Interview with Hedge Wizard!!

Interview conducted via e-mail in March 2015.

Listen and support Hedge Wizards' music: https://hedgewizard.bandcamp.com/
Keep updated about Hedge Wizard: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hedge-Wizard/725977330805106

WULF: OK, there's seriously like no information about you that I can find on the internet, except that you're from Toledo, Ohio, and you produce your own minimalist dungeon synth music recordings on cassette tapes. Tell us about yourself, Mr. Wizard!

HEDGE WIZARD: Yes, I am from Toledo.    I live in a place that sort of feels like a boarding house for factory and retail workers.  A lot people in one spot, you know.  Working long hours while playing games and drinking on our nights off.

I occupy my time with a lot of other good stuff though like books, comics and magazines.  However, I do spend most of my time playing and listening to music, while at the same time trying to avoid both death and taxes.

WULF: Speaking of cassette tapes, I like the art that you've chosen for the cover. Did you make this art yourself? If not, then who did? 

HEDGE WIZARD: Yes, I created the cover.   I just wanted to make something by hand and have some fun with it.  It seemed to work out in the end and the response I have got back has been encouraging.

WULF: Your music seems to fall into the "old-school" dungeon synth style, similar to (era I) Mortiis and point-and-click adventure games from the 1990s. Do you agree with this?

HEDGE WIZARD: I'm not sure where this album would be placed.  I would have to leave that for others to decide.   But when it comes to Dungeon Synth inspiration, I was listening to a lot of Gvasdnahr and Darkstroll at the time.  Along with a lot of the 90's DS recordings.  So I'm sure some of that influenced my musical direction.

WULF:  Is this a particular style you are aiming for on purpose, or is it just a matter of working with a lower budget? 

HEDGE WIZARD: There was no clear direction for this album. It was just a hodgepodge of spells I conjured with the equipment that I had.

WULF:  Do you plan on making future Hedge Wizard music within this style, or could you see your music evolving into something similar in sound to the newer, neo-dungeon synth style (such as Erang or Lord Lovidicus)?

HEDGE WIZARD: I am not entirely sure what the horizon brings.

WULF: Is "More True Than Time Thought" a concept album, or is there an underlying, unifying theme? Honestly, the vibe I get is that each song has kind of its own mood and storyline, but that's just my interpretation. 

HEDGE WIZARD: This album is about smoke emerging from strange mixtures.  The aroma of mildew in a dank hall.  Maybe this music sets the pace to the beads of sweat that roll down your face at the climax of a reoccurring nightmare.  These are a few of my favorite things.

WULF: Also, is there a particular way in which you would encourage the listeners to experience your music? Personally, I think most dungeon synth works best as ambient music for table-top RPG sessions in the evening, but I'm not sure if everyone else feels that way.

HEDGE WIZARD:  Like any music, I believe it is in the eye of the beholder.  I could see a lot of pen and paper players really digging Dungeon Synth for their sessions.  Or set the mood for a fantasy author to write their stories.  It could be the soundtrack to an entity's nightly musings.  Personally I love to walk around or drink ale while telling stories. I suppose everyone has their own unique interpretation.

WULF: Are tabletop role-playing and/or computer games an influence in your music? I know that many dungeon synth artists have gaming backgrounds...

From when I opened up my first Magic booster and smelled that fresh print to the grueling raids during the MMO boom, I would say I have some gaming blood.  And yes, quite a few RPG and tabletop sessions.

WULF: Is there any literature that you'd like to recommend that has either played a big role in your music production, or would perhaps enhance the listener's experience or understanding of your music?

Reading is probably my biggest past time besides music and it has a large influence on my musical script.  I enjoy the Sword and Sorcery short stories the most.  One of my favorite authors being Fritz Leiber.  I've recently been reading the Swords of Steel anthology by DMR Books. That's been killer.

WULF: Along the same lines, is there any particular philosophy or world you are attempting to convey through your music, or at least something along these lines that you adhere to and would like to share with us?

HEDGE WIZARD: The blending of the real world and the fantastic.  I walk this line constantly.

WULF: I've asked you a bit about your plans for the future of your music, but would you like to add to this? What can Hedge Wizard fans expect from you in the coming months or next couple of years?

HEDGE WIZARD: I'm not sure when the next album will be ready, but I am working on it.  Only time will tell.

WULF: That's all the questions I have for you, my friend!! Any final spells or incantations before we end this Malicious interrogation?

HEDGE WIZARD:  Hey! Thanks for the interview Wulf.

Forever In The Dungeon!

You can read more of Wulf's thoughts on Hedge Wizard here.

Dungeon Synth Explorations - Part 4 - Hedge Wizard

Click below to check out previous installments of this series!
Part 1 - here

Part 2 - here
Part 3 - here

Hedge Wizard is a very mysterious, obscure dungeon synth artist hailing from the equally mysterious, obscure city of Toledo, Ohio (seriously though, I know nothing about Toledo).   What I find most interesting about his style is that it reminds me not so much of (Era I) Mortiis or Wongraven, but point-and-click adventure games from the 1990s instead.

Have you ever played Inherit the Earth?   I remember playing this game for hours when I was about 9 or 10 years old, and really loving the game in terms of storyline and atmosphere even though I found it to be pretty difficult.   Actually, it was because of a glitch that caused me to never actually finish the game, so I've always been meaning to go back and see what happens to Riff after he escapes the dungeon of Dog Castle!  Anyway, the point of this story is that for some reason the music from this game really stuck with me, even though when I listen to it now it doesn't seem that special or memorable.   I guess I just really loved the ambiance that the low budget keyboards generated...it really matched the "low-fantasy" style of the game, much different than the high fantasy atmosphere that I was used to from playing hours of Warcraft 2 or Baldur's Gate.  It was because of these games from the '90s like Inherit the Earth or Hero's Quest/Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero that made me appreciate this specific video game soundtrack style, and for whatever reason Hedge Wizard's music reminds me of that.

