This edition of our Brieviews is a special one to me as it is about one of my favorite labels – Eisenwald Tonschmiede from Thuringia, Germany. They specialize in everything black metal and have already brought us some awesome releases this year – Ashtar, Fluisteraars, Fellwarden. They have collaborations with two of Europe’s best black metal collectives, the Haeresis Noviomagi label for which they produce the vinyls and the Helvetic Underground Committee (expect a bigger article on that group of aficionados soon) bringing some of Switzerland’s bleakest records to date. If you combine all these releases plus some re-releases of Mosaic, Germany’s finest medieval black metal artist, you see that their demands for a release are not simply pure black metal fury but that the act fits to the roster, it must share something with all the others and that – in my mind is a very naturalistic approach to music, with traditional folk-segments and references to nature as a sacred entity. These elements may vary in depth and level of elaboration and prominence on all of the records but they are certainly noticeable. 
Today I want to focus on some of their very last releases to further showcase the variety of this label. You can find all of their releases in their webstore at http://www.eisenton.de.

black metal

Eisenwald is a label specialized in everything black metal and its niches. With UADA they have a kind of melodious, near-pop variant of it, with Mosaic they serve a kind of folkloristic version of it and with one their latest releases, Svabhavat’s debut they seem to pay respect to the beginnings of the bleakest and darkest version of black metal. “Black Mirror Reflection” is black metal in the pure vein of Darkthrone or Mayhem. Even though they come from the Pacific Northwest (like their labelmates UADA), there is none of the typical elegiac elegance of many of the black metal bands from that region, think of Mizmor or Hell. The duo plays what they call Ritualistic Black Metal and truly this can be the soundtrack to the exorcism of just about anybody. They often start their songs with very short highly interesting sound ideas, but then blast them away with bloodthirsty fervor not too often found on Eisenwald’s roster, maybe Death.Void.Terror being the only similar artist. This here is a ritual but not in the meaning that only the music is important, here we do not witness shamans singing to a blood-red moon, but more two Luciferian monks screaming their lungs out in the depths of a church where they are igniting the candles. Sometimes they are able to very effectively hide their songwriting skills behind a veil of thunder, for example in “Abhicaara” where the song breaks down into an atmospheric middle but when the riffs collide again they do not lead to another hellish fire but rather to a more re-defined, slowed down ending. If the band follows the latter path a bit more – like they show on the title track at the end – then we are on to something great here, because the two definitely know how to raise hell, they only need to show that there ritual doesn’t start with blood and gore but also with igniting the candles and slowly giving it the pauses it needs for the incantations to work its magic. A very promising addition for Eisenwald.

black metal

When talking about Eisenwald we should not forget that UADA released their latest opus magnum “Djinn” at the end of September. A few months years ago, one of Germany’s most important political magazines “Der Spiegel” (similar to TIME or NEWSWEEK in the US) published an article about UADA (Latin for ‘the haunted’) and it surprised me to see an article about one of my favorite genres in there. Their claim was that black metal had turned into some kind of hipster thing with some bands like Deafheaven and UADA leading the way for those who need to be able to say “Oh, so you like Flaming Lips? Well, if you need to, I always find it to poppy, for me it needs to be bleak and dark, so my taste is much more refined than yours!” Snobs at their worst, right? By now they have turned their back on the genre again and the loners are together again without them. Some might find that disappointing, others don’t, the author figures himself somewhere in the middle. I can understand the awesome-ness of the success bands like those mentioned have had because that also means that they were able to benefit from it in some way. Probably not monetary but maybe it made it easier for them to travel the world and that might be the biggest thing for them anyway.
“Djinn” has everything it needs to be one of the most successful black metal albums of 2020 – hell, it even deserves to be! It’s moving and melodious, it bellows and bites, it shows rage and refined songwriting skills with a knack for transporting Thin Lizzy into the genre without tuning it too low but with just the right amount of dirt and grid. UADA and its mastermind Jake Superchi show an anthemic version of black metal that no one has waited for, but that no one can turn its back on either. If you can do that while listening to the title track or to “Forestless”, tell me how, as I would like to get those earworms out of my head. 

