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”:

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.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

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”:

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.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinemtographic.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Swedish duo Den Sorte Død is driven by ‘Offermose’ and ‘Angst’. Previous works were released by Swedish label Pomperipossa Records while they now signed to Cyclic Law unleashing this new opus featuring eight tracks.

Content: The work takes off a rather Dark-Ambient way featuring some heavy, bombastic sounds. Quite progressively Den Sorte Død moves throughout a dark and dreamy trip, which has something Cinematographic-like. The tracks are achieved with analogue sound treatments and effects. Passages with slow rhythm patterns accentuate the spooky atmosphere from the work.

+ + + : “Den Sorte Død” makes me think of a dark movie, wherein the music appeals your fantasy to create the visual content. It’s an album of dark reverie, which comes to an apotheosis on the title track.

– – – : The sound formula of the album becomes pretty repetitive after a while. 

Conclusion: If you like dark Cinematographic music you definitely have to try “Den Sorte Død”. I think there’s more potential hiding in this project than what came out.

Best songs: “Den Sorte Død”, “Evigt Morker”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.facebook.com/densortedoed

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

About Den Sorte Død

Den Sorte Død, Danish for The Black Death, is the joint project of the Swedish artists Offermose and Angst. Discogs lists the digital EP “Intet Kan Stoppe Den Sorte Død” (2016), the vinyl album “Bundløse Søer” on the Swedish label Pomperipossa Records (2018) and the self-released digital album “Undergangen” (2019).

The self-titled album was released by Cyclic Law on 9 March 2021 as a CD in a four-panel digisleeve limited to 500 copies, as a gatefold LP on black vinyl limited to 300 copies and as a download. The eight tracks, running 38:28, are “Evigt Mörker”, “Intet Liv”, “Det Tabte Slag”, “Forladt Af Forlangst Slukkede Stjerner”, “Den Sorte Død”, “I De Förlorade Årtusenden”, “Stille Mot Dödens Horisont” and “Kosmisk Håbløshed”. The label describes the music as “the sacred ritual of old” performed on “wooden synths”.

Cyclic Law reissued Undergangen on 22 July 2022 and released Depressiv Magi the same day; Side-Line reviewed both in August 2022. The vinyl album “Hemmeligheden bag Den Sorte Slanges Konstellation” followed on Crying Cosmos on 7 February 2025. “Den Sorte Død” is the duo’s first release for Cyclic Law.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com