexen and Funerary Call take listeners through a spectrum of experiences, exploring a narrative of unseen source energies, transformation, and harrowing harmonic passages.

The CD edition of “P:R:I:S:M” will be released in a limited run of 400 copies in 6 panel digisleeves. The vinyl 2LP edition will be released in a limited run of 500 copies. There will be 200 copies in clear red (not wholesaled or distributed) and 300 in standard black vinyl. The package will be presented in a high-quality matte laminated gatefold sleeve with black flood inside the pocket, spot UV gloss print, black poly-lined inner bags and a download card.

“P:R:I:S:M” is set to be released on July 14, 2023. It will also be available digitally via Bandcamp as you can see below where you can also order the limited editions on vinyl. Read the review of ‘Sutekh Hexen’.

P:R:I:S:M by SUTEKH HEXEN & FUNERARY CALL

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Click Interview with Ulvtharm: ‘Only My Imagination Is The Limit When It Comes To Sound Design’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Swedish artist Jouni Heikki Ollila aka Jouni Ulvtharm is a name that will for sure make ring a bell. He got involved with the legendary EBM duo Pouppée Fabrikk and the Dark-Ambient project MZ.412. He got also involved with other bands like Mr. Jones Machine, Project-X, Teleskop, Burg ao. By the end of last year he released the official debut-album of Ulvtharm entitled “Wrēkō”. This work released by Cyclic Law stands for a great, retro-like sounding production mixing Dark-Ambient and Industrial music. The atmospheres hanging over the work create an imaginary horror scape. The work has been accomplished by an impressive sound canvas resulting in a sophisticated production. “Wrēkō” is for sure one of the best albums in its genre from the past year.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You’ve been involved with that much bands and projects dealing with very different music genres. So how do you explain the need to already start with a ‘new’ project like Ulvtharm? What does Ulvtharm stand for -and especially in comparison or addition to other projects?

Jouni: I always have the need to create music, in any shape or form. Ulvtharm is really a derivative of demos that I initially made for the MZ.412 “Svartmyrkr”-album, but it did not fit the sound and mood so I put these aside. Once I listened back on the demos, I found a message in the music that needed to be shared, and this is want sparked the idea to make a solo project as ULVTHARM.

Q: I think to have read about the origins of Ulvtharm it all started when you were living in Malaysia, right? Tell us a bit more about it and in which way did it have an influence/impact on the music and the album you composed?

Jouni: Yes, the Ulvtharm recordings were started in Malaysia, however only as demos. I did not start re-recording everything until I moved back to Sweden in 2019/2020, and at that time the world was hit with the pandemic. It was a particularly dark period in my life, it exposed the darker side of my psyche, and I think it heavily influenced the impending doom and end-of-times themes on the album.

Q: I think it’s interesting to see how different places and different cultures can have an influence on artists. It all looks like a very personal mental process. What’s your experience and perception? And are there specific places you would like to stay and/or visit to get inspiration?

Jouni: For me, moving back to Sweden has helped a lot with inspiration; in these parts of the world, we spend the majority our days surrounded by darkness with very little sunlight in the autumn and winter. This helps to spawn new ideas and draw energy from the cold void; it’s refreshing and helps me focus on the music that needs to be done, especially when doing Dark-Ambient and Industrial music.

Q: “Wrēkō” sounds like a very personal and even intimate work. Can we speak about a conceptual work or what is it all about? What have been the different stages in the writing and production of “Wrēkō”?

Jouni: “Wrēkō” is indeed very personal, it is a revenge on my own self, on my ego, for not taking these creative steps earlier. It is the Alpha and Omega.

Q: The dark atmospheres recovering this album but also the global sound treatments and production have a very explicit retro-like feeling, reminding me to early 80s artists dealing with Industrial/Dark-Ambient music. Tell us a bit more about the ‘sound’ properly speaking and what equipment and gear did you use?

Jouni: I use a lot of hardware instruments and synthesizers when composing; for me it is only natural since this is the way I have been making music since the 80’s. My eurorack modular system plays a very important role on the album; many of the electronic buzzing and harsher passages are made on that system. For me, the modular synthesizer is key when creating heavy drones and Dark-Ambient passages, only my imagination is the limit when it comes to sound design. Also, there is a lot of acoustic instruments and field recordings heavily treated by both my modular system and effect pedals, a wide array of soundscapes which are then later puzzled together in my computer which serves as an advanced multitrack recorder.

Q: I’m always fascinated when an artist is involved with that much projects/bands and music genres. How do you switch from one project till the other and where does this eclectic side comes from? Are there specific genres you still want to explore?

Jouni: This is a cyclical thing really depending on the state of my mind and from where I draw my influences. As an example, after making the Ulvtharm album my ideas were completely depleted, and I needed to feed my mind other influences to cater to the urge to compose new materials. At this point, it was natural to change genre; my artistic and creative senses need different input depending on the music I need to make. It was easy for me to move to Burg, to start working on the “Pendulum Swing” album which had sensory inputs like popular science, sci-fi books and movies. I switched my mind to these new influences and started my musical journey on a completely different project. I have found over the years that I cannot walk in the same shoes musically; I need to make these changes else I will quickly get bored and there will be no music made at all.

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Click Interview with Caldon Glover: ‘I Love The Freedom And Fluidity That Came From The Early Industrial Scene’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 18:00:00 +0000

American artist Cal Glover-Wessel last year released a new album as Caldon Glover. “Labyrinth” released by Cyclic Law became without a shadow of a doubt my favorite Dark-Ambient production from 2022. The work is carried by dense and poignant, tormented, atmospheres reminding great productions from the early 80s. I got in touch with Cal to get more info about his work.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Most of the people probably know you for your work under the Azfarat moniker. So how did you finally come to start releasing work as Caldon Glover and what makes the differences between both projects?

