The dark dream pop duo from Los Angeles, Magic Wands, has recently launched a remix album titled “Switched”. This album is a follow-up to “Switch”, which they released earlier in May.

The “Switched” album showcases remixes by artists such as Shadow Mirrors, Stargods, and Lars Deutsch. It’s available on all digital and streaming platforms, courtesy of Metropolis Records.

Magic Wands began their musical journey in 2007 with their debut single “Teenage Love”. Their debut album, “Aloha Moon”, was introduced in 2011, following a collaborative album in 2010 that featured four artists from Bright Antenna. Since then, they’ve unveiled a series of singles and albums.

Additionally, Magic Wands is set to headline a summer tour along the West Coast. The tour kicks off on August 17th at the Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles. They’ll be joined by supporting acts Lorelei K and Treasvre on certain dates. Tickets can be purchased online, and the tour dates are listed below.

• Thursday August 17 2023 Los Angeles, CA The Moroccan Lounge
• Friday August 18 2023 Oakland, CA Thee Stork Club
• Sunday August 20 2023 Sacramento, CA The Starlet Room
• Tuesday August 22 2023 Bellingham, WA The Shakedown
• Wednesday August 23 2023 Seattle, WA El Corazon
• Thursday August 24 2023 Portland, OR The Coffin Club
• Friday August 25 2023 Boise, ID Shrine Basement
• Sunday August 27 2023 Denver, CO HQ Denver

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.

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Norwegian ambient/experimental artist Karsten Hamre, now based in Sofia, Bulgaria, is back with two releases. The first one is under the Defraktor moniker with the album “From the Netherworld” for which he has started to perform live with a forthcoming live appearance on the 13th of May in Sofia Bulgaria. The next that was just put up on Bandcamp is Karsten Hamre’s new instalment in the ‘Through Alien Eyes’ series: “The Veil Between Worlds: Echoes of The Past”.

You can order both releases below. The first is Karsten Hamre’s new instalment in the ‘Through Alien Eyes’ series: “The Veil Between Worlds: Echoes of The Past”.

And this is Defraktor’s “From the Netherworld”.

About Karsten Hamre

Hamre has created music across various genres such as dark ambient, drone, neoclassical, and experimental electronic music. With more than 25 years of experience in the music industry, Hamre has established himself as one of the most innovative and influential artists in Norway. He is also a visual artist and has created a number of striking album covers and artwork.

Hamre’s musical journey started in the early 1990s when he formed the experimental music project, Penitent, which released the debut album “Melancholia” on the legendary Cold Meat Industry label. With Penitent, Hamre explored the darker and more atmospheric side of music, incorporating elements of industrial, neoclassical, and dark ambient music to create a unique sound that would later become his trademark.

Count to that his work under aliases and in groups such as Arcane Art, Beastus Rex, Defraktor, Dense Vision Shrine, Veiled Allusions, Museum Of Transient Lights and The Flux Komplex.

Here’s part of his large discography:

• “The Beauty of Pain” by Penitent (1997) – Released by Draenor Productions.
• “As Life Fades Away” by Penitent (1998) – Released by Draenor Productions.
• “Roses By Chaos Spawned” by Penitent (1999) – Released by Memento Mori.
• “Through The Corridors Of Time” by Veiled Allusions (2000) – Released by L.S.D. Organisation.
• “The Cursed Artist” by Arcane Art (2000) – Released by Memento Mori.
• “A Curious Dimension” by Veiled Allusions (2000) – Released by Bestial Records.
• “Visions Of The World” by Veiled Allusions (2001) – Released by Counter Attack Productions.
• “Reflections Of Past Memories” by Penitent (2001) – Released by Counter Attack Productions.
• “Songs Of Despair” by Penitent (2002) – Released by Beyond Productions.
• “Split” by Vinterriket/Veiled Allusions (2002) – Released by Neodawn Productions and Regimental Records.
• “Rosenkranz” by Veiled Allusions (2002) – Released by Dragon Flight Recordings LLS.
• “Litanies Of Desire” by Dense Vision Shrine (2003) – Released by Beauty And Pain.
• “Dream A Little Dream” by Museum Of Transient Lights (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “A Shapeless Beauty” by Penitent (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “Themes For The Lunatic” by Defraktor (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “Lost Illusions” by The Flux Komplex (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “Deserted Dreams” by Penitent (2004) – Released by Beyond Productions.
• “Nightly Terrors” by Arcane Art (2004) – Released by Trinity Records Hong Kong.
• “Die My Illusion” by Dense Vision Shrine (2005) – Released by Einzeleinheit.
• “Broken Whispers” by Karsten Hamre (2005) – Released by Flood The Earth.
• “A Voyage Of Imagination” by Dense Vision Shrine (2006) – Released by Epidemie Records.
• “Unwinding The Inside” by Dense Vision Shrine (2007) – Released by Rape Art Productions.
• “Placenta World” by Karsten Hamre vs. Kenji Siratori (2007) – Released by Hypermodern.
• “Among The Sleepless” by Penitent (2007) – Released by Hydra.
• “A Hole In The Void Of Time (Part 1 & Part 2)” by Defraktor (2007) – Released by Lona Records.
• “Time Lost In Oblivion” by Dense Vision Shrine (2009) – Released by First Fallen Star.
• “Magic & Mystery” by Dense Vision Shrine (2012) – Released by NeoKunst.
• “When The Gods Die” by Arcane Art (2012) – Released by NeoKunst.
• “Compendium II” by Karsten Hamre (2014) – Released by Black Mask Media.
• “When Darkness Descends (Defraktor Remix Session)” by Veiled Allusions (2014) – Released by Black Mask Media.
• “Through Alien Eyes Volume I” by Karsten Hamre (2017) – Released by Wounded Hearts Productions.

