Contagiion - Monolith

Contagiion is a one-man dark ambient act from the States. His Monolith demo is nothing like its name; in fact, it’s quite minimal-sounding. Even the most “ambient” of dark ambient projects usually have foreground intentions, but this demo is more like background music. That’s not a dis; the sparseness is rather creepy. It’s often scarier to hint at danger than to show it.

The soundtrack to David Lynch’s Lost Highway particularly comes to mind. Simple synth tones, low drones, and ominous whispers carry the first two tracks. The demo “peaks” with the short, eerie “Twilight” before receding to knocking noises, echoing snatches of vocals, and foggy samples of Gregorian-type chanting. The most recent track, “The Apparition,” is the most layered one, suggesting an increase in technical skill over time.

However, I don’t mind how the other tracks often present sounds one at a time, as the space between them is quite pregnant. I can totally imagine this as the score for the scene in Lost Highway when Patricia Arquette searches her house looking for an intruder. The artwork, too, is beautifully evocative. Extremely limited pressing of 10 (!) copies available at Dungeons Deep.