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HALO
MANASH "Taiwaskivi" CD + DVD
([AH12 + AHDVD01]) Aural Hypnox
As winter hibernation and spring awakening
gives way to summer, Halo Manash rises radiant into luminosity, with
wings spread into all worlds, and brings forth Taiwaskivi, an opulent
work of solar ambience and primordial Ur-music. Taiwaskivi, a work
of sonic flame and aural ash, consists of seven interrelated tracks,
utilizing such diverse instrumentation as organ, horns, vocals, drums,
gongs, percussions and various string instruments as well as field-recordings
captured during the pilgrimage that the creation of the work embodies.
An air of finality abounds, as Taiwaskivi, although a complete work
in itself, can also be viewed as the third and final facet of a tripartite
series of works that are part of one holistic creation – a treelogy,
with seed, root, trunk and finally, branches. Being the culmination
of an ascending journey through the aforementioned realms within and
without, Taiwaskivi is the celestial crown at the peak, reaching toward
Sol, source and beyond; it is the leaves and fruit of the branches
and their skybound nectar ever-flowing - the sacred fire, the consummation
and conjunction of All. Comes in a hand finished cardboard booklet.
CD + DVD with inserts. limited to 500 copies.
16.25$
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HALO
MANASH "Am Kha Astrie" CD
(AH10) Aural Hypnox
As the apex of Spring heralds awakenings, Halo
Manash emerges from Winter and hibernation ~ Treefaced. Horns spiral
skyward and antlers ascend. A tripartite trunk arises ñ a pillar
that splits all worlds. Am Kha Astrie, a work of heliotropic, elemental
ambient, is an opening, an awakening, a summoning, a crossing of thresholds.
After their previous oneiric and minimal album, Am Kha Astrie sees
Halo Manash re-integrate a more diverse instrumentation and a multiplicity
of soundsources to create their work, which consists of seven interrelated
tracks. Am Kha Astrie is a complete work in itself, but can also be
viewed as the second facet of a tripartite series of works that are
part of one holistic creation. Archaic elemental drums, bones and
spiraling animal horns merge with various metal percussions, chimes,
wind-instruments, voices and a multitude of other instruments to create
a deep, earthly and yet celestially-bound opus. Am Kha Astrie is a
massive and sometimes ominous work, a primal experience of coming-into-being,
with all the terror, ecstasy and divine awe that it implies.
Comes in a hand finished cardboard booklet, in an edition of 1000
copies.
14.25$
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HALO
MANASH "Language of Red Goats" CD
(AH09) Aural Hypnox
Guided by nether nectars and dream herbs, oneiric
visions and the light of lunar tides, Halo Manash Language of Red
Goats aims to be a cartography of cavernous elemental realms and regions,
sources and springs that run deep and thick with the fluids of life,
death and dream. What was seeded at the Thin Veils has been gathered
at Harvest time, and is offered to the seeker as a libation and guide
into the ever-liminal, shrouded spaces, for dream-vigils and awakenings.
Language of Red Goats is a complete work in itself, but can also be
viewed as the first facet of a tripartite series of works that are
part of one holistic creation – three faces of the same being.
More akin to a primitive fieldrecording in the realm of oneirotropic
exploration, than an actual album, the work consists of one lengthy
tripartite soundscape. Utilizing only gongs, bells, metal bowls and
wind instruments, as well as flocks of birds, the work is in contrast
to earlier more refined works that feature a wide multiplicity of
instruments and soundsources. Language of Red Goats is a bare, primitive
and sometimes raw aural landscape, and yet nonetheless achieves a
rare subliminal intensity and an edge of otherwordly luminosity.
Comes in a hand finished cardboard booklet, in an edition of 920 copies
14.25$
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HARVEST
RAIN "Blood Hyms" CD
(opncd05) OPN
Blood Hymns started during the Winter Solstice
of 2002 and continued during the 12 Nights of Yule. The search for
the 'Most Northerly Midnight'. These Midnight Sessions began after
'A Frost Comes with the Wind' and should be considered the follow-up
to that album.
Expect simply the best with this new collection of heathen folk music
anthems.......
12.25$
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HARVEST
RAIN "Night Chorus" CD
(opncd04) OPN
Great album from American dark folk group Harvest Rain, this album
pursues a "ghost ambient" style and features guest musician
Axel Frank (Werkraum), Tor Lundvall or Amanda Votta. A record to play
alone...in the dark !