More True Than Time Thought (2014)

I feel like this would make the perfect soundtrack to browsing through the original AD&D rulebooks... this music doesn't exactly make me think of someone tiptoeing through a dungeon, but instead maybe a wizard or enchanter reading up on mysterious creatures of the wilderness in a large, dusty tome.   You can emulate this by dusting off your old original AD&D monster manuals, loading a pipe of your favorite shit to smoke / alcoholic beverage, and spending an afternoon or evening checking out the cool shit inside!
Each of the songs kind of have their own mood, but they all fit into a similar, laid-back kind of style that really leaves a lot of room for your imagination to explore.  For example- "The Conjurer's Clutter" makes me think of an absent-minded wizard bumbling around his weird tower trying to remember where he put the final ingredient for some strange concoction he's been working on for months... I don't know if you guys are into Lamentations of the Flame Princess or not, but it kind of reminds me of the "Tower of the Stargazer" adventure.   Or another favorite, "Huffing Petrichor", brings to mind a scene of a sorcerer inhaling mysterious fumes reminiscent of the smell of petrichor and recalling some sort of riddle or code that he encountered decades ago that still remains unsolved to this day.   Honestly though, my favorite song on the record is the first track, "Ancient Vibrations".   While it's certainly evocative and atmospheric, it's one of the few songs on the album that doesn't immediately bring a scene to my mind...it's just the one that reminds me the most of the old games I was talking about earlier.

So if you want to listen to some more laid-back, lo-fi, simplistic dungeon synth that still does an excellent job of stimulating the imagination and evoking an old-school, retro-gaming atmosphere, then definitely check this album out!!

You can listen to the entire album here.

Keep updated about Hedge Wizard: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hedge-Wizard/725977330805106

Interview with Crow of Lord Lovidicus!!

Interview conducted via e-mail, February 2015.

Listen and support Lord Lovidicus' music: https://lordlovidicus.bandcamp.com/
Keep updated about Lord Lovidicus: https://www.facebook.com/LordLovidicus
Lord Lovidicus' Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CrowHavenBM
Mithrim Records: http://mithrimrecords.bandcamp.com/


WULF: So from what I can tell, you haven’t done too many interviews. Tell us a bit about yourself and your music. How did you get into the mysterious, intriguing world of dungeon synth?

CROW:  I'm just a human that likes to keep himself busy. I've developed many hobbies that I undertake in my spare time, one of which is music. For me, growing up in a musical background with a father who is a musician, I've always had a passion for composition. I started writing Lord Lovidicus when I was 15 years old, and now I'm 20. I've come a long way, and what started out as musical expression turned into something that I could share with others through social media. Of course, this isn't something I've strived for, it's something I've incidentally stumbled upon. Particularly, dungeon synth was not in my mind when writing my music. I wrote music inspired by what I was surrounded by: video games and fantasy books. Eventually my music developed into what could be considered dungeon synth, but I never intended to write dungeon synth music.

WULF: Maybe I’m, crazy, but I feel like there’s been a drastic improvement in the quality of your music ever since you released “Forgotten Ruins” in June 2013. The following album, “Kyndill og Stein” was great as well. However, shit really got kicked into high gear with your most recent album, “Waldervogel des Waldes” (released in November 2014)! In my opinion, that’s one of the greatest “neo”-dungeon synth albums of all time, and is bound to be a classic! While I do appreciate the more “old-school” dungeon synth style of some newer artists (such as Splendorius or Murgrind), I feel like both you and (fellow dungeon synth conjurer) Erang are redefining the genre with your newer music while simultaneously demonstrating that this kind of music doesn’t necessarily have to sound like it came out in 1991 in order to belong. How do you feel about this evolution in your style? What brought about this drastic change in sound?

CROW:  This decision was purely a matter of composition in my mind. I loved the authentic, lo-fi sounds of my earlier work, but it became a limitation as far as composition. With a keyboard full of MIDI sounds, I was able to get the different sounds that I thought of as sufficient, but what I could actually play on the keyboard, I felt, limited my ability to compose. Writing in an electronic interface fixed this problem, and I was able to reinvent my project and limitlessly compose to whatever my mind could conjure. This is where my view of music sort of clashes with most people's views. I feel the essence of music is in the composition, and the medium that it is played through is just a way of conveying the abstract. Many people think that the mixing and production of the music is the most important thing. No, to me it is the notes. The notes themselves are like the words of a book. People may argue whether paperback or hardcover is the best, but in the end the words are the reason you buy the book.

WULF:  Is there a particular concept or storyline that you draw inspiration from for your songs / albums, or do you just kind of improvise in that respect as you write? In a previous interview, you mentioned a kind of loose storyline that you had in mind when you composed the “When the Mountain Falls” EP (September 2012), but has been the case for your music after this?

CROW: To answer the first question, it's a mixture of both. If there is something I read or saw that particularly inspired me, I would write a song in its respect. Most of the time it is improvised. That EP was the first time I tried doing a full length story concept for an album. I did it mainly because a friend recommended I should try it out. I may try that again in the future. It was an interesting experience.

WULF: Are we ever going to see a Lord Lovidicus music video? What about the possibility of a live show? If this was something you’d be interested in doing, what would your ideal show be like?

CROW: My music is instrumental for the same reason that I would not make music videos or perform live. Music, to me, is about what can't be explained through words or visuals. I had a conversionation with one of my fans and he asked me what visions I thought of through one of my songs. I told him my ideas, and then I asked for his. They were fairly different, and that is what I love to get out of my music. It should stimulate everyone's imagination differently. It's much of the same reason why people play tabletop games as opposed to triple A video games. People like to use their imaginations rather than be force fed super specific visuals or commentaries.

WULF: Your music would fit quite well in a short film or video game, even though personally I think its best as a soundtrack to an evening of D&D / Pathfinder. What do you think it is about dungeon synth that separates it from just being atmospheric video game or movie music? Have you ever had any offers to compose game music or anything like that?

CROW: I think your first question ties in a lot with what I had to say in the previous question. Unfortunately I've never had offers from people asking me to compose music for their video games or anything. I would love to do that. I'm almost done with my degree in computer science and plan on making video games. If I did make video games, I would definitely write the music for it; possibly even through some Lord Lovidicus in there.

