Munruthel - Yav, Nav i Prav

Munruthel's "Yav, Nav i Prav," or to use its proper characters, "Явь, Навь и Правь," explores many different moods.  It seems to rise like a fog, from the soil, grass, and wind, bringing moods and memories of the land and those forgotten ones who lived strictly upon it.  At times it is grandiose, masculine, and triumphant, such as in the fittingly-titled "Father-Sun," but then just as quickly slows down to a fragile and serene mood, such as the following track, "Thunderdreams (The Sleeping PERUN)."  This work is near perfectly fitting the traditional dungeon synth model, exploring all the atmospheric presets and effects of a 90's keyboard.  It makes heavy use of the orchestral sounds, but also doesn't skimp with the spacier synth patches, making this both ancient, as well as elevated above, within the cosmic and mystical realm of myth and deities.  

Those attentive dungeon synth listeners will hear a very similar style to the works of "Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra," which is understandable due to their connection through the black metal band, "Nokturnal Mortum."  As well, Munruthel is credited on my copy of the tape for "Midnight Fullmoon," though I don't see a similar such credit on Encyclopedia Metallum, so perhaps someone could comment who might know more about these associations.  

Anyways, while I wouldn't say this is a perfect album, it is still one of my favorites of the genre.  I particularly appreciate the track "Fern Flowering," which uses a very unique sort of percussion and manages to attain an atmosphere of both nature and a medieval society living in harmony with it; I find it to be particularly enchanting, and despite many repeated listens, the track never seems to get old.  One can almost picture towers rising, peasants farming, knights dying, and battles roaring in the distance, all while this one plant eases through its destined life cycle, amid the grit, stone, and toiling.  

"Yav, Nav i Prav" is split into two sides, Summerside, which is tracks 1-5, having a much warmer and energetic tone, and Winterside, which are the rest.  These latter tracks, while colder and slower, do not fall into despair.  They look out at the snow-covered landscape from the grey ramparts, seeming to recognize the dualistic nature of life that we experience, of sun and moon, man and woman, summer and winter.  It looks to the fact that we might've experienced joy and beauty, back, behind the impenetrable gates of our naïve origins, and that we might now be submerged in a violent, nihilistic whirlpool of some strange new becoming, but saying that we should have reason to expect a dawn, beyond this long, bleak night.  Or perhaps if not, then laying down tired, to face one's final rest, is just as beautiful and natural a part of existence as well, even if on the level of our species.

So what I'm saying, basically, is that "Yav, Nav i Prav" is very good.  It's often slow, quite simplistic, even possibly ignorant (there were some pretty directly racist statements on my copy of the tape), but all of these things come with the territory, which is an exploration of instinct, rather than "sophistication" created through civilization.  It is through art of such unaffected outsiders that we can get such an honest experience of the past, and it is through instruments of such familiarity and yet dustiness that we can grasp it as if some strange old dream.  I think most people with an interest in dungeon synth will get something out of this work. 

Erang - Erang

I should've reviewed this album quite a while ago, since I was let known about it by the musician around the time it was released.  My reasoning for not getting around to it until now is that it's taken a bit of time to absorb, but also just due to my own personal laziness.

Anyways, on to the music.  It has a large variety of varying synth presets, all of which are perfectly fitting.  Sometimes you will hear degraded old flutes and violins, dirty and moaning, or sometimes clear and vast horns and strings.  It is undoubtedly a conscious approach, utilizing the decadent sounds of vintage synths when fitting for the mood, and the more modern and "epic" instruments when the melodies begin to soar above the ruin.

But the ruin is vast, a bleak landscape of hopeless nostalgia, resting in the dreams and memories which provide solace in a place of seemingly endless melancholy and despair.  It never drags one fully into the crypts of horror, but it acknowledges that truth lying deep below, recognizing that it is only through escape that one can find meaning and magic.  

This is one of the many records which really crept up on me.  With my first listen, my reaction was that it was "ok, but not great."  After repeated listens, I recognize that it is, indeed, great.  It is evident that the artist put great care into the melodies, structure, choice of synths, etc., all with the clear intention to explore the deep, dark, and mysterious moods which make dungeon synth so wonderful.  

Another aspect of this work which I quite like is the album cover, which, while simple, seems very fitting for the work, being heavily textured, sparse, grey, and having a powerful but vague mystical quality which is hard to place.  There is that same sort of feeling to all aspects of this record.