Cal: I actually stopped using the Azfarat name/ project a few years ago, I’m a bit surprised you’ve heard it! When I started making music as Azfarat, around 2013 or so, I was much more inspired by harsh Noise and early Industrial Soundscapes, but as time went on Azfarat started becoming more atmospheric, until it got the point that you couldn’t really tell my Azfarat releases apart from my Caldon Glover ones. I ended up retiring the project because of the similarities between the two, and because I felt I had more creative freedom simply releasing music under my own name, more like a composer or a writer, and worried that if I stuck with a project name than people would expect every release to sound the same.

Q: Did you’d specific ideas in mind, influences and eventually criteria when setting up this project?

Cal: I didn’t really, when I started releasing music under my own name, about four years ago, it was just because I had some ideas I wanted to explore that didn’t fit under the Azfarat moniker. My influences early on were more 90s and early 2000s Electronic music, the stuff I grew up listening to like Orbital. My first Caldon Glover release, “Peddlers Of Pastel Delights”, is markedly different from what I’ve been releasing recently (there’re drums!), but it was always my intention to let my style and focus shift with what I found exciting. There’s quite a disparity between all of my releases because of this, and it’s entirely possible that what I end up recording in a few years will sound very different than what I’m releasing now.

Q: You already released a few productions during the past few years. How do you see the project growing and evolving in sound, production and global approach?

Cal: It’s very important to me to gravitate towards what’s exciting to me, right now I’m very fascinated with Drone and subtle dissonance, and utilizing found sound and field recording. I have a deep love for early Industrial music, especially Einstürzende Neubauten and Coil, and I try to let those influences permeate my current work because I love the freedom and fluidity that came from the early Industrial scene. The way that it was filled with people who weren’t really musicians in the technical sense but felt such a powerful urge to create that they ended up creating something new and strange and wonderful because they didn’t really know what they were doing, I try to hold on to that ethos with everything I do.

I also have trouble doing the same thing twice, I get stagnated and bored, so I’m always looking for something new to try. Soundwise, I can’t really predict how I’ll shift in the next few years, but I know I’m getting more focused and allowing myself to take more time with my projects, which I thinks makes them better. I’m trying to take more risks as well, which could result in better music or much, much worse music but either way I’m excited to find out.

Q: Let’s talk about the new album “Labyrintia” which seems to be a conceptual work. What is it all about and how did you transpose the concept/themes into sound?

Cal: I’ve always been really fascinated by mazes, not really solving them so much but more by their meaning and their presence. They’re strange, filled with mystery, and a bit spiritual in some ways. And it always struck me as interesting that mazes and labyrinths seem to exist in a lot of very different and isolated cultures across the world. And so I thought, what if it’s all one maze? What if a single massive labyrinth, older than humanity, cuts across and through our universe and through all of time and that’s why the maze is such a ubiquitous symbol across the world? And I let my imagination run from there.

Soundwise, I wanted to convey not only a structure that was massive and timeless, but the culture of the people caught in this colossal otherworldly structure, so I combined the old with the new. There’s a lot of electronic Soundscapes in “Labyrintia”, but I also recorded, and in some cases heavily altered, a lot of acoustic instruments, such as a mountain dulcimer and a reeded Kaval. It can be hard to tell because of how much heavy editing I did, but quite a lot of “Labyrintia” is found sound too, lots and lots of extremely processed field recordings went into the album. In the end there ended up being very little actual synth work, which I think added a lot to the overall strange texture of the piece.

Q: What have been the different stages in the writing and achievement of “Labyrintia” you’d to go through? And did you experience challenges and major difficulties?

Cal: The beginning was the hardest. The concept came to me easily, as I mentioned I’ve always been a little obsessed with mazes, but early on I hit a bit of a wall trying to figure out the best way to convey the theme sonically. It came to me while I was camping on a mountain with my partner, we had taken a bit of acid and I was laying down, I may have fallen asleep or maybe my mind was just really wandering, but I had my eyes closed and I started seeing all of these tableaus of alien worlds where strange creatures danced in circles with even stranger instruments. At one point I saw these four creatures, like thin grey people with extremely long necks all dressed in gold singing towards the sky, and their singing created a star. These images of a sort of alien bacchanal broke through my writers block and inspired me to use acoustic instruments as part of the process, to try and create a world both familiar and alien.

After that it started to fall into place. I spent a lot of time just collecting sound, recording and processing all these bits and pieces and then stitching them all together later. I work at a store that sells all sorts of musical instruments so I’d come home each day with some new thing to try to record and I’d run the recording through all sorts of effects or pitch it up or down, just trying everything and seeing what stuck. It was a little chaotic and I had to kind of take a breather every once in a while and let myself get focused again so I could actually finish a piece. Eventually I felt like the album was very nearly finished but was still missing something, so I had my friend, credited on the album as Ryan Wade Ruehlen, come record a few parts. He does a lot of very out there Experimental music based around wind instruments, and he brought over a baritone sax and a home-made instrument that was a few lengths of flexible pipe with a sax mouthpiece on one end a removable funnel on the other, and we recorded these insane otherworldly sounds using just those instruments, and that was what finally tied the album together for me.

Q: How do you expect things evolving for Caldon Glover and what’s in the pipeline for 2023?

Cal: It’s hard to say what I expect from the future, but I’m always creating, always exploring sound, and hopefully always getting better! I don’t want to say too much yet, but I’ve recently finished another album that I think complements “Labyrintia”, and we’ll hopefully be seeing it in the spring this year, so keep an eye out! And thanks for having me!

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Darja Kazimira – Monochromia (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Experimental, Ethereal, Cinematic, Ritual.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Hailing from Latvia Darja Kazimira has already released multiple works. This album is a remastered work originally released in 2016. It’s a conceptual album inspired by the ceremony of ‘following the dead’.

