Wojnar - Kiedy Duch Wojny Nade Mna Powstanie

[2022 Note: I do not support right-wing extremist views. I had a suspicion that the artist might have issues at the time of writing this review, and I admittedly wrote this pretending that wasn't the case. Times have changed and it is more clear to me now, so I would definitely write this review differently today. I still think early Wojnar is too powerful to ignore and worth appreciating in its context, and I would be willing to revisit it in-depth if necessary, but for now this note should hopefully suffice.] 

As I hear it, this is one of the truest examples of Eastern dungeon synth. It is triumphant, pagan, prideful, cheesy as hell, endearing as hell, lo-fi, atmospheric, and throughout most of the album the artist is intoning some dramatic Slavonic gibberish. I'm making fun a bit, but this record has long been one of my favorites in the genre. In fact, this is one of the first few artists playing in the "dungeon" style that I discovered after Mortiis. Someone new to this genre might find everything about this to be laughable, but for those who are open-minded enough to hold back the chuckles, you shall find this album to be very profound and moving. The synths maintain a consistent tone, and yet they manage to be quite dynamic throughout, slowly changing between moods of solemn contemplation, honoring some forgotten pagan sun-father, to emotions of pure ancient victory, and sometimes down to stoic melancholy. Though the vocals will initially strike the listener as quite overdramatic, the enthusiasm and seriousness is extremely contagious, and one will find themselves nodding to these seemingly-ancient pagan hymns within less than ten minutes. 

I'm going to review this as an English-speaking listener, without looking up a translation (I'm not sure if one exists) because that has always been suitable enough for me to enjoy this album for quite a few years. I don't understand a single word, and yet it all seems to make sense to me, as if it's calling out to some instinctual yearning of the indo-European mind for dense forests, snow-covered battlefields, and icons of myth and monstrosity. 

Without knowledge of the lyrics, identifying exactly what this is about is impossible, but I sense it's about something gravely important. It seems to me a desperate attempt to resurrect the pagan sentimentality, true honor of oneself and the gods of battle and northern archetypes. I'd say, like Wongraven, this is one of those albums where, if one gives it their full attention, it's nearly impossible not to get swept up in the grandiose vision. It moves slowly, but in a way that is necessary. It manages to fill its ambient boots perfectly, being as slow-paced as they come, and yet somehow never seeming boring. 

I'm going to, without a doubt, go so far as to say this is one of the absolutely necessary dungeon synth albums. Is Mortiis or Wongraven better? Perhaps, but I think this album is almost just as important, if not only for serving as an example of the essence of the Eastern style of dungeon synth. This is one of those albums where, if one is listening to it and doing nothing else, it's best experienced by letting one's mind drift where it may until the album reins it in (and it certainly will). This is the kind of album that is hard to do justice to. It is both as primitive as can be, and yet fantastically majestic. Everyone with even a fleeting interest in this kind of epic keyboard music should listen to it. 

What is it about? I find that this seems to be an important question while listening myself, and yet I sense that it is open-ended. One can see within the majesty and pride of this record whatever strikes the individual listener as deserving of honor. Or perhaps one can listen to it as a representation of honor and pride itself… 

It's minimalistic, no doubt about that, but it is the sort of sparseness that allows for a clear focus upon the only things that matter, and so the powerful melodies which carry the music waste not a single note in their goal to bring the listener's mind to a place of epic mythological power. Even the melodies themselves could be called simplistic, and yet it is this same simplicity which resonates within our spirits at an instinctual level, a mood which many artists fail to reach due to insecurity and unjustified complexity (or, most often, simply a lack of vision). Often the most profound statements are those said in simple, straightforward terms, of the human experience that is lost in the unimportant details. 

But that is certainly not to say this album functions so well because it is minimalistic. This album is so good because it has spirit. That is ultimately what so many artists fail to reach and so many listeners fail to recognize. That is the reason why black metal was once so great, and is now long since dead, despite having the same sort of sound, and true spirit is why dungeon synth remains appreciated by only a small group of listeners who understand the soul of the art. Wojnar's early works are fantastical, primitive, and majestic, and shall only be honored by those who are the worthy inheritors of the magic born from black metal's ashes.

Interview with Tiwaz of Gvasdnahr

Andrew: What artists/albums most influenced you to create the music of Gvasdnahr?