It is that elusive something which is so appealing to me about dungeon synth, that feeling that if you can just look at the melodies a certain way… then suddenly a magic spell is cast, and one is seeing into a wholly different realm, one which you have been subconsciously yearning for as long as you can remember.  Or in "A Wizard is Never Late" one gets a deeply atmospheric nostalgia, a remembrance of genuine magic, but the bitter irony is there, that the wizard arrives precisely when he means to, which might mean no return at all…  And as you continue to listen, and you feel that vague twinge of hope, you realize that it is an utter fool's hope, an insubstantial, fleeting thing, which the more strongly one attempts to attain, the further it seems to get, the more it slips out of your grasp.  And then the composition recognizes this sad truth as well, evident in the track "Servant of Nothing."  One serves to seek and create an intangible daydream, and while that escapism causes a sort of ecstasy in the moment, one is then left with only emptiness, knowing that the promised beauty will never be experienced in this world.  It is a very emotionally dynamic record, which is quite unique in this genre.

Now, this is not to say that it is a perfect album.  I thought "Wood's Lullaby," while interesting, seemed out of place and to have taken quite a bit less effort than the rest of the material on this album; and then there are some other tracks which also do overstay their welcome a bit.  But this is still a fantastic listen, especially for a debut, that I encourage all dungeon synth listeners to check out.  I very much look forward to hearing future releases from Erang. 

The album can be streamed for free or downloaded for $2 here: http://erang.bandcamp.com/

Interview with Mortiis

Andrew: To start off very generally, when you look back on your Era 1 material, what are your thoughts? Do your early fantasies of trolls, towers, and magic still resonate with the Mortiis of today?

Mortiis: Nah...That stuff ended right after I completed The Stargate and that nice little depression that ended up lasting about 4 years kicked in. i just hit this wall of self realization, it all died for me there and then, and sent me swirling head first into years of frustration and self loathing :-) i eventually got myself out of that state though...

Andrew: You are re-releasing "Ånden som Gjorde Opprør" and "Keiser Av En Dimensjon Ukjent," two absolute classics in my opinion; can you tell us your feelings about each of these particular albums in contrast to your other works at the time?

Mortiis: to be honest those records are really similar to me...they were recorded with only about 6 months in between so to me they really are like sister records so to speak... i was getting better at putting music together at that time, the music was more varied and dynamic, i think at the time i was slowly getting into somewhat more bombastic/soundtracky type of stuff, the kind of stuff i eventually ended up creating for the Stargate a couple of years later...i was unable to even really think about this time of my life in terms of the music i made, without cringing, for the longest time. in the last couple of years i have come to peace with it, i think i finally understand myself the way i used to be again...if that makes sense. i really resented what i did back then for a long time, i don't know why, it just did... now i am able to look at it and actually embrace it and be proud of what i did. 

Andrew: What was your experience like for recording the VHS music video for "Reisene Til Grotter Og Ødemarker?"  Do you feel that it visually conveys the atmospheres and emotions of the music itself?

Mortiis: i think at least it makes an attempt. that video was shot in about 4 hours. i used to joke about it and say that we spent more time getting me into makeup than we did actual filming. it was cool to be able to spend a day at Bohus Festning (the fortress) outside Gothenburg for a day to film, we got access to places the public usually didn't get access to so that was cool. what few people know, is that there was actually a restoration crew working there as well while we were filming, so we always had to make sure they weren't part of the footage :-)

i think we could have created footage that would have been more suitable, but with time, the nostalgia that goes with it, the footage and music has blended so much together that you just accept it for what it is... it's what i'm used to now, i could't really imagine that video any other way...

Andrew: What was your process for composing and recording music back when you worked on these earlier albums?  What instrument(s) did you use?

Mortiis: i only owned one keyboard, which was a roland jv30, so that was all that was used. i didn't have any way of recording parts or anything, so i invented this system where i would come up with parts, and write them down in a specific coloured pen, then i would come up with another part that i thought would work on top of the first part, a lot of this would play itself out in my head because i had no way of recording one part and overdubbing with another to see if it would work, i would then write down the second part in another colour, and so on, for loads of layers...on and on for layers and layers for 20-25 minutes... i have no idea how i made that work, today it just seems like a completely insane way of doing things... but i had nothing else to compare to, so at the time i had no idea how utterly crazy that system was...

Andrew: Would you ever consider returning to the synth landscapes, perhaps in a side-project or something at some point in the future?  Or is the being that was Era 1 Mortiis now lost to the ages?