folk / ambient

And to round out this trio of awesome Eisenwald releases throughout the last couple of months, we must have a look at this wonderful release by my favorite American Ambient Folk duo, Osi and the Jupiter. Their new EP “Appalachia” is a wonderful supplement to an already brilliant body of work as these 21 minutes are literally wonderful and at first glance do not fit the Eisenwald roster at all. However, bear in mind that Eisenwald also releases Mosaic and its folk tales. The Ohio duo here uses their home Appalachia in Eastern Ohio as inspiration and in some way also as their musical mindmap. The songs are windy, they are sparsely instrumented with not more than some strings, a some acoustic guitar lines and sometimes something that sounds like a huge organ, but which actually is Sean’s synth that’s also used for the few drones. The central piece on “Appalachia” is certainly the final track “The Binding Will of Mountains” with its nearly 13 minutes resembling the slow approach towards the Appalachian mountains and its sometimes sunny, oftentimes dark peaks. The forests in this region of the second-highest mountain ridge in North America also surely gave the guys some inspiration. Sean strums his guitar as gentle as Kakophonix plays his cello. That the two have a very deep connection is obvious when Kakophonix seldom but highly effectively joins Sean in his vocals; when both sing together there is some Cantrell-Staley  magic going on, even though their voices sound nothing like the Seattle superstars, it is more their connection that is so strong and moving. When the final track opens up for its second half there is this short, short pause as if the pioneers are preparing for their final move up the mountain and against the wind that is so cold against their cheeks. 

When we look at all these releases it becomes obvious that Eisenwald is not interested in releasing big-selling records, most of their records are not putting up numbers big enough to make a living off it. But their roster and its songs show a label doing it for the soul, their own and their audience’s. They all buy into the idea that music is a part of nature and our environment and that we should therefore treat it with respect and care. We shall not simply rage over it, but we should it respect it – just like we should respect people of any belief system and personality. Basically its orientation is nothing short of the Golden Rule – treat everyone like you want to be treated by everyone. Oh, by the way – did I mention that they also just simply release some of the finest records lately?


​Thorsten

ambient

ZeroK is a sub label of the Italian Unexplained Sounds Group. Label owner and sound mapper Raffaele Pezzella (Ra Sonologyst) has an unlikely nose for discovering exciting and challenging music. The ZeroK label is focused on experimental ambient, with a nod to scientific experimentation, expressing moods and feelings evoked by the ornateness of science-fiction.

Joel Gilardini is a Zurich (Switzerland) based experimental guitarist and sound designer.  The Age Of Space is a progressive ambient release based on experimental guitar loops. Gilardini, a self-taught  guitar player, was already involved in several interesting and diverse projects like  Aborym, Mingle, Eraldo Bernocchi,  Jacopo Pierazzuoli, Ballett Zurich, dancer Benoît Favre, and the collective House Of Pain. He is also the mastermind behind the experimental-doom-metal act The Land Of The Snow.

The album starts with floating ambient tunes drenched in scratchy waves of distortion. You immediately feel a beautiful cosmic tension in the immersive soundscapes. Gilardini explores new avenues in manipulating his instruments and tools. His textures create a hazy and mysterious atmosphere that makes the adventure of his compositions extremely fascinating. By using live‐looping and improvisation techniques, Gilardini blends unique elements together. He shapes a hybrid wave of soundscapes sublimating into powerful resonances. 

The Age Of Space comes to you in healing waves of cosmic pulses that navigates the auditor through alien cinematographic worlds. This album has dreamy sounds with darkened moods. Gilardini introduces an experimental space ambient journey with a surprising outcome. This is just blistering splendid experimental ambient music!

​
Patsker

ambient / drone

There seems to be a weird correlation between living in so-called troubled times and the flow of artistic output. Sometimes it looks like artists simply thrive during crises. The pandemic we currently wrestle with is another neat example. During the lockdown several artists suddenly found themselves available for projects, cooperations and compilation albums.
Time was on their side, for once, and the corona-zeitgeist provided plenty of inspiration for new atmospheric releases. 'Between Worlds' is one of those long due cooperations and it has become something to enjoy for a long, long time, even after this whole craziness is behind us. 