Tiwaz: When I first started out, I only knew about Mortiis, Burzum, and later Wongraven. I guess all of the Mortiis Era 1 albums were the main influence, even though I don't really think my music sounds much like Mortiis at all. Later on I discovered more bands in the genre. Most of which I discovered on your blog, actually. And I think pretty much every band that I like has been somewhat of an influence, especially on Through Mists and Ruins.

Andrew: What is the inspiration for the concepts of the songs you make?

Tiwaz: Different things. On the first album, a few songs were inspired by Norse mythology, which can be seen on some of the song titles. Some songs were inspired by nature and the cosmos, and Mortiis, as I already mentioned. It's not a very dark album. Skymning EP might be a bit darker, but it was inspired by pretty much the same things.
On Through Mists and Ruins, I drew some inspiration from some newly discovered dungeon synth artist, but most ideas came from my own imagination, moods, and images that I pictured in my mind. Which is fantasy, I guess.

Andrew: On the subject of fantasy, do you have any interests in fantasy outside of this music? Novels? Paintings? RPG games (tabletop or video games)?

Tiwaz: I play Dungeons & Dragons with some friends a couple of times a month, and I've been pretty hooked to The Elder Scrolls V lately. I used to play Warcraft III a lot in the past as well, but I never got into that whole MMORPG thing.
I used to read a lot of H.P. Lovecraft stories online a few years ago, and I still have a pretty deep interest in his Mythos although I currently don't read anything.

Andrew: What do you think of this genre as it is currently? There are obviously not many listeners, but do you think that is changing at all?

Tiwaz: I think most of the best works in the genre was made in the 90's. There are some great releases from the last decade though, but I only know of one or two other bands who's currently active in making music in this genre.
I think it might slowly be growing in popularity, thanks to the Internet. Be it for better or worse.

Andrew: Where would you like to see the genre go in the next five or ten years? And where would you hope to see Gvasdnahr in that context?

Tiwaz: It's my wish that it would remain somewhat shrouded in mystery, and I think it will. It may have crawled out of the shadows just a bit lately thanks to the internet, but I think it still mostly only attracts the rare type of people who's got the right mindset and who will come to understand the music and it's meanings, and I wish it would keep doing so. When I start thinking about it, I think this kind of music simply can't become hugely popular. Because I don't think most "regular" people can find any attractiveness in it.
It's hard to tell where Gvasdnahr will be at that time really. I hope some more people will come to enjoy my music of course. More Gvasdnahr will surely come, but I don't know when, or what it will sound like at this point. Probably colder and darker, as it seems to be heading that way.

Andrew: I think I quite agree with you, that this kind of music needs a certain amount of obscurity for the atmosphere to be effective. More on the topic of your own music, how do you feel about your past three releases individually, "Gvasdnahr," "Skymning EP," and your recent one, "Through Mists and Ruins?"

Tiwaz: I think "Gvasdnahr" is a pretty light album, and I don't think it's very exhausting or difficult to listen to. I hadn't found my style yet when I made the songs for it, so It's a bit experimental and the songs are pretty varying in tone and style. I think Skymning EP is darker, but still has a similar tone as on Gvasdnahr. Some time after the release of Skymning EP, my Roland D-5, which I had used for both releases started to break down and became more or less unusable. I didn't feel like spending money on a new synthesizer or keyboard, so I started looking for some other ways of making music. I eventually tried out working with some VST software synths, and that's what I used when I composed the songs for Through Mists and Ruins. Even though it's not recorded with a keyboard, I think it's probably the best Gvasdnahr album so far. It's got a few parts with some "heroic" orchestral like sound, but it's also darker and colder than the previous releases, which is something I like a lot.

Andrew: How do you feel about politics in dungeon synth? Specifically I'm thinking of the "aryan" ideas that a lot of the Eastern bands seem to have, but I'm also curious whether you think there's a place for politics at all in this kind of music?

Tiwaz: I've never been one to meddle in politics, and I certainly wouldn't involve it in my music. I think there are better ways to express ones political views (of any sort) than to do it through music, and especially through this genre. Perhaps it fits in some other genres, but I personally don't think it should have anything to do with dungeon synth.

Andrew: How about religion and spirituality? You said there was an inspiration from Norse mythology in your first couple releases, do you have personal spiritual thoughts or practices in regard to these pagan things? Do you have any strong feelings about occultism, Satanism, or Christianity?