WULF: Does the music of Lord Lovidicus represent a personal philosophy or belief system of your own? You’ve mentioned that you have a sort of apathetic, nihilistic, misanthropic view towards mainstream society / humanity. You’ve also talked a bit about how for you personally, your music acts as a sort of temporary escape vehicle out of this reality. Does this also reflect your personal philosophy towards overall existence in general? Being a black metal fan, what are your views towards the occult, the supernatural, etc.? Also, I highly doubt you’re a religious fellow, but I think it would be really cool if you would release an Old Testament-themed cover album of some of your own music and then release it under the name Lord Leviticus. Just putting it out there. 

CROW: This is a highly in depth question so I'll try to tackle this piece by piece.

First off, I like my music to be as far removed from philosophy and beliefs as possible. It's fantasy music. Fantasy shouldn't have to deal with philosophy or belief systems, those are for reality where the actual questions need to be asked. Again, with my music being an escape from reality, it really shouldn't associate itself with the concerns of existence.

At the time of that interview, when I was 17, I was going through a lot of psychological problems. I ended up suffering from depersonalization disorder from which I've emerged a completely different person. Interestingly enough, that's when I began my switch to electronically produced music. My thoughts on existence at the time were hopelessly nihilistic. I viewed the world as a meaningless and empty place filled with arrogant, oblivious, and egocentric drones. My views on the state of the world have not changed much, and that reality that I have recognized has not changed; however, my perception of that reality and the way it affects me has changed, drastically. I stopped viewing the world in a purely objective and detatched state, to one more subjective and in tune with who I really am. I spent most of my life training my mind to analyze the world in a rigorous, objective light. Now, I am doing the opposite, for my own sake and sanity. It has led me to an existential crisis in which I emerged the master of my consciousness; however, I think psychological and philosphical development never ends and it is something to be developed upon the further we travel through life.

It is true that I was an avid black metal fan some time ago. I've lately become somewhat detatched from the scene. I still listen to it here and there for old times' sake, but as I develop my musical tastes I realize I really don't like vocals in my music. That's probably why black metal was so appealing to me because the vocals are incomprehensible from face value and serve as a sort of instrument themselves. I feel like vocals, lyrics specifically, bring an unwanted element into music that detracts from the purpose of music in the first place. It ties in with my other answer about playing live or making a music video.

I find the occult silly. Stylistically, it has its aesthetics, and they are fairly attractive, but inherently I find it silly. The supernatural on the other hand is a realm that does intrigue me; particularly metaphysics. At the same time I haven't decided whether such a philosphy is probable because it is founded in biased human egocentricism along with the physical manifestation of something abstract (i.e. a soul), but there is no evidence against it so I remain open minded.

It's funny you bring up the whole Lovidicus - Leviticus thing. I've thought about that many times in my mind and all the time I think "Damn, I should've come up with a better name."

WULF:  You’ve covered music by Erang (and vice versa), and have also released a split together as well. I would argue that right now you guys are arguably the two most popular contemporary dungeon synth artists. The world is not big enough for the both of you. In a duel to the death, who would emerge victorious… Lord Lovidicus or Erang?

CROW: I know Erang was inspired by a lot of my earlier works, and I became inspired by his works as well. I had a great time collaborating with him and hope to do more in the future. He is a great guy. In direct response to your question I would say Erang. He has the production quality that people crave and the stylistic visuals to aid with his music. In all seriousness, I think me and Erang have our differences and we are both trying to acheive different things with our music. I can tell that Erang is trying to perfect some stylistic archetypes that exist in music genres. For me, I'm just trying to uniquely express myself in a way that I've never heard before. It's really hard, and I get a lot of backlash for it because people wish my music was more "true" to the scene. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to plateau and reinvent the wheel. I want to go places with my music that people haven't gone before, and whether people like it or not does not concern me.

WULF: I’m actually really interested in creating my own dungeon synth as well, but all I have is Garage Band for my iPad and it’s not working out too well. Do you have any advice or tips for newbies like me? Feel free to get as technical as you want regarding hardware, software, musical equipment, songwriting, etc.

CROW: It's a pretty hard process. It takes a certain level of dedication. I feel there is no general formula to writing this music because it should be a methodology that is unique to each artist. I could explain how my methodology has evolved over the years but I'm not sure if that would have any use to you. Essentially, if you are using an electronic interface to write music, you need two types of hardware. Something that specializes in MIDI's and VST's so that you can dynamically modify synthesizers on a tracklist of plotted notes. If you want your music to have a more authentic sound, you could hook up a keyboard through a computer with a MIDI adapter. I know in FL Studio you can record notes in real time and then set those notes to a synthesizer that you customize. The second type of software that is necessary is a sound processing software that can import and export most sound files and can modify their equalization, pitch, reverb, etc. For this I use Audacity.

As far as songwriting goes. It's really your own formula. For me, I usually envision some sort of landscape or scenario in my mind. Then, I paint it with the notes. It's really hard to explain how that is done. I guess the best way I could explain it is that in my own mind there exists a library of connotative and associative sounds or melodies that coincide with different sceneries. It's a very abstract model that I use to pick and choose different note sequences to represent specific things in a scenery. Of course, this is just my mind's interpretation, and on a listener's mind it has profound results that end up in largely different interpretations.

WULF: The name Lord Lovidicus comes from “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion” video game. Obviously, you’re an Elder Scrolls fan, so just out of curiosity, what was your opinion of Skyrim? Also, how do you feel about “The Elder Scrolls Online”?

CROW: I have no thoughts for Elder Scrolls Online. Honestly, the series died for me once Skyrim was released. I'm a fan of highly strategic RPG's with an in-depth meta to them. Skyrim has fairly limited RPG elements and requires little skill to create powerful builds. Not to mention, Skyrim was a vast, desolate, bleak, and empty world based off of low-fantasy realism while Oblivion was a vibrant and magical realm based off of high-fantasy imagination.


WULF: It’s already been established that computer and video game RPGs are a big influence, but what about tabletop RPGs? Also, do you currently play roleplaying games? If so, which games?