I don't think I need to introduce either Ashtoreth nor Stratosphere to the Merchants Of Air audience. Both acts are residents here and most of our writers are big fans. Besides, they have worked together before and those cooperations, too, have been highly acclaimed on our website. You can also quite often find them on a festival line-up together, or better, you could have, since enjoying live-music is now a dangerous threat to society. Anyway. let's just say that Ashtoreth and Stratosphere are no strangers to one-another. They have earned their stripes in the ambient scene with their high quality soundscapes.

Yet, there is a difference between both artists. While Stratosphere mainly focuses on cleanly produced guitar drones and soundscapes, Ashtoreth tends to dive into the darker, occult side of things. One is the technical perfectionist, the other loves to jam and improvise. It's that "opposites attract" feeling which makes "Between Worlds" such an interesting album. It combines both worlds so well, it might as well lure in a whole new group of ambient fans. Why? Because this is a surprisingly accessible piece of work. Most of the songs are rather short, thus perfectly suited for DJ's to play them in between Brian Eno and Eluvium. 

Opener 'Evoke' is a gentle song. Yes, an instrumental song, not an ambient anthem. For that, you'll need the fascinating closer 'Between Worlds'. That's a seventeen minutes lasting masterpiece of drone ambient. Nothing less. For me, that is the absolute highlight of the album but certainly not the only brilliant tune. Second on my list is 'Distance', a bit more intense and harsher than the others. Trippier too. That's a word now. Number three in my top is the dreamy  yet impending 'Awake'. That being said, although I immediately liked the overall sound of the album, I feel like it's a grower. I'm currently playing it for the fourth time and it gets harder to pick out the favorites.

The verdict? Overall, I'm convinced that this is an excellent cooperation between two highly talented artists who know each other quite well. The production is clean and modest, which every fan of drones and ambient will appreciate. Seriously, these dudes deserve their place between the ambient-elite by now so I recommend this album to every fan of the genre, as well as to post-rockers, shoegazers and psychrockers who feel like relaxing for a while. I am already looking forward to their next output because I feel that there is a lot more to be explored and discovered between these two brothers in drones...


​Serge

ambient / drone / classical

There is something about former Yugoslavia that draws people to it, and I am not talking about the hauntingly beautiful but yet terrorizingly overcrowded cities on the Istrian and Dalmatian coastlines but rather about the inland with the forlorn wastelands of Bosnia-Herzegovina being the center of attraction for some negative reasons as well as positive hopes. Arms and Sleepers’ Mirza Ramic was born in Mostar with all its ancient charm and globally famous white bridge that was destroyed during the Bosnian War of 1992 to 1995. Ramic and his mother fled the country during the war and he has been living in the USA now for a long time; however the memory of his origins never seems to have left him. His solo project Saigon would be Seoul, a project combining minimalist approaches with intimate recordings, circles around his time before, during and after the war that drove his family apart, with his father dying in the war.

The foundation for SWBS songs is the piano, which Mirza’s mother taught him to play since he was 6 years old, that he uses to purvey his emotions of sadness, loss, and sometimes even despair. The minimalist spheres in the backgrounds are often combined with samples from his home. Ramic says that the full-length is basically threefold with the first part being the years before the war amid the turbulence of life in crumbling Yugoslavia, the second being the barbaric years of war and the last part being the years after the war. During the latter part people had to cope with the human stain of not being complete, with the struggle to process all of what has happened and torn apart communities and families. Painful years without any real suture; still obvious if you visit Bosnia Herzegovina. The few vocal samples are often painting blood red atmospheres of a country at war with the enemy and afterwards a society at war with its own trauma. Ramic uses only few samples, most of the songs are instrumental but still telling the attentive listener a lot. 

Ramic uses the synth and the piano to allocate himself within this process of re-living your past and relieving yourself from it. Oftentimes, there are only a few layers used in order to achieve this level of close-ness, of intimacy, of emotional connection that drive the listener on without identifying himself with the horrors. We are witnesses not impersonators. The drones are not low-tuned but high-tuned pitches dragging out, often sounding like a cross between a violin and a singing saw. The effect is that of a dream, not necessarily a nightmare, but definitely a highly emotional look back. 