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.

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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

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.

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The Polish dark rock band Shrine Of Reflection has recently unveiled their new single “Child Of The World”. In November of 2022, the single, “Child of the World” saw the daylight, as a teaser track from the forthcoming album, “Through Torture To Salvation”.

The song is inspired by the movie “Interstellar” and is about the misery of a human being who is trapped on planet Earth and who is unable to discover the truth of the universe’s nature despite the fact of being its child. All this person can do is just simply stare at the sky and dream.

“Child Of The World” is available on all major streaming platforms including Bandcamp and the track comes accompanied by the below video.

Shrine of Reflection was founded in 2020 by Mikołaj Batyra and Maciej Miroński. In the middle of 2022, the duo released its debut album called “Midnight Garden” which you can check out below.

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.

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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

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.

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Kickstarting now (for a February 2022 release) is the Angelspit/Ice Planet 9000 release “Sequence 1: Glass Jar” featuring 70s Sci-Fi. The release will be issued on vinyl with lavish tri-fold artwork. Musically you can expect 6 instrumental tracks.

Zoog Von Rock (Angelspit) explains: “I teamed up with Ice Planet 9000 to create something completely different – intergalactic music which is rooted in prime numbers and the Fibonacci sequence. This experiment yielded six long form instrumentals plus a 90 minute audio drama in which massive tankers called “Glass Jars” mine water in deep space. The story takes us to a frozen planetoid where ruins of a massive temple are discovered encased in a glacier. As the ice around the structure is extracted, something powerful awakens. We also designed an easy to assemble action playset – including the crewman, the Sonic Lathe and alien shrine. Use the album artwork as a backdrop to create your own scene!”

Note that you’ll also get an approximate 90 minute long audio drama featuring music, dialogue and sound effects telling the full story of “Sequence One: Glass Jar” (this will drop on March 8, 2022).

The release will be out via the Black Pill Red Pill label.

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.

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Genre/Influences: Cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The Internet makes everything possible today! “Dream Chambers” resulted from the common efforts between Cesar Alexandre (Brazil) and Mehdi Saleh (Iran). They’re both label mates and have already released a considerable number of productions. Mehdi Saleh is used to working and releasing with other artists. The main idea or theme behind this work is ‘exploring the delicate bridge between reality and dreams’. 

Content: The opening track has something menacing and filled with field recordings. The use of field recordings is the common thread, but quite progressively the work becomes more and more ‘abyssal’. It’s a progressive trip getting you the impression to explore unknown territories of prosperity. Especially the last tracks are becoming less dark although always hiding a few evil noise sources. 

+ + + : Mount Shrine and Alphaxone both transposed their own sound and influences into a more explicit Cinematographic approach, but the main evolution is the prosperity supporting this work. I noticed a kind of dark climax at “Ethereal Origins”, which is the fourth cut from the album, but the next 4 songs are definitely more relaxing. It’s an invitation to dream away, awakening in a prosper and peaceful world. Some darker field recordings like thunder noise are there to remind us that all is vulnerable and reality is always changeable. So I would say this is an album opening with a fascinating darker side and moving towards a serene end.