Tiwaz: I'm not religious, and I'm certainly not very spiritual either. But I'm very interested in Asatru and other pagan religions, and I have great respect for it. However, my interest in paganism is not limited to just European paganism. I have great respect for Native American traditions as well for example, and the Ancient Egyptian religion is fascinating. I enjoy Native American traditional music a lot, and I can even enjoy some traditional oriental music as well from time to time. I have a little bit of interest in pretty much all ancient religions and civilizations that predates christianity.
I don't really have any thoughts about occultism. It might be interesting to read up on some of it some time, but I wouldn't go any further than that.
Like many others, when I first got into black metal, I was also pretty into all that Satanist business even though I didn't know anything about it. I grew tired of it pretty quickly though and realized that I did it only because the sudden exposure from black metal with all its satanic imagery, macabre song and album titles and raw music had made Satanism seem like some really fascinating think to me at the time.
While I still may dislike christianity, I have no problem with christians as long as they don't preach in public and tries to shove their belief down anyones throat.

Andrew: What are your feelings about black metal in relation to this style of music? Do you think it has too much influence, or perhaps provides a sort of isolated "sanctuary" for dungeon synth?

Tiwaz: I've always felt that dungeon synth has a connection to black metal for sure. The second wave especially. Seeing as all of the first dungeon synth artists I heard either were, or had been black metal musicians.
I kind of think of dungeon synth as a lone, ancient castle, hidden in a dark desolate corner in the shadow of black metal. Only a few knows it's there. And out of those few who dares to enter, only a few is capable of finding it's treasure.

Andrew: That seems a very nice note to end on. I thank you very much for the interview. Do you have any final words?

Tiwaz: I think that's all from me, for now. Thanks."

Abandoned Places - Lost Paths Remembered in Dream

I want to make this clear, from the beginning of the review, since I plan to wax eloquent about it, that I do not like this album. I apologize for saying this, since I think this album is a sincere and compelling exploration of the dungeon mood. In fact, on my first few listens I was honestly conflicted as to whether this is actually dungeon synth. It is. It is medieval, lo-fi, fully synth, minimalistic, still entirely musical, and the themes are clearly about escapism, although to a place this genre has previously seldom explored. It is, so far, the most "dungeon" sounding album I've heard within the genre, in the sense that it evokes hopelessness and dread like no other. I apologize that it's been so long since I've done a review, however the reason is mostly because I've had a hard time wrapping my head around this work and coming to an opinion that does it justice. Yes, I've said I don't like it, but that is not to say it's a bad album, only difficult and strenuous to the extreme. Many might say they enjoy climbing mountains, but few would say they enjoy imagining medieval torture in great detail. I'm afraid that's what we have here; it is the music of a literal dungeon, but to discount it on that basis seems absurd, since that is, after all, the name of the genre.

The beginning is fascinating in its dissonance, truly delving into the grimy depths of a medieval fantasy. Still, when we arrive to songs like "Thorwal," we realize this is an endurance test, which I’m not so sure is a bad thing. After all, most beauty sticks out primarily because of contrast from prior experience, and perhaps painful horrific ugliness should be beautiful in a strange way that we've yet to come to terms with. Is that not, after all, one of the goals of dungeon synth, to delve into the blackest and darkest depths and find the beauty within? The problem is, this album does little in helping you, the listener, to find the beauty. I think that's where the main problem lies, in that it's almost all dissonance and ugliness; there is practically nothing to hook the listener into the fantasy, apart from occasional moments in a couple songs. It's entirely up to the listener to find the beauty in the ugliness.

And so it makes me curious, is the goal of dungeon synth to make the fantasy of the grimiest depths of dungeon synth beautiful? Is it to specifically show the listener that these concepts can be profound? "Caves of Anbari" is almost like an oasis in this album, performing that perfect goal, while providing a safe haven against the pain and suffering that the listener will encounter before and after that track. It's hard. It's hard as hell. But I want you all to listen to it. Treat it as a journey into the darkest depths of the foulest crypts, where your very soul is in danger, where your mind is at risk of never returning.