With highlights like “Form and Feeling” (the prancing piano) or “Normal Jungle Law” the record is full of wordless emotion. Comparing this record to others is difficult, but if you want to have some connections, try Peter Broderick, Aidan Baker or the Bersarin Quartet. The use of a vibraphone and of minor keys create a parallel to Bohren & Der Club of Gore, but this is only through sound not through ideas or themes. This is neo-classical music, not doom jazz, even though it becomes noticeable that the parallels between the two might be bigger than the differences. 

Very different to Ramic’s regular output (this is SWBS’s second full-length) with Arms and Sleepers this new record shows him at his most intimate and most vulnerable.  If you like neo-classical and ambient (or either of both) – try this record, as you will get close to an artist and his own version of his life up to now. 


Thorsten

ambient / post rock

Last night, right before going to bed, I stood on my balcony, looking over de street. It was quiet, empty, abandoned. It took me a few seconds before I realized that this was due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Currently everybody in Belgium is supposed to be at home by midnight. In a busy city like Antwerp, silence takes the upper hand.
Then, this morning, I decided to wake from my reviewing-hibernation and simply go with the flow. On my desk was this album by Yellow6, the project by Jon Attwood. The title 'Silent Streets and Empty Skies' immediately grabbed my attention. It first perfectly with the current zeitgeist, so to speak.


'Silent Streets and Empty Skies', released by Sound In Silence, is a gentle yet brooding statement about these troubled times. All tracks were recorded between April and June 2020 during the first period of lockdowns and quarantines. Attwood took the time to become inspired by the desolation he witnessed around him. Empty parks, lack of planes in the sky, people avoiding the streets. It's an odd visual experience but one which Attwood has beautifully translated into a soothing ambient album. 

On this album you will find nine pieces of work, all quite similar and blending into one another which guarantees a 77 minutes listening bliss. Attwood uses minimal soundscapes, tentative guitar melodies and airy ambient textures to recreate these gems. 'V2' is my favorite track here. It seems to nudge carefully towards the ambient jazz scene, something I think Yellow6 would fit in perfectly it he wanted to. On other occasions, such as in 'Broadcast', Attwood strips the whole post rock scene to create something emotional.

That's perhaps the strongest aspect of this album. You will find heaps of emotion in here, a somewhat haunted atmosphere that modestly reflects the world outside our windows. Some of you might shed a few tears while listening to the gloomy 'Panam', others might find hope in the soothing sounds of 'Silent Flight' but I know for sure that every fan on minimal ambient and subdued post rock will highly appreciate these nine pieces of soundcandy. I know I have and I will for a very long time to come.


​Serge

ambient

There were countless musicians and artists imprisoned in their own environment during the covid crisis which lead to a new wave of creativity. Ayver is Jose Luis Arango a Peruvian editor and camera man from Lima Peru. He manages his audio-visual production company (Ayver films) which focuses on conceptual themes, artistic and landscape photography. His last release Healing is closely linked to the quarantine times.

The melancholic piano tones are the indicating direction through this six track ambient release. Ayver transformed three months of total isolation into an ambient album filled with emotions of unhappiness from another world. The compositions’ breath a fairy-like solitude where ambient soundscapes are colored with samples of twittering birds and fading piano. Ayver’s influences and inspirations in his style are situated between neoclassical (piano)music and experimental ambient. The South-American artist even dares to cover a piano track (Serenade) from Franz Schubert with a minimal of electronic effects in the background. He manages to sound with pensive sadness as the original.

Healing shows after a few intensive listen sessions more hidden electronica, detailed audio arrangements and even some glitch. This release ends with a neoclassical inspired track telling a message of hope that comes from a deep internal journey. Ayver got lost in complete estrangement with hardship and loss, but he came back with a refined ambient album.

"Loneliness is not bad if you learn to appreciate its beauty and use it to grow spiritually", is the phrase he put on his Bandcamp page representing his work and way of thinking during the process of these emotionally loaded compositions. This beauty is only available in digital format for a more than fair price. Support this talented artist.