– – – : I have a preference for the darker beginning of the work so I would not say the other tracks are like an antithesis, but it feels like an album with 2 different sides.  

Conclusion: The main strength of this album is the different approach from both artists resulting in a production, which is somewhat different from what you’re, used to hearing from both protagonists.

Best songs: “Ethereal Origins”, “Beyond The Gates”, “Displacement”, “Dream Chambers”.

Rate: (7).

Artists: www.facebook.com/mtshrine / www.facebook.com/alphaxone

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

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, cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Cezar Alexandre is back on track unleashing a new full length album from his Mount Shrine project. I’ve to say I wasn’t totally convinced by the previous official album “Ghosts On Broken Pavement” released last year on Cryo Chamber.

Content: It’s not clear if “Shortwave Ruins” is a pure conceptual work, but the multiple radio shortwave messages clearly are the guiding line through this work. It feels a bit like a spaceship that has stranded on an unknown place and where the crew is in touch with the home base. The samplings have been merged together with multiple field recordings and dark electronic layers. The work features 5 tracks, the last one (cf. “Hindmost Flood”) leading the listener to a truly apex.

+ + + : The idea of the radio shortwave messages is not new, but it definitely works. Reinforced by the dark approach of the music it all together creates a mysterious and somewhat paranoiac effect. The visual strength of the work emerges, but still creates a new intimate sphere. The tracks have been progressively built up reaching their ultimate point during the last song. I personally prefer this album to previous releases.

– – – : The sound formula remains a bit repetitive, but in the end it simply works!

Conclusion: This is my personal favorite Mount Shrine album thus far. The entire work is supported with a dense, mysterious atmosphere bringing dark-ambient and cinematographic together. 

Best songs: “Hindmost Flood”, “Reach None”, “Earth Bridge”. 

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mtshrine

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

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, cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: One year after his debut album “The Substance Of Perception”, Italian composer Alessio Antoni strikes back with a similar concept. He again invited some familiar names active at the wider fields of dark-ambient music to contribute each on one track. So you’ll discover collaborations with Phelios, Dødsmaskin, Phragments, Yann Hagimont (Cober Ord) and George Zafiriadis (Martyria), Mount Shrine, Xerxes The Dark and Yann Hagimont (Cober Ord), Alphaxone, Leila Abdul-Rauf, Shrine. And there’s like a concept in the concept as each track is inspired by a famous painting (or writing). 

Content: The tracks are varied, but the cohesive element between them all is the fascination for darkness. The album reflects a kind of nearby disaster, which is created by overwhelming sound waves and sinister sound arrangements. Some tracks are featuring extra elements such as drones, astral atmospheres, sounds of classical instruments and even a few vocals.  

+ + + : Just as on the debut album, this work reveals a great selection of guests. The difference however is that this album sounds more accomplished. There’s a stronger visual strength emerging from the work. I was mainly impressed by the overwhelming sound production running through “The Last Abjurer” featuring Phelios. Other noticeable cuts are “The Collapse Of Matter And Time” (which is the single cut from the album without any contributor) and “Towards Oneiric Truths” featuring Leila Abdul-Rauf. But my favorite cut is “Thou, Daemon“ featuring vocals by Yann Hagimont (Cober Ord) plus George Zafiriadis (Martyria). This track has something dark and even tenebrous.

– – – : I can’t say that some tracks remained unachieved, but some are missing a true apotheosis.

Conclusion: I think it’s not an easy thing to manage such a work featuring multiple guests on each composition, but there’s a noticeable evolution from the debut album towards this new one.

Best songs: “Thou, Daemon”, “The Last Abjurer” “The Collapse Of Matter And Time”, “Towards Oneiric Truths”, “Virtues Of The Dawn”. 

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/neraterrae

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

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

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Bulgarian born Hristo Gospodinov has already released a few noticeable releases. Most of his work got released through Cyclic Law and I especially have to mention the previous work “Ordeal 26.04.86” as an  absolute masterpiece. This new opus also is the artist’s debut work on Cryo Chamber. The work is again a conceptual release inspired by ‘a metaphysical journey into the primordial chaos of the building blocks of the Universe. It is based on the concept of the Four Elements – Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, plus the Fifth Element, Quintessence, which here represents the abiogenesis, and organic life itself. Each track is here named after a specific element and the titles are in Old Greek with Latin transcription’.