CROW: I used to play a lot of D&D with my friends in high school. I'm hoping on trying out D&D 5e soon because it looks pretty awesome and took care of a lot of the problems I had with 4e. Currently, I've been playing a lot of Guild Wars 2, I'm also a big fan of 4X strategy games and have been really into Endless Space and Endless Legend.

WULF: It’s only been a few months since you’ve released the last album, but have you got anything planned to come out in the near future? What’s currently going on in the realm of Lord Lovidicus? I can’t wait to hear some new music!

CROW: I've already tried to write more music since the release of my last album. My last few albums have been similar in composition style, so this time I'm really trying to change it up again. I'm still not sure what direction I want to go in. I've written quite a few melodies here and there but they're just bits and scraps of what will come. The problem is, I want something new. I can't write another "Wandervogel," or even another "Trolldom" for that matter. I want to head in a completely new direction, and I'm still not sure where that will lead me.

WULF: Those are all my questions, sorry I had so many! Anything else you’d like to say?

CROW: Thanks for the interview. It was a great oppurtunity for me to really think about my musical career and focus on some of my objectives. Again, thanks, and thanks to all of my fans who love my music.

You can read about Wulf's favorite Lord Lovidicus albums here!

Dungeon Synth Explorations - Part 3 - Deivlforst Records

You can read Part 1 of the series here, and Part 2 here.

For this part of the series, instead of exploring the works of one particular artist, I'd like to look at a group of artists that make up a black metal / dungeon synth collective that are also the brains behind Germany's mysterious Deivlforst Records.

So from what I can tell, our story begins in the mid-1990s when a dude named Grimrik (I think his real name is Erik, so grim + Erik?) starts up a dungeon synth project called Nazgûl.   It's pretty short-lived, but gets the ball rolling.   Grimrik then joins up with another guy named Nargor (he goes by Solvalt nowadays) and they form the black metal band Dysterwald.   They released only one demo (on their own label, Dark Forest Productions), before disappearing.

Grimrik

Anyway, fast forward to 2011.   Grimrik has returned to the scene, this time starting a new project called Arath.   It looks like Arath originally began as a solo endeavor, but Grimrik was soon joined by his buddy Murgrind.   Dark Forest Productions is also resurrected, with its name changed to Deivlforst Records.   Arath's first record (self-titled, "Arath" (2013)) is a dungeon synth album, but by 2014 it looks like Grimrik's old pal Nargor (now known as Solvalt) joined the band and began to play grim black metal.   "Ungedul" was released in 2014 as a follow-up to their self-titled debut, and, while it has some dungeon synth instrumental tracks, it's more of a black metal album than anything else.

So why am I explaining all of this?   Well, I guess when Solvalt joined Arath they decided to make Arath a spiritual successor to their old band (Dysterwald) and both Grimrik and Murgrind started releasing their own dungeon synth solo albums!   Pretty cool!   As a bonus, all of these albums have their own conceptual storylines and shit. Let's get to it!!

Arath (2013) - Arath

Wow!  What a way to start the journey!!   This is some really killer epic dungeon synth in the "old-school" style!   According to the Bandcamp page for this album:

This epic medieval synth adventure is the first part of a trilogy - the story of Arath!

...All lyrics and titles are written in a complete fantasy language.  Understand CD I as an introduction with the first parts of his journey and challenge. At the end of the CD, you´ll see that the mood is changing into a more dark feeling... Arath goes over to "Ungedul" ("Att Ungedul" means "To Ungedul")

Of course, "Ungedul" is the title of their next album (released in 2014), but since it's black metal we're not going to go into that (at least for this post). Anyway, it's obvious that these dudes are serious!  An epic medieval synth adventure?   A trilogy of concept albums?   All lyrics and titles are written in a complete fantasy language?   Sign me the fuck up!! But does the music actually stand up to the hype?

It does indeed!   This is top-notch old-school style dungeon synth in the vein of the godfathers of the genre (Mortiis, Wongraven, etc.).   It's fairly simplistic in its approach, opting more for an ominous, foreboding, majestic atmosphere.   You are immediately transported to a realm of crumbling castles, starving peasants, and plague-ridden villages, all hoping for a group of heroes to save them from their sorrow and turmoil.    Highly recommended as background music if you're playing an old-school D&D module or some other epic low-fantasy RPG with a Crapsack World setting.   Truly great stuff, one of the best of the old-school style dungeon synth albums that I've ever heard so far.
All of the songs are great, but my favorite is definitely "Nattdraemr: Hergrim oev Langrim".
You can listen to the album here.

Journey Through the Mountain (2013) - Murgrind

As I mentioned before, since I guess since Arath is now just a regular black metal band, both Murgrind and Grimrik made the decision to continue making dungeon synth music as solo artists!   In early December 2013, Murgrind released his debut album.   We know that with the first Arath album, it was more or less a joint production between Murgrind and Grimrik, so how is the music going to sound when you take Grimrik out of the equation?  Before we get to that though, let's look at the info for this album on Murgrind's Bandcamp page:

On his debut album MURGRIND concerns himself with the mood of ritualism, secret depths and archaic barbarity.  Journey Through The Mountain is a soundtrack to a long dangerous trip through the biggest of all mountains in MURGRIND's fantasy world.  The listener is supposed to have the feeling of wit-nessing exactly this trip - but at the same time creating his/her own imaginary world.
The story is just slightly explained in the booklet to give the listeners space for their own interpretation.

Hell yeah!! This is exactly what I'm talking about!   But can Murgrind handle pulling off an epic dungeon synth album all by himself???

Murgrind definitely lifts, bro!

YES!!  This album is fucking awesome as well!   It's kind of strange that within the past couple of years these dudes just came out of nowhere and immediately started releasing really high quality dungeon synth.   For most musicians (regardless of the genre), usually they need a few demos or a couple EPs or a full-length album under their belt in order to really get the ball rolling.   This doesn't seem to be the case with the Deivlforst crew so far, at least in terms of their dungeon synth output.  The mood of this album is quite similar to Arath's self-titled that I was talking about earlier in this post.   You could honestly put this on right after the Arath record and I doubt anyone would be able to notice the difference.   Very high quality, excellent, mysterious and intriguing old-school style dungeon synth.   Another killer release!! Highly, highly recommended!!