Content: The essence of this work and artist is based upon the power and magic of vocals. Darja Kazimira invited 4 singers who together with her performed a very unique way of singing; a kind of lamentation. The music remains very minimal, only featuring a few tones.

+ + + : The vocals performance resulting in a kind of sacred, mysterious, and deeply ritual chants has something magic and hypnotic. The way the vocalists are singing together is absolutely divine and excels at “Morpheus”. The very last song “Monochromia” is one of the deepest, Ritual, tracks of the work but it also reflects a state of desolation.

– – – : If you don’t like the magic of secret voices you definitely will have difficulties to endure this work.

Conclusion: This is a particular experience revealing a higher dimension of singing.

Best songs: “Monochromia”, “Morpheus”, “Introduction”, “Black Water And Lamentation”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/darjakazimirazimina

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

About Darja Kazimira

Darja Kazimira is an experimental vocalist and multi-instrumentalist of Latgalian-Ukrainian origin, based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her work spans ritual ambient, free improvisation, and avant-folk, built around an extended vocal range and techniques drawn from mourning and lamentation traditions. “Monochromia” was originally released in 2016 as a conceptual album inspired by the ceremony of following the dead, and has since been reissued in a remastered edition.

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Common Eider, King Eider – Yearn (Album – Cyclic Law / Breath Sun Bone Blood)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The Californian (USA) collective Common Eider, King Eider are back on track unleashing their thirteenth album to date. The work was released at the end of 2022 and features five tracks.

Content: The viola is the main characteristic in this composition. It creates a deeply melancholic mood which is joined by percussion and vocals. All together it creates a deeply, dreamy, and melancholic mood. The ghost-like vocal passages have something apocalyptic.

+ + + : I already heard great productions by this collective and I was often conquered by an authentic touch running through their work. It doesn’t sound that different for “Yearn” but the artistic achievement became only more noticeable. I have to admit I’m really connected with the unique sound of viola which for sure supports this work with a dark, dreamy atmosphere which also becomes spooky because of the spoken and whispering-like vocals. Both debut tracks are brilliant.

– – – : No true minus points to mention but the best tracks are right at the beginning of the work.

Conclusion: “Yearn” sounds as an intimate sonic travel throughout an imaginary, melancholic universe.

Best songs: “II”, “I”, “IV”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/CommonEiderKingEiderCaribouPeople

Labels: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw / https://breathsunboneblood.com / www.facebook.com/breathsunboneblood

About Common Eider, King Eider

Common Eider, King Eider is a dark ambient and drone project from San Francisco, California, formed in the mid-2000s. Its discography includes “How To Build A Cabin” (2007), “Figs, Wasps, And Monotremes” (2008), and the 2013 releases “Worn” and “Earth Liver”.

Later albums include “Shrines For The Unwanted, Respite For The Cast Aside” (2017), “Égrégore” (2019), and “Palimpseste” (2020), released on labels including Cyclic Law. The band’s thirteenth album, “Yearn”, followed in late 2022, reviewed above.

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Curse All Kings – Inversion (Album – Cyclic Law / Breath Sun Bone Blood)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This is the second album by Curse All Kings; an American project based in Berlin (Germany) driven by Rob Fisk (Common Eider, King Eider).

Content: Just as on the new Common Eider, King Eider-album, this work is also driven by the magic of viola. We get 4 extended tracks which are constantly moving from Dark-Ambient into Cinematic music and vice versa. Dark, humming, sound waves, strings, low sound treatments and even organ sounds create a very intimate sphere.

+ + + : And just as the last Common Eider, King Eider-album I also like this work. I don’t want to compare both albums to each other but you clearly notice there are similarities. It all sounds pretty ghost-like, tickling our imagination to face an ominous world. Both the opening- and last track are absolute attention grabbers.

– – – : Even if I truly like the last track, it’s maybe a bit too long going over the 35 minutes.

Conclusion: This work makes me think of a graceful horror production.

Best songs: “The House Painted Black With Ash And Blood”, “A Meditation For Inversion”.

Rate: 8.

Labels: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw / https://breathsunboneblood.com / www.facebook.com/breathsunboneblood

About Curse All Kings

Curse All Kings is the American dark ambient project of Rob Fisk, based in Berlin, Germany. Its debut album, “Negation”, was released via Breath Sun Bone Blood in late 2020.

The second album, “Inversion”, followed on Cyclic Law and Breath Sun Bone Blood in 2022, reviewed above. A third album, “Feral Earth”, was released in 2024.

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Dødsmaskin – Herremoral / Slavemoral (Album – Ant-Zen)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Power-Noise, Industrial, Experimental.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: After having released albums on Malignant Records, Cyclic Law and Tesco the Norwegian formation DÃ¸dsmaskin released their sixth album on Ant-Zen. The work features two parts directly inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s ‘thinking on master-slave morality’.

Content: DÃ¸dsmaskin never totally repeat themselves although there also is a kind of common thread between their works. They here again reveal themselves as true sonic- and noise manipulators. The work sounds extremely powerful creating a sonic puzzle carried by overwhelming blasts and haunting atmospheres.

+ + + : DÃ¸dsmaskin remains a kind of sonic enigma to me. It’s hard to define their work because it’s hard to catch. But they always have this inspiration to handle and manipulate sounds and noises in a kind of ‘free-style’. The way they inject rhythms to their work makes it all more accessible. The album sounds diversified and sounds as an intelligent and sometimes even minimal Noise format which excels at “Imperium” and “FordÃ¸mte Svin!”.

– – – : DÃ¸dsmaskin however remains not the most easiest experience to listen.

Conclusion: Nietzsche is not exactly the most accessible philosopher to read which in a way stands for this new work by DÃ¸dsmaskin; but the common thread between them both is the fascination they awake by the audience.