Content: Shrine creates an interesting sound dimension, which is based upon dark-ambient/cinemtographic music although completed by unavoidable field recordings and drone passages. The particularity is also emerging from the use of real instruments and I here thought to have recognized a flute. The tracks are dreamy, but always dark and sometimes even moving into bombast (cf. “Aer”).

+ + + : Shrine simply confirms its great potential. The album again has a strong visual appeal, which is mainly due to subtle creation of cinematic and ambient passages. You feel like walking through an enlightening darkness, created by the fusion of sound manipulations, field recordings and authentic instruments. The tracks are progressively reaching their apotheosis when joined by the bombast of droning percussion parts. Despair is slowly transposed into artistic beauty!

– – – : Both debut cuts are cool, but maybe a little hesitant compared to the 3 tracks left.

Conclusion: I still have a little preference from the previous Shrine album, but this new work only confirms the growing talent of this Bulgarian solo-project. I consider Shrine as a true reference when it comes to contemporary dark-ambient music.

Best songs: “Aer”, “Quintessence”, “Pyr”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: http://shrine.me.uk  /  www.facebook.com/shrine.project

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

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

The post-punk/indie/goth act A Projection, which formed in 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden, has released two albums to date: “Exit” (2015) and “Framework” (2017). Out on October 25th is the band’s brand new album, “Section”. It will be the first album after the departure of their original singer, with former bassist Rikard Tengvall replacing him.

The band partnered with the US based Metropolis Records for the worldwide release of “Section” and also just issued the song “Lucy Shrine” as a new single taken from the record.

Here’s the single “Lucy Shrine”.

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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, dark-ambient.

Background/Info: Black Front is a Turkish formation, that released a debut album (cf. “Unutulanlar”) in 2014 and, which has a new opus in the pipeline. This limited 123” edition features 2 tracks on the A-side and 2 remixes on the B-side.

Content: The main song “Death March” is a somewhat political song meant as a metaphor about the world we’re living in and terrible dramas people have to go through. The song is driven by industrial rhythms and menacing guitar riffs. The vocals are somewhat screaming-like. The next track is a little bit ‘softer’.

The B-side features a remix of “Death March” by Mytrip while another song has been remixed by Shrine. Both remixes are pure dark-ambient like and totally different from the A-side. 

+ + + : The industrial cadence, which is carrying “Death March”, is the main strength of this work. It creates a perfect balance with the guitar. Both dark-ambient remixes reveal a totally different style, but these songs have been masterly reworked. It also is a way to re-discover the great Bulgarian Shrine project –which released early material on Corvus Records and, next got some recognition when joining the Cyclic Law label.

– – – : There clearly is a different style between both sides of this disc. It feels a bit like two different bands, but that’s what you might expect from remixes.

Conclusion: A maxi is not always the best way to discover a band, but the industrial style Black Front has shown at “Death March” is interesting so I’m wondering how the next full length will sound like.

Best songs: “Death March”, “Death March – Remix Mytrip”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/karacephetr

Label: https://corvusbg.com / www.facebook.com/CorvusRecordsBG

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, cinematographic.

Background/Info: After last year’s debut album “Winter Restlessness” Brazilian artist Mount Shrine is back on track unleashing this new work, which has been introduced by the artist as ‘inspired by old jungle/hardcore tunes, pirate radios and ‘urban longing’, while shaping up the repetitive style of ambient drone’.

Content: The new tracks perfectly match with the content of the debut album. It’s a dark-cinematographic voyage made by extended, wafting sound waves and field recordings. The work reveals an intimate atmosphere, which is maybe more explicit ain this album. The last track entitled “Empty Slopes” is more elaborated accentuating the visual strength of the composition.

+ + + : I again can’t say Mount Shrine is taking me by surprise, but I like the intimate sensation created by the work. The composition has something relaxing and yet mysterious sometimes resulting in tormenting passages. “Empty Slopes” sounds as the ultimate piece from this work, but I also have to mention “Held Breeze”. Some of the field recordings don’t really miss their impact to reinforce the anguishing mood hanging over the work.

– – – : This album is pleasant and an easy listening cinematographic experience, but it doesn’t bring anything new. Some passages even are a little bit monotone. I begin to think there are maybe a bit too many similar projects signed to Cryo Chamber, but at the other hand this kind of music and influences also are the label’s trademarks.