12.25$ U.S. |
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HATI
"Die Mechanik, Die!" CD
(Beast Of Prey)
The characteristic trance-gong-drone-music in
the release "Die Mechanik, Die!" has been saturated with
electronic sounds. The album was recorded during the Hati performance
at "the Mechanik" club in Gdansk. This time Hati, famous
for acoustic sounds, made propably the darkest CD in its discography,
enriched with dark ambient tones. Heavy backgrounds are perfectly
harmonised with trance and mechanical instrumental variations. From
one side - harmonic and perfectly interrelated pieces of music. From
the other side - an increasing and intensifying atmosphere of the
darkness which, like a rust, conquers more and more parts of urban
areas. The title of this release speaks for itself! Digipak. Polish
import.
14.25$ U.S.
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HAVEN
"A2982" CD
(WOP 60) War Office Propaganda
42 minutes 05 seconds. This is the duration
of the album. It will communicate any meter of time. Let us not however
be deluded by the spells of this sorcerer; because the first sounds
overturn its acknowledged and safe definition and begin construction
of different,weirder spaces. This is the last chance to resign and
turn back. Otheriwse, when you listen to the end of first track the
only thihg left to say is "Toto, I have an impression that we're
not in Kansas". You begin your own, separate (and the longest?)
journey. What do you see on your way? What unknown ladns, traditions,
incomprehesible rituals and dialects will you discover? I do not know.
But I am sure that if David Lynch will ever undertake the filming
of "Alice in the Wonderland" the soundtrack of the movie
will be filled with the music from this particular album."Victoire
Vrist "Le Figuro". 10 tracks, CD in digipack.
14.25$ U.S. |
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HAVEN
"Naos" CD
(WOP 31) War Office Propaganda
The debut of [haven] - "The Last Breath
of Lonely Buildings" released by WOP in 2005 was critically acclaimed,
and the edition was sold out immediately. And now it's time for second
opus of this very interesting act [haven] - "Naos" is more
mature than the debut, a musical travel between Europe and Asia, oriental
atmospheres and raw dark ambient both create visions of rich history
of the Middle East. CD released in WOP standard - beautiful digipack
designed by Michal Karcz.
14.25$ U.S. |
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HERBST9
"From A Dark Chasm Below" CD
(Loki21) Loki Foundation
With this stunning collaboration the dark cavernous drones and ethnic-ritual
instrumentation of Herbst9 melts with the complex and percussive sounds
of industrial pionier and master of rhythmajik Z´EV. Ten tracks
of deep spheres and blazing ruminant lightnings abducting you into
golden constellations and swirling worlds full of aural effects and
demonic resonance.
Both projects worked with raw material of each other while the final
mix was made by Herbst9. The result is a sombre and meditative soundtrack
made with gongs, choral textures, deep vibrating strings and scraping
effect-sounds reaching it´s climax with outbursting tribalistic
sequences and drummings. An impressive and gripping journey through
bleak landscapes and abandoned places accompanied by a 24 pages booklet.
14.25$
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HERR
"XII Caesars" CD
(csrcd117) Cold Spring
Based on Suetonius' De Vita Caesarum (121 AD), this wonderful new
album deals with the notorious lives of a dozen Roman emperors and
leads you on a gripping musical adventure through the greed, cruelty,
fratricide and excess, which characterised their incomparable lust
for power. But this is no run-of-the-mill exercise in historical sycophancy...
H.E.R.R. retell the lives of the Emperors with honesty, drama and
humour. This release - complete with the compositional and vocal hallmarks
for which the group is so widely renowned - is set to become a true
classic of the genre. Comes with an elegant 16-page booklet!
14.25$
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HEXPEROS
"The Garden Of The Hesperides" CD
(eqm019) Equilibrium Music
“The Garden of the Hesperides” is
the debut album by Hexperos, the new Gothic/Neo-Classical project
by the soprano Alessandra Santovito, founding member of Gothica.
The exotic Mediterranean fragrance of sensual percussion patterns,
together with the low rumble of Francesco’s double bass and
the soft keyboard pads enriched by the work of violinists Domenico
Mancini and Alessandro Pensa, set the appropriate nocturnal atmosphere
for Alessandra’s soaring voice to cast its spell - although
Hexperos often brings to mind her past in Gothica, it is also obvious
that her work has now reached a more mature stage.