If you want to check this album out, I recommend the songs "Into the Magic Abyss" and "Legend of the Ancient Horde"!  Oh, and if you buy the album on their Bandcamp, as a bonus you get a couple tracks that are tributes to Mortiis (that sound fucking awesome), AND a "Seamless mix" of the whole album (whatever the fuck that means)!!  

You can listen to the album here.

PS- If you're going to have horn leads in your dungeon synth, both Arath and Murgrind get it just right!   THIS is how you want your horns to sound!

Eisreich (2014) - Grimrik

Not to be outdone by his Arath bandmate, Grimrik released his own dungeon synth debut in early March 2014.   I wasn't sure what to expect, since the press release for this album on Grimrik's Bandcamp page was a little bit different than the ones for Murgrind and Arath:

The music of GRIMRIK is inspired by the arctic / polar myth. The subject of this first album is the descending of the impalpable ethereal ancestors of the primordial race of mankind. 

The enlightenment should proceed alone.

Hmm... interesting! Anyway, let's talk about the music!

While I definitely appreciate the creativity and conceptual vision of the album and all of that stuff, I'm definitely not feeling it as much as the Murgrind and Arath albums.   While I suppose this is still dungeon synth, as background music for an RPG sesh it would definitely work better for a hard sci-fi campaign (like Blue Planet) or Call of Chthulhu rather than your typical dungeon exploration game of choice.   Do you remember that one ambient track off of Burzum's Filosofem ("Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte")?    It kind of sounds like that.   It's certainly not bad though!  It just makes me think of exploring glaciers on an ice planet of a faraway galaxy or something.

You can listen to the album here.

Ash Nazg Durbatulûk​.​.​. (1996) - Nazgûl

I didn't want to end on that note, so as a bonus let's check out Grimrik's pre-Dysterwald dungeon synth project, Nazgûl!!

Unfortunately I haven't bought this album off the Deivlforst's Bandcamp page so I can't listen to all of the tracks, but if you decide to check it out, don't let the wacky intro turn you off.   The next available song, "Boromirs Begräbnis" is a lot better...even if it's still nowhere near as good as the stuff these guys are putting out now.   Oddly enough though, I like this a lot better than Grimrik's "Eisreich" album haha.   This is pretty straightforward, lo-fi dungeon synth that wouldn't sound out of place on an early Mortiis record...which is meant as a compliment!   It's not the most original stuff in the world, but definitely gets the job done in terms of being great background music for fantasy RPG grognards.   Minimalistic, primitive, and perfect for a night of dark dungeon exploration!

You can listen to the album here.

Check out all of this music at Deivlforst Record's Bandcamp: http://deivlforst.bandcamp.com/
Keep updated about Arath: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arath-Official/289544034445414
Keep updated about Murgrind: https://www.facebook.com/Murgrind
Keep updated about Grimrik: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grimrik/845278362169140

Dungeon Synth Explorations - Part 2 - Lord Lovidicus

You can read Part 1 of this series here, and Part 3 here.

I feel like it wouldn't be appropriate to write a piece about Erang without talking about his American counterpart, Lord Lovidicus!   Apparently, the dude behind Lord Lovidicus is a mysterious fellow known simply as...Crow. Crow (who hails from the forsaken mountains of Idaho) also has another project called Jotun, but that's not really dungeon synth so we're not going to get into that here.   Anyway, I don't know too much about dungeon synth, but from what I can tell there are basically two styles (in my opinion): "old-school" and "neo".   The old-school dungeon synth style (OSDS) is essentially an emulation of the original pioneers and explorers of the genre, such as (era I) Mortiis, Wongraven, Burzum's ambient shit, (earlier) Lord Wind, cheesy 1990s black metal intros and outros, etc.   Neo-dungeon synth, on the other hand, certainly draws heavily from OSDS, but has also been heavily inspired by video game and movie soundtracks.   However, I would argue that it's this core essence of OSDS that's still present in the overall atmosphere, style, and presentation that keeps it from just being a wannabe Diablo or World of Warcraft soundtrack. For example, just go onto Youtube and look up "epic rpg music" or whatever and you'll see what I mean. It's either overblown, overly-cinematic and distracting (if you're using it as background music for tabletop RPGing), or it's like a sad piano piece that sounds like it's from a JRPG.   While those aren't necessarily inherently bad characteristics, it's not dungeon synth.   I feel like the Dungeon Synth blog actually offers a pretty accurate, concise description of what dungeon synth is.  

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that at least in my own mind, Erang and Lord Lovidicus are duel emperors of the "neo-dungeon synth" scene.  Below, I'm going to explore my favorite LL albums, and hopefully you'll check them out too if they seem like something you'd enjoy!          

Forgotten Ruins (2013)

Much like the case with Erang, I'm not into a lot of Lord Lovidicus' earlier stuff (everything from "Windbuchen" (2009) to "Autumnal Winds of Yore" (2013)).   However, shit finally got real for Mr. Lovidicus when released this album.   I feel like all of his stuff before was just kind of amateurish and cheesy (similar to Erang's stuff before "Another World, Another Time"(2013)), but for whatever reason the quality finally got kicked into high gear and he was able to really tap into the essence of truly great dungeon synth for this album.   What we get on this release are two tracks, each almost 30 minutes in length!  Definitely a departure from his earlier works.   

