dungeon synth

The Shakespearean Frog – Handkerchief Soap [UK, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-13-20

Comfy Synth was a small micro genre in an already micro genre and consisted of artists embracing a light yet intimate sound for their releases. The aesthetic was pointed to a pastoral/cottage setting and invoked scenes of nurture and and comfort. Most of it was less than average production put out at the same rate as most dungeon synth which was a lot. Dungeon synth has a tendency to embrace and run with titles and comfy synth can certainly act as a style within a genre much like winter synth, forest ambient, dark ambient, chip synth, and dungeon noise. The Shakespearean Frog used the tag comfy synth which made me dump a diatribe but outside of any assumptions, Handkerchief Soap is a wonderful vintage style string album that is just as magical as any other dungeon synth. Handkerchief Soap was released in the same month as its followup Elite Toilet Soap which despite its odd name is just as warm and inviting as the first. Come get a blanket and sit by the fire.

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Slime Golem – The Short But Touching Tale Of Slime Golem [Greece, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Wyrm Lodge Records | 4-10-20

“You Have Summoned The Slime Golem! (Master in awe of his creation)” is perhaps one of the greatest song titles in the history of music and if not that then it is a wonderful introduction to the tone of Slime Golem. Slime Golem comes from a Greek label called Wyrm Lodge which is a bunch of weirdo synth that I have trouble finding the members involved. It is okay since the music is a weirdos fever dream. The Short But Touching Tale Of Slime Golem is a loving embrace of horror film soundtracks like John Carpenter just run through bedroom production and given an EC Comic aesthetic. There is nothing wrong with any of this as Slime Golem and the rest of Wyrm Lodge operates in charming obsession to all things weird.

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Delmak-O – Cerulean Tomb [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-17-20

I feel this might not be dungeon synth but rather a floating moon caught in the orbit of the sound. Cerulean Tomb shares many aspects of dungeon synth in terms of production, fantastic storytelling, and the aesthetic approach but that is where the similarities end. Influenced by space travel and the spirits of Komische musik, Delmak-O creates science fiction landscapes that are illuminated by distant stars and the alien worlds of desolation and beauty. Cerulean Tomb is a wild and unrelenting escape into a solitary vessel which is fit for one and has an almost limitless capacity for imagination.

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Bespin Moons – A Binding Force [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-16-20

I passed over this release two or three times since I did not initially pick up on its entire vibe. From what I saw, I thought Bespin Moons was a synthwave record wrongly tagged as dungeon synth. To my surprise not only was it dungeon synth, and fantastic dungeon synth at that, but this was also dedicated to the Star Wars universe. Suddenly everything made sense including the cover which looks like the Kenner action figure from the late 70’s. I feel a little silly missing this as finally listening to A Binding Force has propelled this record from cast away to one of the best releases in recent memory for its effortless worship of a speculative universe that eschews traditional high fantasy. Everything works, from the soundclips to the song titles to the traditional dungeon synth that is now on far planets in a galaxy far far away.

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Temple of the Fractured Light – Rainbow Rituals of the Spiritual Sojourner [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-15-20

Yes. Yes to everything about this. While I do not think Temple of the Fractured Light is entirely there, this artist is on the correct existential road to something super fucking weird and amazing. I noticed Temple of the Fractured Light before with its garish and occult psychedelic influenced covers. Rainbow Rituals of the Spiritual Sojourner tags itself as progressive dungeon synth which is a current trend in its combination of 70’s progressive aesthetic and dungeon synth. Temple of the Fractured Light, in my opinion, is more traditional dungeon synth just aimed at a weird cult aesthetic that mixes drug visuals with the somber motifs of death cults. The track titles and soundclips point to groups like Jonestown and Heaven’s Gate. This is certainly progressive, in concept, away from the tradition of fantasy escapism. The whole affair combined with a bedroom production gives Temple of the Fractured Light an alluring and sinister vibe and something that, like most cults, is ominous and inviting.

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The Nameless King – Downfall of Drangleic [US, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-17-20

“Drangleic is the kingdom where the events of Dark Souls II take place. The protagonist will have to venture into this treacherous land in order to find a cure for their curse. Like Boletaria in Demon’s Souls and Lordran in Dark Souls, Drangleic was once a powerful and prosperous land which fell into decadence and damnation after a series of unfortunate events.”

The Dark Souls universe and series of video games is not far from the realm of fantasy and thus inspiration for dungeon synth. While the Dark Souls universe is not as popular for inspiration as compared to Tolkien or pulp writers like Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, it is not absurd to have a dungeon synth record based on the events and lore of Dark Souls. In fact, it is quite fitting and surprising when it is not as bleak as one would imagine. the Nameless King is not new and in fact Downfall of Drangleic is the artists 4th proper release. These releases are also outside of the other outfit the creator helms which is the well regarded Halberdier project. Much like Halberdier, The Namless King is marked with lush instrumentation and a deep sense of calm which lays over a bleak landscape.

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Sunken Grove – Precious Solitude [Wales, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-10-20

I feel if we are going to take away anything from dungeon synth, it is the resurgence of hand drawn covers. Precious Solitude is the first offering from a Welsh (?) composer who is using this time to make a very quiet introduction. The cover is indicative of a release that is teeming with intimate moments a wash with dreamy lo fi synth. The tags for this release range from “forest ambient” to “winter synth” to “minimalist” and for once, I feel all of these descriptions are accurate for a record that is introspective and escapist for the artist and their audience.

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Sidereal Fortress – The Hermit’s Hole [Italy, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-11-20

Probally one of the most interesting aspects about this record is the Angelo Branduardi cover which nestles itself within a magical record of dungeon synth. Angelo Branduardi is an Italian folk singer who saw moderate success in the 1970’s but has since developed a following among woodfolk and like minded people. The instrumental cover of “The Stolen Bride” is transcendental and arcane as it feels apart of the original compositions yet highlighted as the centerpiece of the record. Sidereal Fortress has been releasing music since 2017 yet for anyone like me who is first encountering this woodsy patch of mushrooms, it maybe a great place to start.

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Werendia – Folkvandringen [Sweden, Atmospheric Black / Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-10-20

Well, here it is. Years of searching through dungeon synth I am starting to stumble on the mixture between it and its parent genre of black metal. This is not the first black metal / dungeon synth combination ever made nor even one in recent memory. There has been a dizzying array of experimentation either with dungeon synth being used as mood intros or even as distant atmosphere. Werendia pays tribute dungeon synth’s history with a record worshiping the structure of bands like Summoning and Caladan Brood. With the black metal vocals pushed to the past and the synth march up front, the music constructs a stage for a deeply folkloric record concerned with Scandinavian tales and history. This commitment to the theme makes up for the album’s shortcomings which include long meandering songs that nail an aesthetic but doesn’t travel much out of their own kingdom. For all its faults, Folkvandringen is a stellar record which pleases both black metal fans and dungeon synth dabblers with marching music across strange lands.

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Nan Morlith – Âdhûn & Fangorn [Ireland, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Gondolin Records | 4-6-20

It is fun when I find artists from a few years. Nan Morlith contributed a song for the Dungeon Synth Compilation I curated in 2017. “Of Mim, Last of the Petty Dwarves” was a playful synthscape of Tolkien lore and deep escapism and initally got me interested in this Irish artist. Âdhûn & Fangorn is not new rather a compilation of two 2016 releases now on Gondolin Records. Though the artist has been quiet for a few years since the releases of 2017, Âdhûn & Fangorn is still a wonderful chance to revisit or introduce yourself to the brassy tones of a world very far away.

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