Instrumentation and arrangements are often minimal throughout the
songs, but skillfully mastered to balance grandiose dramatic moments
against delicate passages, sparsely colored with a discreet Celtic
tone which finds its way into some of tracks much through the contribution
of harpist Francesca Romana Di Nicola.
This seemingly ethereal flirt is nevertheless ineffective in dispelling
the predominantly somber quality of the album. In fact, much of the
mood that “The Garden of the Hesperides” evokes can be
compared to what one may find in Classical chamber music, yet it has
been quite a few years since such ambiance has been so impressively
comprised into a Gothic Neo-Classical album, and so perfectly used
to display mysterious sensuality and romance. A remarkable debut,
which easily deserves a place amongst the best works from acts such
as Arcana, Ophelia’s Dream or Sopor Aeternus, and Dead Can Dance’s
darkest days. Presented in spot UV-varnished Digipak CD.
14.25$
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HIS
DIVINE GRACE "Eurydice" CD
(DV#48) Dark Vinyl
After several releases on HauRuck!, this is
the third release by His Divine Grace. "Eurydice" features
5 relaxing ambient tracks, which are ranging from ritual , meditative
to dark ambient with a gloomy and doomy atmosphere.
14.25$ U.S. |
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HOARFROST
"Ground Zero" CD
(zohar005) Zoharum
The "Ground Zero” is a landscape
developing from an unknown cataclysm presenting ruins and debris of
steel, dust flying in the air, rust and slivers, tumbling down construction,
where steel structures bend and fold like a pack of cards. A 37-minute
story about the destruction of the concrete world is presented in
6 pieces in a dark ambient/industrial climate. Additionally the record
also contains a video clip to "From here to ruins”.
14.25$ U.S. |
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HOROLOGIUM
"Le Paradis Des Chasseurs" CD
(TW1.47) Twilight Records
HOROLOGIUM is one of the most important acts
in Poland if we talk about dark ambient , martial music. With lot
of works in different labels and important collaborations with important
bands they return with a new beautiful worktrought Twilight Records.
We think we are an exotic label and Horologium is an exotic band too.
The title of this release is "Le Paradis des Chasseurs”
and it contains material from "Songs For Hunters” and "Paradise
Inverted” – two mini albums that embody Horologium’s
most bombastic recordings to date. Both 3 inch CDr releases were out
in a strictly limited amounts (100 and 150 copies, accordingly). We
believe that this sonic output needs much more recognition! Additional
bonus track was recorded with a wonderful assistance from Juan A.
of Der Arbeiter.
14.25$ U.S. |
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HOROLOGIUM
& K. MEIZTER "Eight Studies In Transition" CD
(oecd095) Old Europa Cafe
On Eight Studies in Transition the Polish industrial
nostalgic Horologium and the Swedish BSE sound scientist K. Meizter
examine human’s impossible fight against time. From birth to
death, from playfulness to bitterness, from serenity to mental awe,
this tale is transposed into music ranging from calm dark ambient
to orchestral delirium,´making it a fascinating exploration
that will appeal to most industrial and dark ambient tastes. Presented
in a special 6-panel digi-file + inserts
14.25$ U.S. |
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HYDRA
HEAD 9 "HEAT" CD
(OECD062) Old Europa Cafe
Another project from Mr. Nordvargr has mixed many of his different
faces on the same album which is no longer only a violent harsh noise
attack, but is a combination of his very different sounds. Sometimes
reminding of the rythmic aggression of Folkstorm, and in some other
places like sophisticated noise-electronica in a way you never have
heard it before. Prepare to get blasted again by the unstoppable HH9
!
13.25$ U.S. |
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HYIOS
"Consuetudines" CD
(tumorcd40) Malignant
The alluring debut from Leipzig Germany’s Hyios, Consuetudines
offers 7 lengthy compositions of cold ritual drones, arching trajectories,
and visceral descents into subterranean caverns, where rich, kinetic
textures and deep resonant tones move and morph in a fluid, serpentine
fashion, sprinkled with the debris of an ancient culture and something
more otherworldly and primordial. Leipzig has historically proven
to be fertile ground for dark ambient and Consuetudines continues
in the fine tradition set forth by such notable acts as Inade and
Herbst9. In 6 panel digipak, mastered by Secret Lab. A great new discovery..
14.25$ U.S. |
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