It seems like a farewell, this title: The End Of It All. For a part, that’s correct, since it’s the last chapter in another trilogy by Swedish duo Beyond Sensory Experience. They had a first trilogy during last decade, being done via defunct Cold Meat Industry, and there was a second one that was released via Old Europa Café.
Well, I was enormously surprised, the positive way, when I received a message from Cyclic Law telling that there was a new Sophia album coming up. For more than a decade we did not hear anything anymore, at all, about this project by Arcana’s Peter Bjärgö. And indeed, it was true that there was a new work in the making.
I am sure most Ambient ‘fans’ know the name of Haerleif Langas from Northaunt, maybe Therradaemon or Mulm, or his collaboration with Azaghal (yes, I know, this has nothing to do with Ambient, but try to stay open-minded, okay?!). This guy did create another outfit, seven years ago in mean time, called The Human Voice.
Once again Cyclic Law satisfy my ear drums with a monumental offering, Proslambanomenos by ONUS. ONUS? Indeed, ONUS.
In my case, the name Nina Kernicke did not immediately ring a bell, but when I noticed that she’s part, from time to time, of the Troum live line-up, my attention got caught intensively. It turns out that this German artist acts solo as All Sides, as well as under the moniker of Allseits.
Opposites do attract, and that goes for geographical issues too. Harlow MacFarlane from Australia and Cyclic Law from Canada did work together a couple of times before and… damn, what a stupid introduction…
It was a sad thing to notice that Psychomanteum broke up a while ago (even though they only short-lived), but it’s a pleasure to see that half of that act, i.e. Robert C. Kozletsky, decided to start an own outfit, called Apócrýphos within pretty much the very same vein. With The Prisoners Cinema, he debuts via mighty Cyclic Law, and it won’t disappoint the fans of Psychomanteum; that’s a promise!
Finally! It took long, way too long, but now, after nine years, Northaunt finally return with a completely new epos. Hærleif Langås worked on it as from 2003 or 2004 until 2014, but the result is truly impressive: eighty (!) minutes of truly amazing and atmospheric Ambient, available on double compact disc (edition of 700 copies) and on vinyl (double-LP, limited to 300 copies, with one black and one white disc, and co-produced with Tesco Organisation).
My first acquaintance with Desiderii Marginis was in 2007, when this project released its debut via mighty (and sadly, very sadly, defunct) Cold Meat Industry. As from then on I tried to follow this solo-outfit of Swedish artist Johan Levin as much as possible. Several other albums followed, mostly released via Cold Meat Industry, and two years ago Desiderii Marginis signed to Canada’s Cyclic Law, actually one of the greatest Industrial-labels around.