​
Patsker

experimental

The Belgian artist Marleen Van Ende (also named Marluna Delfin)started to make video clips called The Snake Moans. She used existing music for her videos but got banned on social media for copyright infringement. So she created her own soundscapes using guitar, piano, Korg and all kinds of toys. Marleen Van Ende is nowadays based in Spain where she, besides her musical and visual activities, also makes artwork from litter.

The Hissing Link has mostly instrumental soundscapes with strange twists and psychedelic influences. The music comes in sonic waves of guitar and electronic sounds with hypnotizing rhythms and percussion.  Angels And The Shedevil, starts the album with a guitar sample from Kloot Per W and exceeds with a catchy baseline into Tarantino like movie sound track. Marleen Van Ende already collaborated with Kloot Per W under name The Claudio Serpentino. They released in 2015 a strange and cocky album with covers of the Beatles, The Wide Album.

Meanwhile, making music is now just as important as the images to the visual artist behind The Snake Moans. We feel the compositions have more to express then a gamut of sounds. The structures of the tracks are experimental but still recognizable enough to produce liquid day dreams with a slight darker and tense atmosphere. Floating voices and spoken word samples push the listener into the strange filmic surroundings of The Snake Moans. Moods switch from psychedelic, playful, experimental and eerie. The mysterious musical landscapes on this album have many forms and influences merging together into a fascinating piece of (art)work.

The Hissing Link comes only on (blue) vinyl. You have to take our word in an old fashioned way because there is at the current moment no streaming possibility to listen to this very good and interesting album. If you are in for some experimental escapism you can buy this vinyl blind. 

​
Patsker

In June 2018 I wrote a series of Brieviews ("brief reviews") for Greek label Sound In Silence. This was one of the the first specials we did and several others have followed. Now, after a hiatus in  review writing, I noticed that the label has released six interesting releases available on their bandcamp page. So, this looks like the perfect opportunity to compose six new Brieviews to guide you through the magical world of Sound In Silence.

electronic / ambient / post rock

Released in November 2019, 'Phantom Lights' is a gentle and playful six track EP by Anglo-American act Memory Drawings. The band is the brainchild of Joel Hanson and features guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Richard Adams, violinist Sarah Kemp, pianist Gareth S Brown  and multi-instrumentalist Chris Cole.
The music moves between ambient, folk, classical music and post rock. It never gets heavy, intense or dark but always remains on a blissful, shimmering level. That's what makes this album such a pleasure to listen to. Tunes like 'Two Rooms' and 'The Final Curtain' can easily bring a smile to your face, even in these weird times.

I don't really know if I can draw references to other bands. Perhaps fans of Tortoise, Dakota Suite or Do May Say Think or Bark Psychosis. Fact remains, this is a nice album, destined to light up the gloomy days in your life.

ambient / electronic

Sound In Silence

Hailing from Paris, France, Astatine is the solo project of Stéphane Recrosio, known from the post rock / slowcore band Acetate Zero. On his first album for Sound In Silence, Astatine delivers no less than twenty tracks, varying from gloomy ambient pieces to gritty minimal rock songs. 

I think it's safe to say that this is not the easiest S.I.S. album to digest. With fuzzed out guitars, mumbles, distorted vocals and processed sounds, Astatine creates the atmosphere of many bedroom acts. There is a sense of loneliness here, laced with fear, anger and a constant urge to experiment.

Some of the songs are downright ugly, like grunge tunes without drums or bass, while others reveal the ramblings of a mad mind. In all, it's clear that this is not for everyone but fans of the experimental and avant garde will definitely enjoy these odd tunes.

ambient / electronic / post rock / downtempo

worriedaboutsatan is probably one of my favorite bands from the last decennium. I've seen them a few times at Dunk! festival where their magical sounds filled the forest and got hooked immediately. So, seeing this act appear on one of my favorite labels from the last decennium surely fills my ambient heart with joy.
Crystalline is worriedaboutsatan’s sixth full-length album and judging from the label's bandcamp page one of the most successful releases on Sound In Silence. To me this comes as no surprise. The act already has a loyal following, which is one reason. But, there is also the simple fact that 'Crystalline' is a brilliant album.