This album is almost the complete opposite of the last one I reviewed. While that one might've suffered slightly from a consistent mood of "epic wandering," this one suffers from a consistently "horrific" feeling (which is much more trying on the listener than the former). It would be useful in a roleplaying game, visiting various dark caverns and tombs, however, for the everyday listener, it doesn't provide the emotional satisfaction one might receive from the artists with asterisks on my dungeon synth list, for instance.

In terms of the production, the instruments are spot on. Each one has a very "dungeon synth" sound and quality, which is one of the reasons it's been so hard to dismiss, and I'm sure lovers of the pure sound of such synths would agree with me. The performance seems to be, from my ears, entirely midi, which makes it sound quite a bit more lifeless, possibly fitting the mood of torture, however I think this album would've been benefited by human performance rather than programming.

I have little more to say. If you have the bravery and endurance to explore the blackest realms of dungeon synth, here's the link: http://abandonedplaces.bandcamp.com/

Gvasdnahr - Through Mists and Ruins

Distant, triumphant, and majestic, this record wanders the cold realm of fog in a mood that well-captures the feeling of epic melancholy. In that way, it is most reminiscent, to me, of Mortiis' "Født til å herske," cold and detached, yet glorious nonetheless, certainly a fitting mood for ruins in the mist. It is undoubtedly escapist in its goals, going directly into another world and allowing us to follow, if we are able. There is little warmth and accessibility in its presentation, but that simply comes with the nature of dungeon synth, sometimes more strongly than others; one must simply learn to appreciate the exploration of the music as a place rather than a story, and it is in that way you can come to understand what this genre, and especially this album, are about.

I've wanted to review Gvasdnahr for quite some time, considering he is one of the currently-active musicians in the style, and so the timing of this recent album's release was quite fortunate. The artist offers it as a free download as well, so there's no harm in trying it. While this project is still fairly new to me, and for that reason I'm unconfident in asserting any overly strong opinions about it, I'd still say this is his best work so far.

I'm not sure what Gvasdnahr's recording methods are, however the precision leads me to believe that it is programmed rather than performed, which serves to also add to its coldness. The synths are all appropriate and familiar-sounding, for anyone that has listened to much of this genre, rarely exploring the sound of ugly or lo-fi synths, however it still most definitely has the "dungeon synth sound." The composition is similarly solid without straying into neoclassical territory, a respectable feat for this genre.

This record asserts the stoic strength of the individual, a single man alone in a vast, empty wilderness. It absolutely takes more than one listen, and maybe even a few drinks to understand. This is a record which acknowledges the pain and strife in navigating this world of emptiness, and yet it acts as a soothing medicine, invoking the old concept of wyrd to provide strength for the individual man attempting to live in this world, keeping the noble, forgotten values in his heart despite the suffering it causes. Or perhaps it is a complete fantasy… perhaps these ideas were never "forgotten" values from the past, but rather they stem from some other place, a new place of fantasy yet to be fully explored, which can provide meaning and context in this land of emptiness.

I must reiterate, this album takes multiple listens to grasp. I am fully dedicated this genre and, to be honest, I was still somewhat turned off during the first few listens. As I'm writing this now, it must be my third or fourth listen, and it's entirely different than the first two, and very engaging. It's been too long for me to remember if this was the same case for Mortiis, however I know it’s the same case for Til Det Bergens Skyggene, and so that leads me to believe that many of these artists are unique in a way that makes for difficult initial comprehension. Give this album time and several listens and I really believe it will grow on you, if it hasn't grasped you from the first.

Anyways, this artist deserves more attention, especially since his works are offered freely.

Lord Wind - Atlantean Monument

The sun rises on a pagan age. Millennia ago, in a pristine, idealized Hyperborea, ancient gods commanded mighty warriors to fight in strife and battle, for honor in both this world and the next. Lord Wind escapes to a place of ancient warfare and statuesque mythological icons, which rise, towering out of the fog, moss-covered yet still glorious despite the wear of countless centuries. In this Atlantean world we encounter mysterious ruins brimming with arcane secrets and foul beasts of ancient legend, witches, chimeras, dragons, medusa, etc., all deadly perils that can only be surpassed with raw steel. Here a fantasy, that is so belittled in our time as being 'childish' or 'immature,' is embraced in way only reminiscent of ages long lost to time, where our 'ignorance' meant that these magic and barbaric worldviews that gave so much meaning and significance to our lives were not compromised by rationalism.

