I usually think about Death or Black Metal in general, or Grindcore, when considering the sonic scene from Czechia. When it comes to Ambient, Drone, Ritual, Occult and the likes, however, my ‘knowledge’ is limited to just a handful of projects. AutopsiA, Blear Moon and Orbbiss are some examples, but one cannot ignore the impact of Lamia Vox on the audible part of my (intoxicated) brain.
I was truly thrilled and aroused when I heard about the follow-up of 2019’s The Substance Of Perception, which I do consider one of that year’s highlights when it comes to the more ritualistic and darkened side of Ambient. That album was the official debut by Neraterræ, an outfit by Italian musician Alessio Antoni.
Galician trio Black Earth are ‘begotten in chaos and speaking an abject language that hides the secrets of the great truth beyond the lies of the material world. Beyond the present, beyond the past. Feasting the survival of the old knowledge beyond history and the putrid path of mankind. Riding the tiger along Kali Yuga.’ It’s a mystic and mysterious introduction, offering bleak and ritualistic visions (haha, ‘visions’ and Cyclic Law in one sentence; what a coincidence) on mankind and its many imperfections and demerits.
I was truly thrilled and aroused when I heard about the follow-up of 2019’s The Substance Of Perception, which I do consider one of that year’s highlights when it comes to the more ritualistic and darkened side of Ambient. That album was the official debut by Neraterræ, an outfit by Italian musician Alessio Antoni.
At the very end of 2017, suddenly there was an Italian act that started terrorising our globe with a truly impressive form of Death Industrial Ambient Drone stuff. Clavicvla’s Arsonists Prophets EP was like a harsh fist in the face of the Nazarene. Even more impressive was 2018’s follow-up, Sermons, which undersigned considered (and still considers) one of the best albums within the genre from that very same year.
Cyclic Law is a label that houses in Berlin, Germany nowadays. The label started its activities in 2002 in order to promote the Ambient / Industrial scene. The focus lies on the release of Music recordings (releases via the digital sources, as well as on vinyl and compact disc), but in the meantime the activities got expanded with the release of books / visual art (Cyclic Press) and mastering assistance for electronic sonic art (in its most open-minded definition) (Cyclic Law Mastering).
Ah, what a great surprise. Okay, when a label celebrates its 100th release, it is like party time, but when they come up with a fabulous soundtrack to enrich that festivity…
The story continues… After 2016’s Ordeal 26.04.86 (Cyclic Law), the fictional story based on Tomb Raider III, goes on with Celestial Fire. A meteorite did crash on the ancient / former tropical lands of what is now known as Antarctica. The ancient Polynesians who discovered the rock worshipped it as a deity, yet since their new-borns started mutating, they left these place, yet not before sealing the ancient meteorite into a cave, a dungeon, locked by four artefacts used as key.
A short while ago, Dutch act Hadewych started a series of live performances, with an extended set of drummers and percussionists, in order to create something overwhelming and majestic. For a part, these gigs were exercised before, yet there was quite some improvisation involved as well.
One of the most productive human (at least I think he is) beings from Mater Terra’s soil must be Henrik Björkk aka Herr Kremator aka Nordvargr. A limited selection: Pouppée Fabrikk, Folkstorm, Körperwelten, Hydra Head 9, All Hail The Transcending Ghost, MZ.412, Kongo, Toroidh, many collaborations (with e.g.