Mortiis: i don't see myself returning to anything that is exactly the way era1 sounded, but i am not against the idea of returning to creating atmospheric music. the idea of picking up and continuing on the natural evolution of that sound would be cool... 

Andrew: Did you ever listen to the similar ambient works in the "dungeon" style (though they weren't referring to them as such at the time), such as Wongraven or Burzum's ambient albums?  If so, what are your thoughts on them?

Mortiis: i used to love the atmospheric burzum songs, they were hugely influential. wongraven i probably heard at some point but to be honest i didn't get into it that much... actually the ambient burzum i liked were the one of songs on the early black metal albums...

Andrew: How do you feel about black metal today?

Mortiis: i don't, i have no idea what is going on with it...right now i get the impression it's really in to play "black heavy metal" for lack of a better expression...it seems to me every band is coming up with really naive, almost childish band names... going for a nwobhm kind of sound... i think that band, Ghost, kickstarted this thing...thank you mercyful fate :-D i'm not complaining, it's just amusing to see how jumping the bandwagon never gets old. For the record, i like the image Ghost has, it reminds me of what i was doing years and years ago... it really does mean putting your neck on the chopping block and a lot of people are very eager to swing the axe, but if you can handle it, you'll be just fine.

Andrew: There are a surprisingly large amount of obscure artists who have played and are playing music in a very similar style to your early material, which I cover in this blog.  Many have been influenced by you, and undoubtedly you are considered a pioneer of this style.  How would you feel if this kind of music became a much more established genre, independent of both ambient music and black metal?

Mortiis: i guess that would be cool, but in a way it already is, just a couple of sub genres away, i was always into stuff like dead can dance, the conan soundtracks, coil, and so on, and that stuff was well established for years even back then... but i see what you mean, of course it's always nice when your audience grows :-)

Andrew: Were you aware of Glenn Danzig's "Black Aria" at all, before you first released "A Song of the Long Forgotten Ghost?" 

Mortiis: no not at that time, embarrassingly i didn't really become a big danzig/misfits/samhain fan untill around 94-95.

Andrew: Did you play computer games at all, back then or even these days?  How about tabletop rpgs, such as dungeons and dragons?

Mortiis: nope... i tried a roleplaying game called Kult back in the mid 90'ies, but i never played D&D or anything. i went out and got the first Playstation console around 97 and played Final Fantasy 7 for 3 straight weeks. i couldn't walk outside without having the theme music for the battles play in my head in and endless loop. that game almost literally drove me straight to the edge of total paranoia. i never really played games heavily after that...untill the godfather game came along for PS2 years later, i played that heavilly too...and Scarface after that, but that game pissed me off to the point where i smashed the controller into a million pieces. i haven't played much since then :-D 

Andrew: How do you feel when you look back on your obscure book, Secrets of my Kingdom?  

Mortiis: i still think it's a totally unique piece...it's the mortiis world that everything was based around... if you're a fan, it's a total gem :-)

Andrew: Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us.

Mortiis: my pleasure. take care. 

Ånden som Gjorde Opprør and Keiser Av En Dimensjon Ukjent are being re-released on vinyl by the Italian label Ordo MCM, limited to 500 copies.  They can be purchased at their website, here: http://www.ordomcm.com/

Honorable Mentions, Part I

This is a post I've been planning on doing since starting this blog.  In creating the list of dungeon synth bands, there have been very many artists that I've had difficulty in making decisions about.  Several I have put on and taken back off again.  I don't want to be seen as the sole arbiter for this kind of music, however, and so I will explain my reasoning for a number of them, and in the process recommend quite a few artists that dungeon synth fans are likely to enjoy. 

This will not be an exhaustive list like the other one, since to mention all the artists that come close would be far too difficult for this one blogger.  Instead I'll just name off a few that I think are important, and will likely do further such posts down the road.

Asmorod - Dance in the Winter Fog

I've always wished I could put this on the list, since it is a personal favorite of mine, and I feel that it is criminally obscure.  Still, there are other works which have a similar amount of metal, sometimes less, which I've said no on, so I need to be just about it.  But this demo tape is fantastic, lo-fi, grimy, catchy, sloppy, mysterious, and both the black metal and dungeon synth parts are top notch.  I listen to this work all the time and it never seems to get old; I highly recommend it.