Best songs: “Imperium”, “FordÃ¸mte Svin!”, “Virkeligheten”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/Dodsmaskinofficial

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About DÃ¸dsmaskin

DÃ¸dsmaskin is a Norwegian duo from Drammen, formed at the end of 2014 by Peter Vindel and Kjetil Ottersen. The pair describe their music as noise-oriented drone, also labeled death-industrial, mixing noise, drone, power electronics and dark ambient. Their official debut album, “Fullstendig Brent”, was released on Malignant Records.

The duo’s earlier recording “Ingenting”, finalized in June 2015, later received its first official release via the dark ambient label Cyclic Law in a limited edition of 300 copies, mastered at Black Knoll Studio by Rafael Anton Irisarri. DÃ¸dsmaskin went on to release material through Tesco before issuing “Herremoral / Slavemoral”, their sixth album, on Ant-Zen, split into two parts inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche’s writing on master-slave morality.

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Ulvtharm – Wrēkō (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Industrial.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This is the debut album of
Jouni Heikki Ollila under the Ulvthram moniker. The name of this Swedish artist must surely ring a bell. He has been involved with EBM formation Pouppée Fabrikk and Industrial/Ambient project MZ.412. “Wrēkō” has been written over a period of several years. It all started when Jouni lived in Malaysia and was achieved when he returned to Sweden.

Content: This work brings us back to the early days and origins of 80s Industrial/Ambient music. The overwhelming production is featuring vintage string parts, epic arrangements reminding me of the early years of In Slaughter Natives, crashing percussions and passages with grave vocals.

+ + + : This is a great piece of music revealing a retro Industrial/Ambient style reminding me legendary artists from the 80s Industrial movement. The tracks have been composed with an impressive sound canvas. The tracks are progressively built up until reaching a true sound orgasm which you might experience at “All The Lambs” and “Death Of The Locusts”. The ghost-like vocals are perfectly matching with the style and also accentuating the perturbing sensation when listening to this opus.

– – – : The album features 5 cuts but the final one sounds unfortunately as an anticlimax to the rest of the work.

Conclusion: “Wrēkō” sounds darker than the night and more frightening than terror which makes it sound as the perfect Dark-Ambient release.

Best songs: “All The Lambs”, “Death Of The Locusts”, “God Of Sleep”, “We Will All Abandon You”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: www.facebook.com/ulvtharm412

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

About Ulvtharm

Ulvtharm is the solo project of Swedish musician Jouni Heikki Ollila, also known for his work in Pouppée Fabrikk and MZ.412, as well as Mr. Jones Machine, Project-X, Teleskop, and Burg. The Ulvtharm material grew out of demos originally made for MZ.412’s “Svartmyrkr” album, which did not fit that project’s sound. Ollila began the recordings while living in Malaysia and completed them after moving back to Sweden around 2019-2020. “Wrēkō”, his debut album under the Ulvtharm name, was released on Cyclic Law.

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SK2N – Derealization (Album – SK2N)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: SK2N is a Czech solo-project. The new work released by the end of last year has been announced by the artist as the result of important changes in his life; living isolated and disconnected from the world and social media.

Content: The sound universe of SK2N is a meticulous mix between obscure Cinematic sound creation and pure Dark-Ambient influences. The tracks have been progressively built up until reaching their ultimate point.

+ + + : I was deeply impressed by this album creating a true sonic bridge between Cinematic- and Dark-Ambient music. The obscure, disturbing sound atmosphere is tickling our darkest inner thoughts so the visual strength of the work is obvious. I also want to mention the way the tracks have been constructed with overwhelming sound treatments. Tracks like “Desolation”, “Degradation”, “Devastation” and “Desperation” reveal the genius of this composer.

– – – : No real minus points to mention.

Conclusion: “Derealization” is one of the best Dark-Ambient / Cinematic releases from the past years. This work will appeal to fans of labels like Cyclic Law, Winter-Light ao.

Best songs: “Desolation”, “Degradation”, “Devastation”, “Desperation”, “Deprivation”, “Deformation”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: https://sk2n.bandcamp.com

Derealization by SK2N

About SK2N

SK2N is a Czech solo project working in Cinematic and Dark-Ambient sound. According to the artist, “Derealization” grew out of a period of personal isolation and disconnection from social media, and its self-released tracks are built up gradually toward extended, overwhelming sound treatments.

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Caldon Glover – Labyrinthia (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: American artist Cal Glover-Wessel joined hands together with Cyclic Law to unleash the new Caldon Glover album. He’s also busy under the Azfarat moniker.

Content: From the very first seconds of this work you feel absorbed into a work of darkness and torment. “Labyrinthia” is an album reminding me of good-old Dark-Ambient productions. Low, resonating, sound sculptures now and then recovered with whispering, ghost-like, vocals bring the listener into a state of confusion. The album is now and then reminding me of the early magic of Lustmord.

+ + + : I wasn’t familiar at all with Caldon Glover and had a true shock discovering this album. This music stands for top notch Dark-Ambient; well-crafted and meticulous compositions with a strong visual appeal. The music clearly stands for obscurity; the most hidden and tormented places of the human brain symbolized by irresistible, disturbing, low sounds. The album reveals a succession of masterpieces. This is without a shadow of a doubt the best Cyclic Law-production from 2022!

– – – : No real minus points to mention.

Conclusion: Caldon Glover has accomplished a true masterpiece in Dark-Ambient music.

