Dungeon Synth Digest
Image credit: Jonathan Carbon

Naïve Magic: A Dungeon Synth Digest #16—Roundup


Seamless

The release cycle for dungeon synth never really ends. While we all clean up the holiday and new year refuse that was left over after parties [Editor’s Note: Jonathan submitted this edition a while ago and we took our sweet time getting it out. Pretend it’s still January!], we are also confronted with the realization that music kept being released while we were all making charts with our end of the year picks. January reminds us that time is a construction and while we were celebrating, more music was being made during the month of December to the end of the year at midnight. Dungeon synth possesses no visible seams and the passage from MMXXII to MMXXIII is marked only by a new name. The change in dungeon synth comes from within and this year, by the first set of releases, and maybe some latecomers from 2022, this year already looks promising and full of wonder.

At this point most are aware of the work of Erang. I have covered this artist in depth through most of my dungeon synth career and have come to use his work as a sundial to mark the passage of time. Already in 2022, Erang released a five tape series celebrating the many facets of dungeon synth and his career. On January 1st of 2023, the artist released A Blaze In Time, perhaps his most sentimental work in a career of nostalgia driven releases. Erang has always been reflective upon his own work as the entirety of the world of Erang is a private sketchbook that we are privy to read through releases. While some releases are based in his world, The Land of the five Seasons, others are constructed through emotion. A Blaze In Time is a reflection upon the passage of time and quite possibly a tribute to the people who have been lost in that time. Each track is dedicated to different aspects of Erang’s real life with tributes to family members and personal influences. I would be remiss not to mention the bittersweet nature of the record and the looming fragile emotions which are otherwise hidden by escapism. Erang has always been a dungeon synth’s mystical hermit who resides in a castle or cottage by himself. A Blaze In Timeis a powerful release which reminds all of us of the real people who make this music for all of us.

Dreamspell Athenaeum was released in 2021 by the cryptic project known as Keys To Oneiria. Manby know this project as one of the many extensions operated by Evergreen (Fogweaver, Snowspire, and Fableglade Records). Dreamspell Athenaeum was the second release from Keys To Oneiria which never saw a proper tape release save for a 2022 compilation by Windkey Tapes. The Gondolin release sees a larger run of tapes which by now most certainly have sold out. Regardless if actual tapes for this project exist in the tangible sense, Keys To Oneiria has been one of my favorite projects of this creator as Dreamspell Athenaeum continues to wave the banner of haze and dreamlike warbling. The world of Keys To Oneiria harkens to the idea of mystery and intrigue and much to the dismay of fans, extremely limited windows of time for tape releases. Dreamspell Athenaeum is a shout into the mist with only the barest of outlines visible through the miraculous haze.

Some might recognize the name Pafund from the Voices of the Anuir tape release of Forbandelsen in 2021. Even more niche listeners might be aware of Danish artists black metal releases from the late 2010s. Perhaps none of you are aware of the Orchid of Life, the title of the Gamebook adventure in issue 20 of Proteus Magazine published in England 1988. Because I just mentioned some weird esoteric RPG connection, some of you probably guessed that Heimat Der Katastrophe is behind the curtain as this Italian label pairs synth releases with immersive multimedia game projects. The Orchid of Life is the sixth release from Pafund, and is a full soundtrack to the out of print gamebook (solo interactive adventure). Outside of just talking about the history of gamebooks, Forbandelsen is perhaps one of the most magical and complete releases from Pafund. With an undercurrent of cold sorrow, The Orchid of Life combines droning synth with spells and rituals of another world. You can approach this release without all of the high dorkery of gamebook lore but what fun would that be?

Since … well… 2022, the Indonesian project Silent Garden has made three demos along with a handful of other splits and rehearsals. Everything I just said regarding this project must be taken with the caveat that nothing is really known about Silent Garden and even things like “Rehearsals” might be conducted in an imaginary world. This is the world of mystical cottage dungeon synth where things are conducted in a half sleeping world of tea and gardens. Each of Silent Garden’s releases comes with hand drawn covers in vibrant colors which compliment the lofi cozy atmosphere of the music. Demos II & III is the tape release by Cosmic Ocean and collects the releases in the late Summer of 2022. To know the truth of Silent Garden might not be important as the world created by the music and mystery might be the intention. One might only need to sit in the drawing room of a sleepy Victorian mansion drinking tea while gazing upon open windows in late Spring.