Embrace the old gods! That is what this album seems to proclaim, in a masculine voice supremely confident and unapologetic. Very much like an Atlantean monument, this record seems to be something completely outside of our modern understanding, in that the escapist fantasy bears practically no self-consciousness. In tone, it doesn't see itself as a record of the modern age, yearning for what might've once been, or perhaps should be in our ideal biological nature, but rather it seems to be a work created by someone from such world, with absolutely no comprehension of this one we live in. And then, the fact that these are clearly synthesizers making up the entire work might seem ironic to us, but the artist is unaware or uncaring, far above such trivial things, far too noble to acknowledge the weak, insecure 'irony' that dominates our era. Synthesizers are simply the best route, in this age, to seek the lost truth through music.

Rob Darken is well-known for his Conan-esque battle hymns, which dominate both this Lord Wind project as well as Graveland, however I'd argue that his vision appears in its most pure form in this album, the pinnacle of his efforts thus far. It's more deep and spiritual than any other Lord Wind album, which previously hardly strayed from the mood of simply fighting in some ancient pagan warfare, and it is certainly not bogged down by the angsty testosterone of black metal, such as his Graveland project. Here, Darken's most romantic vision of a pagan fantasy landscape is realized and illustrated in a way that is the most successful with the least genre obstacles; the musical form of dungeon synth, which might not have many listeners, is nevertheless far more suited to exploration of alternate realms within the imagination, which is what I think Darken most wants to do, but lingers within black metal simply due to the larger audience.

Like all dungeon synth, and very much like a "monument," this album seems cold and lifeless, an ancient ruin bearing only the imagined memories of an idealized past. We are only viewing this world from a great height, where we can never get a clear sense of individual lives, and certainly not feelings. We can only imagine the people that might've built such glorious structures and try to sense the wonder and splendor one might feel in early civilization, at having waged battle with nature and begun to succeed in glory against it, and then sought out the horrific beasts that lurk from within its darkest corners, in order to combat them with a mighty blade and pure faith in heroic bravery, and likely, heroic death.

It would be hard, giving it one's full engagement, to not be swept up by the majesty of this record. It seems to be paradoxically both grandiose and modest, a stoic honoring of the heathen deities that once reckoned every aspect of our lives as innately 'barbaric' creatures, creatures now temporarily taken out of our natural pagan environment and thrust into an alien world of modernism. But here, in dreaming through art, we can recollect our true existence that we were denied, a fantasy into which we can escape, and perchance seek once more...

Secrets of my Kingdom, by Mortiis

The Written Word of Dungeon Synth, Part I



Dungeon synth did not emerge out of nothing. Mortiis admitted in interviews that he was inspired by fantasy novels, and Burzum's influence from Norse mythology and Tolkien is well known. It's no secret what tremendous influence Tolkien had upon black metal, and it is from that specific place in black metal that dungeon synth grew out of, so to speak of the genre without mentioning its literary connections would be a tremendous disservice to it. In fact, its entire substance is based around evoking fantastic images unique to the listener's mind, and as one hears those strange atmospheres, it seems they practically beg to be written. As one would expect, there's far more written work out there that parallels the dungeon mood than just The Lord of the Rings. For that reason I will be making occasional posts that deal with certain works I've found to almost come from the same mysterious horizon as this music.

"It feels like what I have created was created a long time ago... And has been recreated by my spirit, or perchance my spirit has awoken at last, to create what was always meant to be...
I can see the castle clearer now, and the paths that lead to it, though they shineth but dimly."
- excerpt from Emperor of a Dimension Unknown

The single most important written work to this genre, apart from Tolkien's material of course, is probably unknown to most of its listeners. Mortiis, shortly before abandoning the vision for industrial/pop music, published a collection of poetry and prose that he had been writing throughout his Era 1 period. The leather-bound book was published in 850 copies by Earache, and was called Secrets of my Kingdom. Clearly this work was to Mortiis' music what The Silmarillion was to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, proving what many listeners likely suspect, that Mortiis' fantasy was truly a fleshed out world rather than a general concept.

It's unfortunate that this book is so difficult to come by (and expensive), as I feel it often does a better job of expressing Mortiis' vision than the music itself, and certainly gives the listener a much larger context in appreciating it.