Best songs: “The Door In The Unnamed Tower”, “A Cyclopean Plexus”, “For Orcus”, “Summoning The Cartographer”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: https://caldonglover.wordpress.com / www.facebook.com/caldonglovermusic

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

About Caldon Glover

Caldon Glover is the recording name of American artist Cal Glover-Wessel. He began releasing music under his own name around 2019, starting with “Peddlers Of Pastel Delights”, after retiring his earlier Azfarat project. Azfarat, active from around 2013, started out rooted in harsh noise and early industrial soundscapes before drifting toward the same atmospheric territory as his Caldon Glover work, which led him to consolidate the two. “Labyrinthia”, released on Cyclic Law, followed earlier releases under his own name and was named Side-Line’s pick for best Cyclic Law production of 2022. Glover-Wessel discussed his approach and influences, including 1990s and early-2000s electronic acts such as Orbital, in a 2023 Side-Line interview.

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øjeRum – Reversed Cathedral (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Paw Grabowski has been active as øjeRum for numerous years and has released an endless number of productions on a wide range of labels. This Danish artist is also a talented collage artist. “Reversed Cathedral” is his first work released by Cyclic Law.

Content: “Reversed Cathedral” is an opus inviting the listener to join in for an imaginary journey throughout the abyss. It’s a work to dream away and with an explicit cinematic appeal.

+ + + : The main characteristic of the work is the use of a Mannborg Harmonium. I first didn’t know what this sound was all about but it’s a very specific and mysterious sound which also has something deeply authentic. The way the album has been produced creates an overwhelming and prosper effect which in a way fits to the title of the album. It creates a visual appeal which is mainly coming through at “The Smile” and “The Gift”.

– – – : The songs become pretty similar after a while. The album also has something atypical for the Cyclic Law roster. It took me time to get into it.

Conclusion: øjeRum brings a part of dark prosperity to Cyclic Law but I can’t say this is the best label release of the year.

Best songs: “The Smile”, “The Gift”, “The Appearing”.

Rate: 6½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/oejerum

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

About øjeRum

øjeRum is the solo project of Danish artist Paw Grabowski, also known under his full name Pawel Grabowski. He has released material across a wide range of labels and is also active as a collage artist, work that informs the visual side of his releases. “Reversed Cathedral” marked his first release for Cyclic Law, a label known for ritual ambient and dark drone material.

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Top 25 albums of the year 2022

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 18:08:55 +0000

(By Stéphane Froidcoeur for Inferno Sound Diaries/Side-Line Reviews) 2022 has been once again a sad, bloody and terrible year. Living in a mad world music once more remains a true therapy to appease pain and frustration. Concerts and festivals came back; the perfect place to meet friends again. Artists remain prolific releasing great studio work. So I’m once more closing the year by a personal selection of my very own ‘best of’-albums of the year.

Over 700 productions have been selected while 540 reviews have been made all over the year. Some productions have been refused because the style of music didn’t fit, while other reviews will be postponed to 2023. I’m really grateful to all labels, bands and promoters considering my work and efforts and I hope you’ll go on providing me new promos next year.

I one again have to express my deepest gratitude to Rich Bova (NEIKKA RPM) who for years and years now is reading, correcting and improving my reviews. Without Rich there would be no reviews. I also want to thank Bernard Van Isacker – chief redactor Side-Line Music Magazine – for the successful collaboration.

Up now to 2023. I already reduced my activities this year and will move on reducing it in 2023. I made my first reviews and interviews back in 1991 (!). Some of the readers and artists weren’t even born when I wrote my first review for Side-Line. So after more than 30 years non-stop activities I think it’s not that strange to move on slowly.

I also want to express a big ‘F*** you’ to so-called ‘artists’ and label owners who don’t realise and appreciate the work I’m doing by making reviews and preparing interviews to get them in the spotlights. The attitude and less of respect shown by those people – luckily a very few number – is just unacceptable… but I’m afraid it reflects the world we’re living in… Behind a genius artist is not always hiding a great person… It’s quite strange to realise the ’biggest’- and long-time established artists from this scene often are the most accessible ones.

Writing reviews remains very ‘subjective’ and always a source of discussion, but keep in mind it will be always the perception of the reviewer. I can assure you I’m always trying to argue my reviews the best as possible. A review will be never objective, but has to be honest!

Like every year I’ve made a selection from the best albums of the year. This ‘TOP 25’ covers different styles like EBM, Dark-Electro, IDM, Synth-Pop, Ethereal, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematographic, Gothic, Post-Punk, Cold/Dark-Wave, Dark-Techno and a few related genres. It remains an exciting but tough exercise.

This ‘TOP 25’ is taken from the promotional material I got while compilations, ‘best of’-productions, EP’s and singles were not considered.

So, here’s my ‘TOP 25’ from 2022 and don’t forget to share it with your friends….

Top 25 albums 2022

IVARDENSPHERE: “Ragemaker” – Metropolis Records
DIE ROBO SAPIENS : “Robo Sapien Race” – Alfa Matrix
EBE04 : “Inrush – Give/Take
CALDON GLOVER: “Labyrintia” – Cyclic Law
ROME: “Hegemonikon” – Trisol
NEIKKA RPM: “Scorpio In The Hourglass – Alfa Matrix
VANGUARD: “Spectrum” – Infacted Recordings
SUICIDE COMMANDO: “Goddestructor” – Out Of Line
ELM: “Penetrator” – Alfa Matrix
OBERER TOTPUNKT: “Totentanz” – Danse Macabre Records
THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE: “Fascination” – Metropolis Records
BLACKBOOK: “Confessions Of The Innocent” – DarkTunes Music Group
BEYOND THE GHOST: “Sundown” – Cryo Chamber
THEN COMES SILENCE: “Hunger” – Metropolis Records
PRINCIPE VALLIENTE: “Barricades” – Metropolis Records
DAWN OF ASHES: “Scars Of The Broken” – Artoffact Records
MONSTERGOD: “Ozymandias” – Space Race Records
STATIQBLOOM: “Threat” – Sonic Groove Records
AXIOME: “Field Guide To Alien Planets And Other Disco Balls – Audiophob
REICHSFEIND: “Darken” – Alfa Matrix
FIRST AID 4 SOULS: “I Am The Night” – Alfa Matrix
ORDO ROSARIUS EQUILIBRIO: “Nihilist Notes And The Perputual Quest 4 Meaning In Nothing” – Out Of Line
KILL SHELTER: “Asylum” – Manic Depression Records / Metropolis Records
JAGATH: “Svapna” – Cold Spring Records
KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND: “Voodoo” – Shyrec

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Cyclic Law celebrates its 20th anniversary with a label sampler, ‘Cyclic Law’s 20th Anniversary Label Sampler’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 12:05:24 +0000

Cyclic Law celebrates its 20th anniversary with a label sampler, “Cyclic Law’s 20th Anniversary Label Sampler”, featuring exclusive material from 22 artists on 20 tracks.