Ildjarn - Hardangervidda

Strange and serene, this album is one of the best musical interpretations of nature that I've heard.  At first glance, it might seem that this album could not be more dungeon synth, being a fully-synth work from a previously black metal artist.  Still, to my ears this is not fantasy music, it is nature music, and I mean that about the music itself, not just the themes revealed in the titles.  In that way it has a lot more in common with the "ice-landscape" sort of ambient music that is also closely associated with black metal (as well as general ambient and even new-age stuff).  I do love this album, and recommend it to all dungeon synth listeners, however I think it is just not quite the same.  This is one of the albums that I've put on and taken off the list several times, so if anyone else has an opinion on whether it is dungeon synth, I'd love to hear it in the comments. 

Nearly Everything by Summoning

Obviously the reason Summoning is not on the list is because it's equal parts black metal to the dungeon synth.  I'm assuming I don't need to say much about these guys, since all of you reading are no doubt already long-time fans of these metallic Tolkien symphonies.  If you are reading this blog and don't know about Summoning, what are you doing with your life?  Immediately get their entire discography, apart from Lugburz, unless straight black metal is also your thing. 

Akhenaton - Divine Symphonies

Since starting the blog, this album has been recommended to me several times.  I did not know of it beforehand, however after many listens, I have to say that I do quite love it.  It is a fairly unique mixture of synths and black metal, nearly half of each.  Because of that I can't say it is fully dungeon synth, but I still strongly suggest that everyone with an interest in the genre check it out.  It is very dark, mysterious, and ancient sounding, and the synth moments are masterful, to the point that it might be worth listening to even if you dislike black metal.  If not for being fair to the countless other symphonic black metal works, this would most definitely be on the list.

Godkiller - The Rebirth of the Middle Ages

Sounds almost like a mix of Summoning, Sacramentum, Satyricon, and early Burzum (at least with the vocals).  Some thrilling and energetic symphonic black metal, heavy on the synth, of course, though probably the most black metal thing I'm recommending in this post.  It is not the most original work, by any means, but everything is done well; it gets straight to the point, evoking both the frenetic violence of black metal as well as the epic awe and atmosphere of dungeon synth.

Nest's Entire Discography

Here's another group that has been on and off the list several times, which I really do wish I could call dungeon synth.  It's very close, I think, but just not quite.  It's a Finnish ambient group that is heavy on the harp and synthesizers, evoking moods of a dreamlike, primordial, pre-civilized world, where mankind was thoroughly entrenched within its biological place amongst all the other life-forms of earth.  For that reason, as nostalgic and fanciful as it is, I still think it is slightly more nature ambient.  BUT, Nest is one of my absolute favorite bands, and I believe that all listeners with a strong interest in dungeon synth will love them as well, so I wish all of you will check out their works.  Fabled Lore is probably the closest of their material to the dungeon synth sound, however I would suggest starting with Trail of the Unwary, since it is their most deep and dreamlike work in my opinion.

But these don't even scratch the surface when it comes to music that is close to dungeon synth.  I will be making quite a few more of these posts in the future.

An Update to the List

I just updated the list, for anyone who might be interested.  I added dates to all the works, which might be helpful in getting a better sense of the various demos and albums without having to look up each one.  I also added links for the works which the artists allow to be downloaded or streamed freely.  And I seem to find out about a new or obscure work at least every month or two, so if you haven't glanced through the list in a while, it might be worth your time to do so.

http://dungeonsynth.blogspot.com/2011/03/list-of-dungeon-synth-albums.html

Thanks to everyone who listens to and supports this genre.  May the mystical dream carry us into eternity.

Til Det Bergens Skyggene - Vandringen I (Skoglandskap)

After I reviewed Til Det Bergens Skyggene's self-titled album, the artist contacted me, and very kindly sent me his three currently unreleased cassettes Renhet I, II, and Vandringen I (Skoglandskap).  The former two tapes are quite good, very original and experimental, however the latter tape, the artist's most recent, is something else entirely.  The moment I started listening I knew I was in for a glorious journey, and so has it been every time since.  I would've reviewed this fantastic, nostalgic, pure symphony of dreamland much sooner, although I was hoping to do so once it was released, to hopefully get it more sales and listeners.  The artist told me, however, that due to some technical difficulties in dubbing the tapes, it would likely be a while until they were released, and whether or not readers of this blog have access to it at the moment, I still feel it absolutely needs some words to be said about it.