Conclusion: “Ghosts Of Broken Pavement” appears to be a relaxing sonic walk throughout mysterious, imaginary stories.

Best songs: “Empty Slopes”, “Held Breeze”.

Rate: (6).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mtshrine

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

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, cinematographic.

Background/Info: When evoking Rio De Janeiro we all imagine the beach, sexy girls, carnival and other exotic images. But from now on there also is Mount Shrine, which has released its official debut album on Cryo Chamber.

Content: “Winter Restlessness” sounds as a dark abyssal exploration. Low, vibrating sound waves and multiple little noises –you especially will notice by using headphones, are creating this obscure and yet prosper universe.

+ + + : “Winter Restlessness” doesn’t bring that much new, but it however is a fascinating exploration throughout imaginary dark worlds. There’s a strong visual aspect emerging from the music. I was mainly impressed by the wide sound canvas featuring a countless number of little, crispy noises and other sound effects. It makes me think to a microscopic composition, which never stops to take the listener by surprise.

– – – : The single minus aspect might be the somewhat monotonous songwriting. There’s not that much diversity running through the work.

Conclusion: This opus is a beautiful voyage through out obscurity; darkness can also has something gentle and prosper. This is an interesting new comer!

Best songs: “Moon’s Distrust”, “Foggy Deck”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/mtshrine

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

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

Hristo Gospodinov is a Bulgarian artist who set up Shrine in 2003. The early productions were released on Corvus Records. Later on Shrine joined arms with Cyclic Law releasing new full length albums “Somnia” (2012) and “Nihil” (2014). All productions deal with a dark and tormented ambient music genre, which is also confirmed on the newest opus “Ordeal 26.04.86”. The new work is a conceptual one dealing about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster than now happened 30 years ago. I got in touch with Hristo to get more info about his music and his new work.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: When and how did you get interested in music and especially the dark-ambient genre?

Hristo: I’m fascinated with non-popular music since I was a kid. I have a background of other musicians  in my family so my affinity towards music is natural, but the popular music never interested me. I was into really extreme music when I was younger but went deeper and deeper into the underground over the years. I turned to ambient back in 2001 after I listened to Raison d’Etre’s album “Enthraled By The Wind Of Lonelienes” which had a profound impact on my mind.

Actually I already told this story in details in another interview (for the forthcoming book “Endarkenment: The Esoteric in Dark Ambient Music and Culture”, you can read an excerpt of it on the “Endarkenment: …”s facebook page, or on Shrine’s facebook page).

Q: I read that Shrine has been set up from your interest for esoteric music so how did you transpose it into sound and do you have sources of inspiration and references in the dark-ambient genre?

Hristo: I don’t have any other sources of inspiration than sound synthesis & processing tools. I like a lot some other artists’ music but this is not influencing my process of composing in any way. I just need the proper sound tools and some free time to start creating. It’s all about experimenting with sound. Of course the genre influenced me as a whole, that’s for sure. It gave me a musical direction, so to speak.

Q: I’m fascinated by your idea ‘to express obscure understandings of life and everything else in a non-verbal way’, but how does it really work when you’re in your studio?

Hristo: Yes, my vision of things in general is quite obscure, but what you quoted is rather a metaphor. Technically there is no expression of anything else than my brain’s satisfaction with sounds. As I said, it’s all about experimenting with sound. When I start creating, there is nothing else than sound and the imagery and the concept of the music are totally absent. Then, at some point, the music starts to ‘speak’ for itself and some ‘images’ start to appear in my mind. All my works are created like this except for the last one.

“Ordeal 26.04.86” is the first SHRINE record where the idea of the album actually preceded the music. In this case the concept is affecting the sound a bit, but it’s not fundamental.

Q: How did you get the idea to treat about the Chernobyl disaster and tell us a bit more about the composition?

Hristo: It’s just an idea that came to me some 10 years ago in the early period of my project. I’m quite interested in science in general and respectively in man-made technological disasters, so it’s a subject that fascinates me. I started to work on it in 2015 when I was convalescing from surgery and had a lot of free time.

Q: You’re using field recordings and clearly have a preference/fascination for sounds and noises of nature. What kind of noises are you searching for and how do you proceed to finally obtain the sounds we can hear on the record?

Hristo: I used to search for all kind of sounds in the past, but eventually got tired to chase them. I mean it’s not very interesting to just hang around with a portable recorder and a mic, doing nothing but waiting. I don’t even have a recorder at the moment, I sold it a time ago and never got a new one. But I already collected a big sound library with all kind of sounds.

