Darkened synth music for solitary wanderings through majestic forests, or for the journey into one's own mind with closed eyes and open portals... I think this description is a fitting definition for what the new (?) American project Nightweald stands for. Nightweald is the outfit of some C. Davis, debuting with the demonstrational four-track EP Skogstema. That title comes from Norse and means something like ‘forest theme’, referring to pristine wildlife, Mother Nature, and our affiliation, spiritually, with Earth.
For this EP, C. Davis only used a keyboard, directly recorded on tape without any overdub or artificial reinterpretation. Actually, this demo was indeed released on cassette, yet very limited, so it did sell out immediately. But there is still a digital opportunity as well. And believe me: it is worth it!
Cover artwork: simply beautiful - a black and white picture of nightly / wintery trees, neat companion to the Aural Art behind this recording…
Skogstema consists of four pieces, clocking twenty minutes. It stands for an old-styled form of Dungeon Synth, you know, the somewhat depressed, nostalgic direction, dreamlike yet rich, integer but convinced. Moreover, the whole is covered in a magic cloak of Winter Synth aligned manor. These four tracks, essentially named Skogstema I, Skogstema II, Skogstema III, Skogstema IV, are based on emotion, melancholia and that grandiose connection with Mater Terra. Nebulous synths float by, unprejudiced from any unnecessary or superficial addition; just the purest waves of delicate yet confident (like that burzumesque third hymn) synth-based harmonies, hypnotic, chimerical, epic.
Skogstema isn’t a martial release, it is not a bombastic one, nor a Ritual Folk oriented recording or so. It is an expression of purity, of essence, of in-depth emotion and radiant splendor. It’s an expression of fairness, elegance and finesse.
Nothing more to add, I made my point: this is the ultimate essence of bare Winter Dungeon Synth Magic…