If the self-titled cassette of Til Det Bergens Skyggene had any problems, they are absolutely addressed and surpassed here.  The music never seems to fall into heavy repetition, and yet the craftsmanship is evident, that so much thought went into every riff.  In fact, this short cassette even transcends some of the best dungeon synth in that it has managed to create a tone and atmosphere that is distant and relaxed enough to allow the listener's mind to wander, exploring the visual landscape that grows out of the atmosphere of the music, an important trait that all good dungeon synth should have; but then what makes these songs so wonderful is that they are also complex and active enough that close focus upon the music itself is moving and enjoyable, something which most dungeon synth fails to achieve.  Somehow Vranevorn has managed to achieve the contemplative serenity which distinguishes the genre without resorting to excessive repetition or simplicity.   

The sound of the synths themselves could not be more perfect.  It is clear that the artist has a love for the sounds of such instruments, the deep, strange, otherworldly quality that can transport a listener to undiscovered vistas.  I wouldn't just recommend this tape to listeners of dungeon synth, I would also highly recommend it to people who love synthesizers in general.  Of course I mean vintage synths, from the eighties and nineties, but I'm not sure people who dislike such sounds could even be called "synth lovers."  This short span of slightly less than a half-hour of music is a feast of the mysterious warbling, shimmering, groaning, and crystalline sounds of these electronic gateways to the mystical realms.  One could look at the synthesizer as a mere machine, or as a mere instrument, depending primarily on the craftsmanship of the maker or the skill of the musician, however that is not how I see it, and I believe that is also not how Vranevorn sees it.  To me, I think the synthesizer is a doorway into an unknown and alien landscape, discovered rather than created, like the monolith discovered by the apes in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Too many people have failed to recognize what can be seen through the blurry window of these "vintage" instruments, moving on to the "new" sounds.  Artists like Til Det Bergens Skyggene instead stick around and attempt to clean that window, to give us a better view into that fantastic place, which of course can only truly be described through music, making my task of putting it into words quite difficult.  

This album makes you think, but it is also tremendously enjoyable to listen to.  It is the kind of music that you would have no problem listening to several times in a row.  And still, it's the kind of work that I highly doubt would ever get worn down and forgotten (even though that is ironically part of the atmosphere, that it feels like a faded, dusty tome in hidden corner of an attic of a deceased great-grandparent).  It is filled with such great longing, such profound memories, such yearning nostalgia, that I doubt anyone could not feel the bittersweet memories that never were, as fleeting and powerful as one's imaginary memories in a dream.

I apologize if my praise might seem a bit over-the-top, but even though I've given this tape plenty of listens, I'm still somewhat caught off guard by it.  To my ears it stands tall next to the greats of the early nineties, Mortiis and Wongraven, and I was honestly not expecting this genre to ever progress in such a way.  Though I don't believe the artist has too much influence from other dungeon synth musicians, I think it is still quite clear that he is tapping into the same vein, and coming in from that different angle has perhaps given him an advantage, creating very original and magical sounds within this style.  I must also apologize for whetting your appetites, since I know very few readers will have any access to this work.  I suggested to Vranevorn, if he could not release it physically, that he might consider releasing it online, and he made it quite clear to me that this was unacceptable, not only sticking to the old ways of vintage synths but also the nostalgia physically tangible music.  So, keep an eye out for the release of this tape, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed in purchasing it. 

Interview with Abandoned Places

Andrew: You have just released a new album, so could you tell the readers of this blog a bit about it, and perhaps a bit about Abandoned Places as well?

Abandoned Places: I have just released my second album, titled With the Dead, in the Language of the Dead. Like my first album it is a collection of dark fantasy synth pieces, often dissonant, played with various rich and nostalgic FM-synthesis timbres.

Andrew: What country are you based in? Is the question of locality even meaningful for a genre like this?

Abandoned Places: I live in the United States. The question of locality in music only has relevance if the genre is pervasive enough to spawn regional varieties (i.e. Colombian brutal death metal, southern hip-hop). Given the scarcity of dungeon synth artists I doubt the question is relevant, but perhaps someday it will be.

Andrew: Are there any artists you can point to as being primary influences for your music?

Abandoned Places: My primary influences are Burzum's two synth albums as well as a lot of music from old DOS RPG and adventure games, specifically Eric Heberling's music for Daggerfall and Aubrey Hodges' music from Quest for Glory 4, but also including a lot of old dungeon crawlers. The foreboding and solemn atmosphere of traveling through dungeons and tombs is very powerful in these games and I have tried to recreate that atmosphere in my work. I attempt this in part by using FM-synthesis timbres similar to those used by such games - FM-synthesis creates very deep, complex tones that I prefer to sampled instrument sounds. Although Mortiis is the progenitor of dungeon music outside of games, I had not heard his work until after releasing my first album, and it took me by surprise. Compared to the grim severity of Burzum's ambient albums Mortiis' work is lush and expansive, conjuring images of fantasy landscapes more than decrepit underground spaces. I hope to incorporate elements of Mortiis' style into my future work.