Grandma’s Cottage was foundational in the development and popularization of comfy synth. From aesthetic to sound, Grandma’s Cottage jarred people’s sense in the most delicate way possible, like gingerly throwing scones at people passing in the street. Favorite Places attempts to move past the seasonal holiday aesthetic with a tribute to the sounds and styles of RPG town music. With a large nod to the music of Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and Earthbound, Grandma’s Cottage becomes less decorated for the holidays and more a perennial abode of comfort which changes throughout the seasons. Favorite Places is a whimsical start to a proposed series of imaginary RPG town music and I hope this project blossoms into the most cozy of places.

Pathworn Pilgrim enjoys the work of Elder Scrolls. One knows this by first looking at the cover for their newest release Bellows Of The Old Kingdom as The Seal of Akatosh has greeted players of Skyrim which is both the logo for the game as well as the waypoint for your compass. Even traveling back to the artist’s 2021 release, Beauty Of The Bitter Coast one sees a deep respect and worship for the video games. From covers of Morrowwind themes, to tracks named after esoteric features of Skyrim, Pathworn Pilgrim is an acolyte in the lore of The Elder Scrolls. Bellows Of The Old Kingdom continues to pay respect to the world not with any direct tribute but rather subtle nods. Songs like “From Rift to Reach” might even pass as general fantasy language but will spike the ears of fellow travelers among Tamriel.

For the past three releases, German artist Tales Under The Oak has given us three visions of a mystic swamp where amphibians play sages on large lily pads. These releases have been amplified by cover art from Russian visual artist Vitaliy Ilyin whose style compliments the enchanted nature of the music. Together these two create bedtimes tales which are, much like traditional fairy stories, often mixing both magic and darkness. The Toad Folk was released late in 2022 and is now, along with previous material, seeing a tape and vinyl release by Dark Age Productions. This recent celebration of Tales Under The Oakis only fitting as this artist has been creating magical wonders which echo across the musical chatter of a swamp.

In October of 2021, Swedish artist Ghoëst released Demo I. 17 demos later and we are here with a catalog of lofi dungeon synth to dive into. If I enjoy anything it is a symmetrical approach to artwork and for 18 releases, Ghoëst has never wavered from the hand-drawn crumpled paper aesthetic of each release. This attention to visual art synergies with the grimy aesthetic of the music as if one found this music lying in still water in some cellar. Ghoëst is crude, damp, and possibly sinister in its disposition which makes all of these a joy for anyone who really enjoys that type of thing. I really enjoy that type of thing. I know others do otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this far into a dungeon synth column.

This is a compilation of material from black metal act Twilight Stronghold and dungeon synth act Vöghräth. Both acts are from the same creator, Lila Starless, who has lent their talents to… many other acts including Fog Kingdom, Hersenoire, Nightmare Ecstasy, Starlight Salvation, Twilight Stronghold, A Cold Winter Night, Château Spectral, DragonKeep, Filicophyta, Forest Mysteries, Forgotten Passage, Rituals Under the Blood Moon, Rotten Dungeon, Royaume des Brumes, Secret Corridor, Spectral Castle, Spectral Crypt, The IXth Key, and Winter Pathways. I only take so much room to list all of these as even in the dungeon synth realm, many names are familiar. Starless is a mysterious entity who up until this point has remained a specter among the raw black and dungeon synth scene. This compilation split illuminates these dark corridors and showcases the talents for both entities as the craft and care for these dark places becomes apparent.

This is not really dungeon synth nor is it synthwave. This is lofi-retro-future-wave or anything that has taken off of this earth and set for the stars. Farcaster is an extension of Nicholas Wolff the creator behind the Desolation Plains project. If you previous releases were a few years ago, Desolation Plains made dungeon synth releases paired with interactive app based RPGs which came together with a gameboard tape sleeve. You would listen to tape while playing a game with figurines on the packaging. It was inventive and extraordinary and that same imagination lies at the heart of Brain Machine. Far from the fantasy of a medieval dungeon crawling the sound of spaceships, hyperdrives, and sword & planet adventures with the same lofi production. For anyone that enjoys old sci fi movies and wants to sleep in the stars, I have a record for you.

Yes. This is exactly what it looks like. Weregnome Records is known for being a home for outlaws, miscreants, and anyone who likes breathing in weirdness for multiple hours. This is why I am here. Creatures is a split between artists Retrogolbin and Low Cunning and is a union of lofi chip synth and game music from games that were probably buried in the desert. The entire presentation of this split combined with the music gives an audience a sense of irreverence combined with an urge to stock up on potions since they are below 99. I am almost positive these two artists are not the same person but the tone of their jokes and the way they drink leftover beer makes me think its the same trickster god in disguise.