On the release you’ll find material from Ajna, Ascending Divers, Ashtoreth, Beckahesten, Curse All Kings, Desiderii Marginis, Funerary Call, Kammarheit, Leila Abdul-Rauf, Neraterræ & Dødsmaskin, New Risen Throne & Corona Barathri, Nordvargr, Øjerum, Shedir, Shrine, Sophia, Sutek Hexen, Taphephobia, Visions and Vortex.

The release will be out on December 21st as a double CD Edition of 500 copies in gatefold digisleeve with a 180x120mm poster.

You can pre-order the release right here.

Since its inception in 2002, Cyclic Law has been active in the fields of ambient, experimental and industrial soundscapes. Next to the label there is also Cyclic Press, a publishing house releasing high quality art books by international visual artists and on top it’s distributing various occult and esoterica publishing houses. The third panel of Cyclic Law is Cyclic Law Mastering which offers audio mastering services open to any style of music, but with a wider knowledge of all styles of electronic music, from ambient to techno.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Ascending Divers – Watery Domain (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Ascending Divers is one of the latest signings to Cyclic Law. It’s a French project driven by Hugo Champion -who’s still involved with other projects. After multiple self-released productions “Watery Domain” clearly serves as a recognition. The album is meant as an ode to oceanic myths.

Content: The concept of the work is transposed into a poignant abyssal atmosphere recovered with ghost-like voices and obscure sonic moods. I also noticed a passage with explicit electronic bleeps. Another track evokes the mysterious sound atmosphere of Dead Can Dance while another cut has something psychedelic.

+ + + : Ascending Divers creates a dark reverie. It’s an album with a true visual strength which is totally fitting to the theme about oceanic myths. The tracks have been meticulously worked out with care for diversity.

– – – : This is a great opus which however took me several listenings before I really got into it.

Conclusion: “Watery Domain” is a mesmerizing work for all lovers of poignant Cinematic music.

Best songs: “Spinning Lantern Dance”, “Mother-Of-Pearl Nest”, “Ear The Shell Speech”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100024269810333

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

About Ascending Divers

Ascending Divers is the dark ambient, neoclassical and drone project of French musician Hugo Champion, based in Toulouse. Working under the alias since self-releasing a string of early recordings, including “Blizzards”, “Above Tartarus”, “Rêverie Sur Le Seuil”, “A Falling Rocket”, the two-part “Alleviation”, “Métamorphes”, “The Tide” and “My Garden”, Champion built the project’s catalog largely outside label structures. “Watery Domain” marks the project’s signing to Cyclic Law, following those self-released productions.

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Nordvargr – Resignation I-II-III (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Techno, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, 3CD, 3Vinyl.

Background/Info: Henrik Nordvargr Björkk strikes back with a new and massive production under his own name. This album features twenty seven songs. The album- and vinyl mixes seem to be different, which makes it even more interesting.

Content: Nordvargr is an artist I’ve always linked with Ultra-Dark-Ambient and Experimental stuff. This work features typical tracks in this genre, but also takes the listener by surprise. Nordvargr mixed his obscure sound atmospheres with Techno kicks. The result is surprising and definitely injecting something new to Techno- and Dark-Ambient genres.

+ + + : The mix of opposite influences -at least 2 styles you don’t really imagine to be complementary, is definitely one of the biggest challenges in the career of Nordvargr. But the Swedish giant is also a genius. He merges both influences with a surprising harmony. You need a few tracks to get used to it, but once you’re in it you’ll realize the originality and efficiency of this sonic osmosis. Some passages are even ending into Trance while the electronic layers remains obscure and creating a tormented atmosphere.

– – – : Three albums is a lot and even if the work is varied, it remains a particular experience in sound, which I’m sure will be not praised by Dark-Ambient ‘purists’.

Conclusion: This album by Nordvargr sounds like dance music for ghosts.

Best songs: “4IV – Rmx”, “3III”, “1I”, “4IV”, “Totem Visitations”, “Evil Eyes Impaled”, “When Serpents Appear – BURG Rmx”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.nordvargr.com / www.facebook.com/hnordvargr

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

About Nordvargr

Behind Nordvargr is Swedish musician Henrik Nordvargr Björkk. At sixteen he bought a Roland SH-101 synthesizer and started recording music inspired by DAF and Front 242, work that led to the band Pouppée Fabrikk. In 1988 Björkk became part of the black industrial group Maschinenzimmer 412, later Mz.412, whose first album “Malfeitor” was released on Cold Meat Industry in 1989.

Björkk has since recorded under his own name, as Nordvargr and as Folkstorm, and in collaborations with Trepaneringsritualen and Thomas Ekelund. Cold Spring first issued the album “Pyrrhula” in 2008 and released a vinyl edition of that album in a limited run of 500 copies in 2021.

“Resignation I-II-III” was released by Cyclic Law on digital, 3CD and 3LP, with twenty seven tracks and different album and vinyl mixes.

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Den Sorte Død – Depressiv Magi (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Ambient-Electro, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: ‘Offermose’ and ‘Angst’ are back on track unleashing the fifth full length of their common project Den Sorte Død. The new work was preceded by the re-release of their “Undergangen”-album.