The first track, "The Mountain Stronghold Shrouded in Fog and Shadow", starts off typically enough, with a sort of "tiptoeing through the mysterious evil temple" vibe, complete with an ominous synth melody, majestic, vaguely annoying horn leads (more on those later), and a gong.   However, the song really turns into something special around 12:10, which I feel like is the moment when Lord Lovidicus' music finally transforms into elite dungeon synth.   My imagination really takes off here, as the music, crowned with a killer lead melody, really becomes cinematic, evocative, and inspiring.   There's still an atmosphere of ominous foreboding, but the feeling is now more melancholy and introspective.   Then, BOOM! 18:45!!  The spell is broken! With a triumphant, glorious lead melody, it's as if the adventurers are witnessing something truly spectacular, like they've just found some dragon's treasure trove (see the album cover) or have accidentally stumbled upon a mysterious cult in the middle of an elaborate, grand ritual.   Then it goes back into the melody from 12:10 and blah blah you get the idea.   This was the first Lord Lovidicus song that really got my attention and made me want to listen to more of his stuff.

The second track, "Scaling the Crevasses of Fyrelight Cave", isn't quite as good as the first one, but it's still very well-done and great RPG background music.   As the song title implies, this is perfect for exploring some dark dungeon crypt from a 1980s D&D module.   Kind of a similar vibe to the first track.

Overall, I believe that up to this point, this album is wayyy better than anything LL had released before.   A milestone in the discography!   

Kyndill og Stein (2013)

This album sounds quite similar to "Forgotten Ruins", except this time around he opted for nine shorter tracks.   It's on this album too that LL takes some departures from the typical "dungeon exploration" vibe and starts to include other emotions and atmospheres (this progression also foreshadows how much of a departure stylistically his next album will be from his older stuff).   One of the best examples of this is the song "Fog of the Autumnal Forest".   All the usual LL instrumentation is there (ominous synth atmospherics, that slightly annoying synth horn lead, the percussion), but this time around we also are treated to a beautiful, haunting grand piano that's introduced at about a minute in and really takes the music to the next level.  As I was saying before about "neo-dungeon synth", this is a great example of it!  It's still definitely dungeon synth, but has also begun to forge its own path in terms of experimentation and incorporating other instrumentation and moods that would sound out of place on an old Mortiis record.   I don't know if at this time Erang's music was beginning to be an influence or not, but I would say this stuff sounds like a mix between the two, as around this time Erang's stuff was arguably the most "neo" of neo-dungeon synth (in terms of experimentation and originality).   Other songs that stand out to me are "Majestic Temple of Engraved Fluorspar Crystals" (which kind of reminds me of the music for Zeal in Chrono Trigger) and "Trudging Beneath the Snow Covered Trees".   The more I listen to this album, the more these songs seem like they would go well with a video game.

Wandervogel des Waldes (2014)


One of my favorite dungeon synth albums of all time!   However, it's far from perfect:
1.   It takes a few songs to really hit its stride.
2.   I don't really like the Franz Schubert cover.
3,   I'm not really feeling the cover art compared to some of the earlier albums.
4.   I don't like it when the percussion emulates a "real" drum kit (like around 5:00 in "The Necromantic Stronghold", for example, and are all over his entire discography for that matter), which happens on several of the first few tracks.
5.   I still don't like that synthesized horn that he uses all the time.   I don't know why it bothers me, I guess to me it just sounds kind of "cheap" or slightly out of place.   It just doesn't sound right, especially on this release where everything else sounds great!

BUT, it's the three tracks on the second half of this release (starting with "A Hall of Trees") that I was the most impressed with, and it really makes up for the first half.  Don't get me wrong, the first half is still pretty good!  It's got some cool melodies and atmospherics, plus I really dig the harpsichord and other new effects that made their debut on this album.   However, the second half is where the true strength of this album lies.   It's actually about halfway through the fifth track, "Naught but Seas and Rains" that the album begins to transform, around the 4:00 mark.   The change in sound and tone seems to almost give a preview of what's to come in terms of style and atmosphere (and overall quality) on the following tracks--   "Hall of Trees", "The Mead Hearth", and "The Overgrown Belfry", all being brilliantly executed and LL's best songs to date.   Absolutely genius stuff.   "Waldervogel"'s not too bad either, but not quite as good as the others.

Also, with this album the sound quality has also really improved drastically compared to his earlier material.   The orchestral synthesized strings sound amazing.    I also really love that he scaled back that mildly annoying, cheap-sounding synth horn that I keep talking about (it still pops up every now and then, and is prominent in a few of the songs (such as "Mithril Mines" or "Icebound").  It's obvious with this release that LL's music has drifted even further away from the old-school dungeon synth style, similar to Erang's "experimental" latest album, "We Are the Past", which also came out around the same time.

Overall, this album is as creative, evocative, and inspiring to the imagination as anything else out there within the genre.   I still have a tough time making up my mind as to whether or not this was the best dungeon synth album of 2014 (so far it's between either this or Erang's "Within the Land of My Imagination I am the Only God").   I can't wait to see what Crow has in store for us in the near future!!

Listen and support Lord Lovidicus' music: https://lordlovidicus.bandcamp.com/
Keep updated about Lord Lovidicus: https://www.facebook.com/LordLovidicus
Lord Lovidicus' Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CrowHavenBM
Mithrim Records: http://mithrimrecords.bandcamp.com/

Interview with Erang!!

Interview conducted via email, December 2014.

Listen and support Erang's music: http://erang.bandcamp.com
Keep updated about Erang: https://www.facebook.com/kingdomoferang
Erang's channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/songsoferang

WULF:  The new album, "We Are the Past", is incredible.   Some songs would work well for a love song, others are quite sad, and almost all of them are quite beautiful and vaguely majestic or fantastical.   It's obvious that Erang's sound has evolved dramatically over the past couple of years, especially if you compare this new album to your first few releases.   How did this change in style come about?   It seems to draw on many influences and world music, giving quite an exotic feel but without being able to pinpoint specifically which culture or region of the world it comes from.  Do you know what I mean?   It sounds very eclectic, but cohesive at the same time.  How has the reaction been from your fans?  Also, is that you on the cover art, is it "Erang", or another character?

ERANG: Well, that's many different questions ;).

It's true that my sound has evolved but it's not a conscious process. I make music as it comes to me and as I feel right when I'm composing : so my next album could be pure old school Dungeon Synth or, on the opposite, something completely different. Right now, I don't have any idea about it. However, on the last album "We Are The Past" I definitely wanted to use some medieval and traditional instruments even if I'm not doing realistic folk music : it is all music from the Erang's Kingdom folklore.