Andrew: You bring up a point I have often wondered about, what is the relationship between old rpg/adventure game music and dungeon synth? A lot of it is downright indistinguishable, so at what point should the line be drawn between the two genres? Or should they even be considered separate at all?

Abandoned Places: I'm not interested in making sweeping categorical statements, but I do think that some dungeon synth is more closely related to game music than others. The long tracks of early Mortiis have no parallel in old game music, as far as I know (I would love to hear counterexamples). those pieces exploit long track lengths to project and develop ideas over large spans of time. That kind of long-term structural planning is not relevant within the 2-5 minutes accorded to most game tracks, especially since those tracks are designed to loop. Burzum's two synth albums, on the other hand, tend towards cyclical structures even in the longest tracks, and it's easy to imagine them looping in a VGA dungeon. I do not believe that one method is superior to the other, and I believe they represent two extremes of a continuum rather than a binary choice. I'm sure there are dungeon synth artists and video game soundtracks that lie on all possible points within this continuum, and I suspect I'm oversimplifying the issue anyway. The two Abandoned Places albums currently available lie closer to the "Burzum" end of the continuum (shorter pieces, cyclical forms) but I plan to explore longer forms in the future.

Andrew: Even though the sounds of your synths have the nostalgic quality of those old games, your music is certainly more dissonant. In fact I'd even say it's more dissonant than Burzum's first ambient album. Why did you choose to make your music so dark and distressing?

Abandoned Places: The harmonic palette I'm most interested in working with for Abandoned Places is highly chromatic but still tonal. I often (not always) find purely diatonic or modal music cloying to listen to and unfulfilling to write. I chose to make the music dark, inspired by the music I mentioned earlier, and befitting my conception of "dungeon music" or music for a harsh fantasy realm. While I accept your interpretation, I intend the music to be not "distressing" but austere.

Andrew: How important is complexity and musical theory to your work? And also what do you think about the simplicity seen in most dungeon synth albums, considering that some of it is intentional minimalism, but most just derives from lack of musical knowledge and experience? Do you think anything of unique value can be found in the work of raw instinct and naivete?

Abandoned Places: My work is pretty simple, as is the dungeon synth that inspires me (and maybe all dungeon synth). In dungeon synth it can be difficult to determine if simplicity is due to intent, or ineptitude, or knowing imitation of ineptitude. All these approaches are valid - the result is what matters. Ineptitude can result in unusual musical choices, some of which are very good, because "failures" can become new creative avenues to explore and the inept are likely to "fail" often.

Andrew: A lot of your song titles appear to be fantasy names made up by yourself (unless I'm not recognizing the references). What can you tell us about those? Is that just for the concept of the music, or do they have some deeper meaning or use for you?

Abandoned Places: Some of the titles are invented or drawn from literature, but most are locations from old DOS RPGs. In some cases I have not actually played the games, only consulted their maps to find inspiring or fitting titles. I use the titles to evoke an atmosphere of fantasy, not for any specific connotations they might have.

Andrew: What are your thoughts on physical music vs. downloadable music? And what about piracy?

Abandoned Places: As an artist, downloadable music is much easier to deal with than physical music, though I can't deny a certain pleasure in holding a physical copy of one's work. As a consumer, I have purchased music in both formats. I suspect that as time goes on the relevance of physical releases will continue to wane and I have no problem with that. While I offer all my music for free at my site, I have nonetheless seen it pirated occasionally. These pirates do me a service by helping my music reach more dungeon synth listeners and I am grateful for their efforts on my behalf. I know that if it were not for piracy I would not have heard several of the albums on your list. I think that if dungeon synth is to survive (and I believe it will flourish) it will be in no small part due to the pirates who help preserve these obscure gems for future artists and listeners.

Andrew: Do you have any future plans for Abandoned Places?

Abandoned Places: I will continue exploring the possibilities of the genre and releasing more albums. At some point I may consider releasing physical versions of my work, but digital versions will always be available pay-what-you-will at my site.

Andrew: Any final words?

Abandoned Places: Thank you for the interview and for your invaluable contributions to this music.

Andrew: The pleasure was all mine.


The albums of Abandoned Places can be downloaded at any price and quality here.