Once again combining elements from downtempo electronics, post rock and ambient, this album contains eight tracks. 'Open The Door' pretty much serves as an intro, luring the listener with sweet soundscapes. 'Steps Inside' places worriedaboutsatan right next to acts like Boards Of Canada, Plaid and Biosphere. This tune is a downtempo delight. 'Cali' is a beautiful guitar base ambient loop and 'Mirrors' perfectly combines these worlds. Oh well, let's just face it, this is a perfect worriedaboutsatan album, one I recommend to every self respecting slow music fan...

ambient / electronic / shoegaze

Vancouver based solo project Test Card is the brainchild of  Lee Nicholson. He returns for his third fill-length, his second on Sound In Silence. 'Music For The Towers' contains eight tracks and combines soothing ambient with gentle post rock. This is one of those albums to enjoy with your eyes closed. It's warm, calm and relaxing. What else could an ambient fan possibly desire?
Here the focus lies on hazy electronics, playful guitar loops and soft soundscapes, created with field recordings, synths and here and there some glitchy electronic noises. The result is something fans of Biosphere, Carbon Based Lifeforms and so on. Music for the soul...

ambient / electronic

This is already the seventh album by Ukrainian act Endless Melancholy, although it's his Sound In Silence debut. Fans of the project already know what to expect, namely exactly what the bandname promises. Soundscapes, synths and a gloomy atmosphere create an absolute beauty.
'A Perception Of Everything' contains nine tracks in which piano, field recordings and synths attempt to guide the listener on a journey through him/herself. Of these, 'Immersion' is probably my favorite but that's a tough decision to make. The whole album tells an interesting story, sometimes calm, sometimes experimental but always worth your attention.

ambient / electronic

I'm afraid that this edition of Brieviews specials is becoming an endless repetition of words like "soundscapes", "beautiful", "atmosphere", "drones", and so on. Like most other releases on this edition, this album by Manchester residing act Halftribe is a sweet and soothing ambient album, containing everything fans like about this genre. 
The album, another S.I.S. debut but already Halftribe's fifth, contains eleven tracks. Some of them remind me of acts like Stars Of The Lid while in others the sounds of Tim Hecker and Fennesz seem to have been an inspiration. Perfect music for a lazy and hazy Sunday afternoon, or any moment of any day for that matter.

Serge

ambient / dark folk / cinematic

So, if the first three tracks of a four track EP already remind me of acts like Nick Cave, Penitent, Raison d'ètre, Aphex Twin and Biosphere, I guess it's alright to call this a pretty damn varied release. And then comes 'Synchronism', a goosebumps inducing dark pop anthem with vocals by Raya. In all, '...Unfolds' indicates a more than welcome return for a highly exciting ambient project. Recommended? Dûh!

alternative rock / punk / grunge

thrash metal

dark ambient / drone

Signora Ward Records

drone / ambient / soundtrack

drone / ambient

bandcamp

industrial / dark ambient / noise

HGM Music

drone / dark ambient

ambient

Belgian Neu Music

RHEA (not to be confused with the Belgian rock band Rhea founded in 2015) was founded in 1988 by Marc de Wit, who has been involved in electronic space music for 40 years.

He is co-founder of the Belgian electronic festival B-Wave and the organizer of Cosmic Nights that for seven years (2012-2019) presented itself as a Belgian electronic music festival in unique locations. Marc de Wit was also a member of the trio Purfoze that bridged the gap between the electronics of the Berlin school and ambient during the 1980s. 



Traveling is inspiring for RHEA to compose his sonic exhalations. Close To Moving Ice is a recording of a live performance in the old Post X post building in Merelbeke Ghent Belgium. The cosmic music of this recording are the impressions of a trip to Greenland and the Arctic waters. The ambient oriented music meanders through the ice floes, resulting in a floating and pleasant atmosphere. For many this will sound like background music to a documentary or nature film, but the music has just that little bit more content not to sound sleep-inducing. During the live session, the performance was accompanied by a photo collage with fascinating images of desolated places that further enhanced the cosmic sounds.

Close To Moving Ice is not a highlight but the album does contain a nice package of unctuous ambient sounds. This is headphone music where one can fully relieve stress and relax while dreaming away. This third distribution of Littl 'Antenna Records is under the wing of Wool-E Discs (BELGIAN NeuMusik).

​
Patsker