You can hear most of non-synthetic sounds on “Ordeal 26.04.86”, which are sampled by myself, but not all. The ‘spoken’ sounds for example are not mine. The “St.Michael” prayer I found somewhere on the internet  and  “The Opening Of The Sixth Seal” I took from the movie “Stalker” by Andrei Tarkovsky.

Q: Your new album definitely is my favorite one, but how would you analyze your evolution from the early work till “Ordeal 26.04.86”?

Hristo: My project has evolved a lot since its early days, it’s been 13 years already. Of course the source of it all – my brain – is still the same so I can easily connect the music I currently make to the music I made back then. But my music production skills have evolved and the contemporary music production field has evolved a lot too. Ten years ago it wouldn’t have been possible to create a piece of music like “Ordeal” simply because the tools used in its making have not been invented yet. There is a tremendous shift in this field over the last few years. Software is getting closer and closer to the big modular synth stations and in some aspects is even surpassing them. It’s amazing. I hope the future will bring us even more exciting things.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient.

Background/Info: Behind Shrine is hiding Bulgarian artist Hristo Gospodinov. Shrine has already released several albums and has joined Cyclic Law in 2012 (cf. “Somnia” album). This is the fourth full length album, which is a conceptual release around the 30^th anniversary of the nuclear disaster that happened in Chernobyl on the 26^th of April, 1986. “Ordeal 26.04.86” is meant as an ode to the victims of this nearby apocalypse.

Content: The apocalyptic vision of the Chernobyl disaster is totally appropriated to the dark-ambient approach of this band. You’ll notice field recordings (or samplings) of birds at the beginning of the work. They feel like a symbol of life or afterlife… But they’re rapidly joined and finally transcended by dark sound waves with overwhelming, thunderous sounds. The work has been meticulously built up, comparable to a spider web from which you can’t ever escape. It’s a tormenting experience appealing for your imagination and comparable to the apocalyptic vision of desolation of this town 30 years later. Everything has been abandoned while life disappeared for years now.

Hristo Gospodinov transposed this vision into heavy noises and multiple sound treatments joined by whispering voices, like ghosts awakening from their cavalry. New field recordings of rain and thunder join in while the vision of this ghost town remains desolate and without any hope. The only thing we can do is to remember what happened… the nuclear danger remaining the biggest weapon on earth to destroy the planet.

+ + + : Shrine has meticulously transposed the concept of Chernobyl into an overwhelming and successful dark-ambient release. The theme of radioactivity is an old one, but it remains a real source of inspiration for musicians and has been adapted into an overwhelming dark-ambient production. The global sound production is absolutely phenomenal. The tracks are tormented and accomplished with this little touch of genius. “The Night That Hell Broke Loose” is absolutely amazing for its climax.

– – – : The last cut is the single one that can’t fully satisfy me, but you don’t hear me complain.

Conclusion: “Ordeal 26.04.86 “ is for sure the opus magnum from Shrine. This is what dark-ambient music stands for!

Best songs: “The Night That Hell Broke Loose”, “Under The Graphite Clouds”, “Atomgrad”, “Radiant Skyline (Unity 4).

Rate: (8½).

Band: www.facebook.com/shrine.project

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

Inferno Sound Diaries

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

www.side-line.com

Out next month – and available in pre-order right here – is “Ordeal 26.04.86”, the brand new album by Shrine aka Hristo Gospodinov. The full length is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster that happened on April 26th, 1986.

A first video is available now for the track “Atomgrad”:

The material on this album was composed during a post-operative convalescence period in 2015. Here’s what Hristo Gospodinov says of the process: “To me the Chernobyl theme has always been very special not only because I witnessed the nuclear sunburn effects myself back in 1986 when I was a kid, but also because I find it to be the closest glimpse of a pending apocalypse we have seen so far. I find it terrifying not only because of the devastating effect of the ionizing radiation itself, but also because it was a man-made event. To me, the parallel with the biblical book of Revelation is inescapable.”

“Ordeal 26.04.86” serves as a tribute to those that suffered, and still suffer from the irreparable effects. The artwork for the album was provided by Dehn Sora and Hristo Gospodinov.

The 6-track release comes in a limited edition of 500 copies in a 4 panel CD digipack, and is available right here.

You can preview the complete album below:

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.

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