Content: The production is totally comparable to the sound and approach of “Undegangen”. This Swedish duo deals with a good-old Ambient format reminding the pioneers in the genre and the magic of vintage equipment. Some tracks also have a psychedelic touch on top.

+ + + : Den Sorte Død takes me by surprise as I didn’t exactly expect this kind of music released by Cyclic Law. But it’s also a great surprise discovering projects with a different approach and not only dealing with pure Dark-Ambient. The music has a strong visual appeal, but still a relaxing effect. I like the magic of the sound treatments giving me the sensation of waking somewhere in the late 70s – early 80s.

– – – : It remains a fascinating experience in sound and Ambient music, but after a while it all starts to get a bit predictable while there’s no absolute apotheosis.

Conclusion: Den Sorte Død leads the listener into a dark, astral, whirlwind.

Best songs: “Den Kosmiske Forbandelse “, “Den Evindelige Skygge”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/densortedoed

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

Listen to “Depressiv Magi”:

Depressiv Magi by DEN SORTE DØD

About Den Sorte Død

Den Sorte Død, a name that translates as The Black Death, is a ritual project by the Swedish artists working as Offermose and Angst. The duo self-released “Undergangen” in a limited edition in 2019 before joining the Cyclic Law roster.

Cyclic Law reissued “Undergangen” on 22 July 2022 and released “Depressiv Magi” on the same day. “Depressiv Magi” is the duo’s fifth album and runs 36:57 across six tracks. The label pressed 300 gatefold vinyl copies with matt lamination and 300 CDs in a four-panel digisleeve, each in the same run length as the reissue.

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Den Sorte Død – Undergangen (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Ambient-Electro, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: The Swedish duo Den Sorte Død -which can be translated as The Black Death, joined hands together with Cyclic Law and re-release “Undergangen” originally released in 2019 as digital- and vinyl production.

Content: The work features the 7 original songs leading the listener into a pure Ambient-Electro sphere with a wink to pioneers like J.M. Jarre, but with a darker approach. The tracks have been progressively built up, featuring multiple astral sounds and bleeps while driven by down-tempo rhythms.

+ + + : Den Sorte Død is a surprising signature to the Cyclic Law roster, but on the other hand it also enlarges the sonic horizon of the label. I like the analogue sound treatments and effects, which sound pretty retro-like although with a personal, obscure touch on top. The opener, which is the title-track, is a master cut.

– – – : It’s a pity the production remains instrumental. I perfectly imagine spoken vocals and/or chants emerging now and then.

Conclusion: Dark and relaxing space-music.

Best songs: “Undergangen”, “Dyster Köld Mörker”, “Dödsdans I Skogsbrand”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/densortedoed

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

Listen to “Undergangen”:

Undergangen by DEN SORTE DØD

About Den Sorte Død

Den Sorte Død is a ritual project by the Swedish artists working as Offermose and Angst. The pair first issued “Undergangen” themselves in 2019 in a limited self-released edition, presenting the record as a spell cast from the forests of Sweden.

Cyclic Law brought the album back on 22 July 2022 on CD and vinyl, on the same day it released the duo’s fifth full length, “Depressiv Magi”. Both titles were pressed in runs of 300 copies per format. The reissue carries the seven original tracks.

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Shrine – Nausicaä (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Bulgarian artist Hristo Gospodinov is back on track unleashing a new album of his Shrine music project. After having released an album on Cryo Chamber he moved back to Cyclic Law releasing an album based on ‘a Japanese manga from the 80’s by Hayao Miyazaki and the subsequent anime of the same name.’

Content: Shrine remains faithful to elements of Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music. It remains a dark work mixing the aforementioned influences together with slow rhythms and analogue-like sound treatments. I also noticed a few different cuts like a pure ambient piece reminding me of pioneers in the Electro-Ambient style and a last cut, which sounds like early Delerium.

+ + + : Shrine doesn’t exactly repeat itself, but dares to explore new sonic paths. The work sounds diversified revealing different noticeable tracks. “Extinction” is a brilliant and poignant creation revealing pure darkness, but I especially like the way this cut has been progressively built up. That’s a trademark which also comes back in a few more songs and even creates a Trance sensation. “A World Reborn” is the most surprising cut for being something different. I like the slow cadence, but especially the icy sound treatments. This track will appeal to early-Delerium lovers.

– – – : This is probably the most unique Shrine album I’ve ever heard. I can easily imagine it will not please all Shrine lovers.

Conclusion: Shrine remains an interesting experience in Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music.

Best songs: “A World Reborn”, “Extinction”, “Twilight Of Man”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: http://shrine.me.uk

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

About Shrine

Hristo Gospodinov founded Shrine in Bulgaria in 2003. Early releases came out on Corvus Records. The project later joined Cyclic Law, releasing the full-length albums “Somnia” (2012) and “Nihil” (2014), followed by the concept album “Ordeal 26.04.86” (2016), a 6-track release dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, issued in a limited edition of 500 copies as a 4-panel CD digipack with artwork by Dehn Sora and Hristo Gospodinov. Shrine went on to release an album on Cryo Chamber before returning to Cyclic Law for “Nausicaä”, based on the 1980s manga and anime of the same name by Hayao Miyazaki.

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Tomb Of Primordials (Album – Cryo Chamber)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, Dark-Ambient.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This collaborative album is the sixth chapter in the “Tomb Of Primordials”-series. The work is meant as ‘a dark exploration of the multifaceted entities of Sumerian mythology and the many dark places they inhabit.’ The work features six cuts revealing occasional collaborations.