Is the writing good? In terms of the actual craft, it wouldn't stand on its own next to "respectable" literary works. There are grammar and spelling mistakes everywhere and it is filled throughout with a hokey, pseudo-Old English wording; however, all of this should be easily forgiven by one who understands the music, as these things cause the writing to be charming in the same way that lo-fi recording quality and lack of musical knowledge/experience affect dungeon synth; it is that shoddy, natural, instinctive approach to creation that reminds the reader that the art they are appreciating is real, that it originates from a place of pure inspiration. And like the music itself, the weakness in technique proves to be no obstacle in allowing the ideas themselves to surge forth, dead serious in the romantic escapism, with a pure, naive faith in one's personal vision that so often seems to be found in the artwork of undeniably young and "immature" creators.

"Somewhere, out there in space and time... The endless dreamscapes lie... And many a soul of a dreamer will forever stay... To gather strength and wisdom...
For here wander always the spirits of dreams, the all-wise, all-knowing... For what reveal not the dreaming mind?"
- excerpt from Dreamworld

A few full samples from Mortiis' obscure tome can be found here.

Til Det Bergens Skyggene - Til Det Bergens Skyggene

Til Det Bergens Skyggene's self-titled cassette is like listening to a mirage. This world is a desert for the soul, and with this work we hear strange glimmers of hope, and although we recognize that it is entirely insubstantial (like a mirage), the sense of longing for that hazy Eden grows. It is a blurry window, through which we see the lost plane of existence where we were meant to live. Perchance we are seeing through the very veil of death, which is why it sounds so terribly cold and alien. Perchance upon journeying out of our dying bodies we will leave this time of mankind's apocalypse and will once more return to the sacred circle of infinite. That's what this work seems to promise as I hear it. It is nostalgia, not simply for some music from the 90's, but rather for the very core of spirituality that all mankind is thirsting for in this age of chaos.

I must admit, it took several listens for this work to really click for me, but with each one my appreciation grows. At first I thought that there weren't enough instruments playing harmoniously and it was too improvisational, but now I realize that every note was intended, and when the hazy keyboard voices are limited to only one or two, that is not due to any kind of naive musicianship, but rather the clear goal of loneliness in sound.

Considering that the release is essentially new as I write this, it is apparent that the musician entirely understands what dungeon synth is about. In terms of capturing the lo-fi magic of vintage keyboards and recording methods, this work has found a perfect voice. To give one an idea of the sound, I'd say the closest relative would be Burzum's ambient work, very spiritual but perhaps not quite as atmospheric as those artists coming out of the Mortiis camp.

These songs sound to me like unanswered questions, which is undoubtedly why my appreciation of the work has come on so slowly. As is the case with nearly all great dungeon synth, the seemingly simplistic songwriting obscures a deep complexity of emotion, delving into an inner world that seems to have branches that go deeper than mere music can convey. It's quite difficult to explain, but right now I sense in the music something very powerful and ancient, like some pagan stone monolith. In fact I'd say all these songs sound very much like discovering a stone circle in scarcely-trod forest. Both seem simplistic, and yet if one were to take the time to sit down and try to feel from a deeper part of their being, they might begin to see a barely perceptible glow, perhaps from some fairy realm that our people have long lost contact with. I'm beginning to believe that dungeon synth is an attempt to reconnect with that indescribable presence within this modern day. I think it's something entirely outside of our ordinary experience, and I'm not sure it could ever be fully forgotten, since it might truly exist in some way that none of our objective science or logic can explain.

Then again, maybe it is simply mankind's instinct to seek magic (even if it is impossible). If so, I also believe that ignorance is bliss. If we're wrong, well, let's simply ignore the possibility that we're wrong. In that way we can create a new myth, for mankind cannot live without one. This is our chance. Support dungeon synth, especially active artists such as Til Det Bergens Skyggene, and let us work to build a new spirituality that is not some simple new age nature worship, nor frivolous morality, but rather the pure magic of the unspeakable other. We cannot underestimate the power of thoughts. We are deeply affected by things that are real, such as instinctual urges connected with survival and reproduction; it makes sense it terms of biology that we would feel such things deeply, but what does it mean when we feel things of fantasy on a similar level of intensity? Does that validate the fantasy? Does that make it real in some way that no institution of mankind can yet explain? My answer is yes.

Needless to say, I greatly look forward to any future releases from this artist.