I never mind writing a review for ‘older’ material; at least when it’s worth being promoted somehow. That’s the case right here. Since the sympathetic Swede Pär Boström kindly offered me a copy of the latest Aindulmedir album recently, I had no (personal) doubt to write down my thoughts on it. I did like the former recordings by this specific act from Pär (you might know him as well from e.g. Hymnambulae, Cities Last Broadcast, Bonini Bulga, Kammarheit and others), so I didn’t hesitate.
For more information about the project itself, I would like to refer to the former reviews I did (links: see below; you can also enter the guy’s name or the moniker of one of his other projects in the ‘search’-tab to read some reviews about releases by his other projects, like abovementioned outfits). When it comes to this specific album, called Star Lore, I have to mention that the physical edition, i.e. a tape edition, has sold out in the meantime. Yet then again, there’s still the digitally downloadable version.
Star Lore comes with very fine artwork, which does fit to the aural identity of Aindulmedir. The whole has been written and recorded by Pär himself, with mastering duties taken care of by Cryo Chamber’s Simon Heath. The ten compositions have a total running time of 47:11 minutes, and it got released via Hypnagoga Press, a label run by Pär and his sister Åsa.
Star Lore strongly goes on in the alchemic vein of The Lunar Lexicon (2019) and The Winter Scriptures (2021). Aindulmedir did create a very specific and characteristic sound palette, and of course this counts once more for this third album. to describe it, I would call it a Winter / Dungeon Synth oriented form of Dark Ambient, yet it’s more than this, of course. The material got created by synths especially, and combines several lines, which result in neat, modestly adventurous harmonies. All these ‘lines’ are repetitive in nature, but the contrast, the diversity of them, although extremely coherent, offers a rich listening experience. There are different lead melodies that work well together, yet without becoming way too complex. Mesmerizing, sometimes even meditative waves, illuminating soundscapes and darker episodes get underlined by doomed layers, resulting in an often mesmeric (or do I have to say ‘hypnagogic’?) structure.
Because of its basically tranquil character, each single opera on this album creates some sort of inner peace, and still Aindulmedir are able to transform this seemingly peaceful and introvert result into a dense, doomed and dim venture. It represents both isolation and intimacy at the very same time, both coldness and warmth, both dimness and enlightenment, both despair and perspective. It’s full of enthralling contrasts once again, by canalizing a fertile scala of instrumental details into one reliably cohesive sonic essence. While experiencing this kind of Aural Art, one might feel himself / herself floating around in an immeasurable astral realm, or, then again, hiding in a lightless corner of an ancient dungeon. In any case this album can be the most perfected soundtrack to accompany your thoughts and feelings…
https://aindulmedir.bandcamp.com/album/star-lore