Content: The work features sonic exposures by some familiar and famous names from the Dark-Ambient and Cinematic scene. Dahlia’s Tear,
Svartsinn, Letum, New Risen Throne, Mortiis, Inner Vision Laboratory and Desiderii Marginis are projects we all know from their works released on labels like Cryo Chamber, Cyclic Law, Winter Light ao while Skadi is a rather unfamiliar name. You’ll find occasional collaborations between Svartsinn and Letum plus New Risen Throne and Mortiis. All tracks reflect an inhibited atmosphere which sounds however ominous and even tormented.

+ + + : This album might be seen as a compilation although it also reflects the philosophy of Cryo Chamber meant as a ‘family’ thing. The concept and the very repressed atmosphere however sounds like an entity wherein the theme became more important than the contributors. It doesn’t take away that this work features a few great pieces like the one delivered by Skadi featuring one of the darkest cuts. Another great cut is the one by Desiderii Marginis. I also like the sophisticated and detailed cut by Inner Vision Laboratory and the somewhat Tribal-driven track created by New Risen Throne and Mortiis.

– – – : I personally expected a bit more out of the collaboration between Svartsinn and Letum.

Conclusion: Cryo Chamber definitely became the reference when it comes to create conceptual themes versus collaborations between artists.

Best songs: “Seed Of Pestilence” by Skadi, “The Faceless Bringers Of Pain” by Desiderii Marginis.

Rate: 7½.

Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber

About Tomb Of Primordials and the Cryo Chamber Tomb Series

“Tomb Of Primordials” is the sixth chapter in the Tomb Series issued by the American dark ambient label Cryo Chamber. The CD edition appeared on May 3, 2022, with a digital edition released alongside it.

The record collects six pieces: “Crystal Scars Beneath A Bleak Sky” by Dahlia’s Tear, “Seed Of Pestilence” by Skadi, “One By One I Broke Their Wings” by Svartsinn and Letum, “Chants For Isimud” by New Risen Throne and Mortiis, “Vermin Wiped Clean” by Inner Vision Laboratory, and “The Faceless Bringers Of Pain” by Desiderii Marginis. Each contributor is credited with composition, writing, production and performance on their own track.

Skadi is the only one of the eight contributors without an entry in the Side-Line archive. The other seven appear across the site’s dark ambient coverage, and several of them have also released through Cyclic Law.

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Italian black ambient/death industrial project Clavicvla returns with all new album in 3 versions

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 16:19:04 +0000

(Photo by Clavicvla ) Out via Cyclic Law now is Clavicvla’s newest album “Degeneracy of the 5th Density”, in 3 versions, a black vinyl and a red vinyl, plus a CD. Clavicvla is the solo project of Ittiel. This is the newest album by the Italian black ambient/death industrial project Clavicvla once again in partnership with the US black metal/industrial colleagues of Sentient Ruin.

The regular black vinyl is limited to 200 copies and comes inside a matte laminated jacket with printed inner sleeves and black flood inside the pocket. The red vinyl is llimited to 100 copies only and of course on clear red vinyl.

As far as the CD is concerned, there was a technical problem with the CD – and it will therefore arrive after the arrival of the vinyls. The CD itself will be limited to 300 copies in a 4-panel digisleeve with matt lamination

Sound-wise you can expect dark ambient, black industrial, ritual drone and noise.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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NYIÞ – ᚢᛁᛋᚿᛁ•ᚼᛆᛏᛁ•ᚼᚱᛅ (Album – Cyclic Law)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Experimental, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: NYIÞ is an Icelandic project you pronounce as ‘Neeth’. After several self-released productions this album is the official debut album featuring a selection of ‘older’ cuts.

The set brings together the project’s first four releases from 2011 to 2019 united on one album: the tape trilogy “Til eru hræ sem hafa aldrei verið menn og munu aldrei verða þó þau lifi enn” (2011), “Hati þá guð og helgir englar allir” (2012) and “Visni þitt hold svo betur megi hæfa þeim hug sem það hýsir” (2014), plus “Caput Mortum” (2018). Cyclic Law issued it as a 2CD edition of 300 copies in an 8-panel digisleeve with matt lamination.

Content: The sound universe of NYIÞ represents a wide sonic canvas which is however driven by darkness and oppressive atmospheres. They can be now into dark reverie accentuated by trumpet play and next into a personal interpretation of Folk mixed with Industrial elements. The Industrial exponent is next accentuated by guitar play reminding me of early Swans. The last part of the album evolves into Dark-Ambient and obscure cinematic passages.

+ + + : The work takes off by a great and original track with a brilliant trumpet sound which comes back into other cuts as well. “Hati Þá Guð Og Helgir Englar Allir” is another attention grabber with this magic trumpet sound. But I especially salute the open-minded approach of this project which is hard to label although related to familiar, darker, styles. You’ll also notice passages with vocals and chants accentuating the dreamy darkness of the work.

– – – : The work sounds a bit versatile as well and that’s maybe the tracks have been composed over different years.

Conclusion: NYIÞ is a particular project meant to entertain dark souls.

Best songs: “Decompose”, “Hati Þá Guð Og Helgir Englar Allir”, “Rót”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/NYIÞ-919034964844185

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

About NYIÞ

NYIÞ, pronounced ‘Neeth’, is an Icelandic act whose music has been described as doom metal, drone rock and progressive rock alongside its dark ambient and industrial elements. Its first four releases appeared between 2011 and 2019 and were originally self-released.

Three of them formed a tape trilogy: “Til eru hræ sem hafa aldrei verið menn og munu aldrei verða þó þau lifi enn” in 2011, “Hati þá guð og helgir englar allir” in 2012 and “Visni þitt hold svo betur megi hæfa þeim hug sem það hýsir” in 2014. The fourth, “Caput Mortum” from 2018, breaks with the trilogy and carries no lyrical content.

The French label Cyclic Law collected all four on the 2CD album reviewed here, the first NYIÞ release to appear on a label.

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