I got a lot of good and positive feedback and emails from my listeners and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for that. Some people who are really into pure Dungeon Synth music found it a bit too much diverse and far from "true" Dungeon Synth and I totally understand that. About the cover art : it is not me, it is not Erang… I will say it it the spirit of the past, some ancient figure.

WULF:   I was pretty shocked to find out that you don't come from a black metal background, just because I feel like dungeon synth is essentially an offshoot of black metal.   That's how I got into it anyway, and I assumed it would be the same for anyone else who would want to make the same kind of ambient music in the vein of early Mortiis, Vond, Burzum, Lord Wind, Ildjarn, Wongraven, etc.   According to interviews, it seems like you come from more of an role-playing game background.   Anyway, my question is, why don't you play role-playing games anymore?   What happened?   Why is the creation of Erang's music your only chance at entering back into that world?

ERANG: I don't play role-playing games anymore because there is unfortunately only 24 hours in a day.

I work, I have a family, I make music, etc… Role-playing is a very beautiful but time consuming passion. In an ideal world I would love to spend a whole weekend playing it but I cant. So I focus on music.


WULF: A common theme or atmosphere that appears on all of Erang's songs is that of nostalgia.   Why do you feel like nostalgia is important?   What would you say to those who would tell you that it is pointless to dwell on the past, and instead move on with life?

ERANG: To me, being nostalgic is not being stuck in the past. I use my nostalgia as a strength to express my creativity and it helps me to deal with everyday life, in the present. So I'm not whining everyday about the good old days : I remember them with a warm heart and it makes me happy.

WULF: I really identify with your concept of "naive art" that you have mentioned before in other interviews, especially because I want to create my own dungeon synth as well.   Not to give away your own set up or reveal too much about your own recording or production, but what advice can you give to people like me who want to start out making their own dungeon synth?

ERANG: The first thing, I think , is to listen to Dungeon Synth and fantasy music to get inspired : not to copy, but to "get the vibes" of it.
And these are some tips I gave on a previous interview and that I personally try to follow :

-          Do not add a lot of things and layers if the foundation (the main melody) is not strong.

-          Do not spend too much time with technical questions or finding the "last new top" plugins or sample pack or whatever: compose music instead of thinking about it.

-          Most important: always stay true to your own feelings and passion. Do not ignore the outside world but do not get obsessed with it.

WULF:  I know "Wine and Beer" on the new album is more of a folk rock song (and arguably the furthest away from the typical Erang style we've heard so far), but would you ever consider expanding Erang's sound further, like black metal or minimalist dark ambient (such as Lustmord's "The Dark Places of the Earth")?    Also, do you have any other bands/musical projects, or anything else that is similar to Erang in style?

ERANG: As I said in a previous answer, there is not really a "plan" when I start working on a new album. It goes in several directions until I find the "general mood" of the album and work around it. So the new album might be in any style (related, of course, to Fantasy aesthetic and the spirit of the Kingdom of Erang). About the last part of your question : I don't have other projects similar to Erang.

WULF:  Have you ever considered expressing Erang's essence via a different artistic medium, such as writing or film?   I know I speak for a lot of fans when I say that it would be awesome to read stories about the world of Erang, or an RPG module, a map, anything!!   Also, will we ever see an Erang music video?

ERANG: Definitely : I've already released a free e-book with drawings inspired by my music ( "A New Chapter In A Very Old Book") and I’m really thinking about some writings (poems or short stories). Right now, I've absolutely not started to work on anything like this but it is really something that sounds interesting to me. About a music video, that’s also something that could be great : a video with animated drawings would be a good idea but, at the moment, this is too much work for me. But I keep that in mind.

WULF:   I always read interviews where musicians are asked about their musical influences, but rarely is literature discussed.   Are there any books that were particularly influential in the creation of your music, or anything that you can recommend to your fans that would help us understand the music of Erang from a more philosophical or metaphysical  point of view?

ERANG: About literature that inspired me I'll be very classic and not original : Tolkien. Everything from him.
Since I’m child, the characters he created are my companions.
That being said, my inspiration comes more from small things from my personal story and cultural reference from my childhood. Also movies such as Dark Crystal, Conan, Legend, Willow, etc.
My philosophy is simple : we all have some kind of personal kingdom within us… and I hope that when you're listening to my music, it helps you to find again the way to your own private Kingdom.

WULF: What are your thoughts on the future of dungeon synth at this point in time?   What do you hope to accomplish with Erang?   I know you just released an album, but do you have anything planned for Erang in the near future?

ERANG: There are a lot of great artists in this genre and I’m very confident with it!
Concerning Erang, right now, I need to take some breathing because I've released a lot of albums and I need to refresh my inspiration. So maybe I will work on some writings, I don't know right now, everything is possible… In 2015, I will also try to figure a way to release my previous albums in physical CD. If so, I really want to make a beautiful "product" with a nice packaging so it could take time and money : I have to think carefully about it in order to make something great and not too expensive for the people who appreciate my music and the Erangers who follow me.

WULF: Those are all of my questions.   Any final thoughts or comments are yours.

ERANG: An old proverb from the Kingdom of Erang :  "Imagination Never Fails"

You can read Wulf's article on his favorite Erang albums here.

You can read Part 2 of this series here.

Dungeon Synth Explorations - Part 1 - ERANG

Erang

To start things off for my series delving into the mysterious depths of the world of dungeon synth, I'd like to talk about Erang.   While it would make sense to start off with the godfathers of the genre (such as Mortiis, Burzum (ambient albums, obv), Lord Wind, etc.), I'm gonna mix it up a bit and kick off with some Erang!
Anyway, I consider him arguably the best of the new school of dungeon synth artists, because he remains true to the spirit of the original pioneers of the genre while at the same time bringing in his own style and influences as well.  Plus, it's actually really good!!  I'm not a huge fan of his earlier stuff (I found "Tome I" - "Tome IV" a bit too "amateurish" for my tastes), it's pretty obvious that Erang is channeling something very special indeed.   I picked several of my favorite albums to discuss:


Another World, Another Time (2013)


It's with this album that Erang takes his shit to the next level.  It's so good!!  Perfect for what I was looking for in quality dungeon synth / RPG music.   The song "The Kingdom of Erang" is a great example of how he combines the old-school sound of early Mortiis with his own, more modern and polished style.   The simplicity of the music is still there, but he's also not just purely emulating or copying Mortiis...pretty genius stuff!!  I wish I could make music like this!!   Great album, but not quite as good as "Within the Land of My Imagination, I am the Only God".



Within the Land of My Imagination, I am the Only God" (2014)

Yeah!!  This is another excellent Erang release!!  Lots of beautiful, atmospheric, and imaginative dungeon synth, great for role-playing and/or stimulating your imagination!!  From gorgeous, contemplative stuff ("Autumnal Lullaby", "The Age of Wonder") to heroic, video game-inspired pieces ("Feast of the Night", "The Underwater Kingdom's Coral Palace"), and more traditional-sounding dungeon synth ("The Execution of the Drunken Tyrant", "Funeral for Erang", and "My Heart Belongs to the North"), this release has it all.   I can't recommend it enough, as it is easily one of the best albums of the new wave of dungeon synth. Also, killer album title...it definitely has had a big impact on me.





We Are the Past (2014)

Destined to be another classic release, this is the most recent of Erang's albums and is somewhat of a departure from what he's put out in the past.   This time around, he has incorporated more guitars and stringed instruments (one song even bordering on full-on folk metal!) and the sound, while still clearly Erang, has shifted a bit more into neofolk and ambient celtic/medieval type stuff.   Still great for role-playing games and medieval ambience, but a little less "dungeon synth"-esque.  While I really enjoyed this album, my favorites are still "Another World, Another Time" and "Within the Land of My Imagination, I am the Only God" just because they're essentially a modern take on the kind of music I've been searching for for years, thinking that it had probably gone extinct with the original "first wave" of dungeon synth and was a dead genre.

In closing, Erang is a great place to start for anyone looking to check out new-school dungeon synth! In my opinion, his music is the best of the new stuff right now.   I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Listen and support Erang's music: http://erang.bandcamp.com
Keep updated about Erang: https://www.facebook.com/kingdomoferang
Erang's channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/songsoferang
Katabaz Records: http://katabazrecords.bandcamp.com/

Read our interview with Erang here!

You can read Part 2 of the series here, and Part 3 here!

ZOOM!!

What's up sluts and slut-shamers!!  DJ Wulf is back in the house, here to just make a quick post and get everyone caught up on what's going on here at Malicious Intent Enterprises-

1.   Everyone welcome Tanelorn!!  He was the last DJ for Malicious Intent's radio show at the University of Kansas' own 90.7 FM KJHK Lawrence, so of course he deserves your unwavering, unquestioning respect and loyalty.  Unfortunately, for whatever reason the show was axed after him, but that's most likely because it just became too brutal for the radio station to handle and Tanelorn didn't play enough Deafheaven or whatever is hot with the kids nowadays.  Anyway, prepare yourself for what he has in store for us in the coming days!!

I did a quick Google image search of Tanelorn and this is the first thing that came up.  I guess it's from Michael Moorcock's (my fave pornstar btw) Elric saga which I've never read, but I suppose it looks like a metal-enough place... except it definitely needs more skulls and churches being set on fire. 

  

Judge Dredd (left) and Wulf (right) during happier times

2.   The main clowns of this operation (Judge Dredd and I) have been so busy that we haven't been posting that much, as I'm sure you've noticed.   That's because we've been so busy on various quests and errands...Judge Dredd is currently scouring Southeast Asia (and perhaps Australia in the near future) for unholy relics and artifacts to plunder before returning to the US to continue his studies, while I myself have recently returned to Korea from my own blasphemic travels (a survey of the glorious nation of Taiwan) to resume operations.

Seriously, has anyone ever figured out how to actually play this fucking game?!

3.   DUNGEON SYNTH!!  It's no secret that I'm a huge tabletop RPG fan, but for years and years have been looking for the perfect playlist for medieval fantasy RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, etc.   One of the biggest problems with this is that if you look up "RPG music playlist" or "epic music" or whatever it's most likely going to be either overblown symphonic movie OST type stuff or music that is already from video games.   While it's cool that people have taken the time to compile these playlists, I don't feel like they match up at all with what is usually going on in the game.   Epic symphonic movie music only works when everyone is fighting some crazy battle with the boss or something like that...otherwise, it's just too distracting for when people are just standing around talking and shit.   As for music that's already from video games, you're probably just going to think of the game that it's from instead of using your own imagination.  For example, I used to play Rifts with some people and the GM would put on Chrono Trigger battle music whenever we would fight a battle.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love Chrono Trigger...it's probably still my favorite video game of all time in terms of storyline and characters.   However, all I could think about were just scenes from Chrono Trigger.   The music should inspire the imagination, not distract.

Now THIS is what I'm talking about!!

The only music that's ever clicked with me 100% for fantasy tabletop RPGs has been dungeon synth.   Until recently, I'm not even sure if I knew that it was a legitimate music genre...I just thought it was how people described Mortiis' "era I" goofiness (pretty much all of Mortiis' shit is goofy, but that's beside the point).   Seriously though, I had a really tough time trying to find good music for my D&D games... besides Mortiis, I really only knew about Lord Wind's later shit, Sunn O)))'s "øø Void" (not dungeon synth, but worked well for dungeons, especially The Temple of Elemental Evil!!), and of course Ildjarn-Nidhogg's beautiful "Hardangervidda" (except for the second track, which has some cheesy percussion).   Obviously, this isn't enough music to last for a long gaming sesh, and it does tend to get kind of old if you play the same stuff over and over again.

I hadn't discovered Pathfinder yet, give me a break!!

Anyway, while there's some older dungeon synth that came out awhile ago like Burzum's "Hliðskjálf", I'm primarily interested in are newer artists who are essentially emulating old school Mortiis.   This seems like it may be kind of an insult, but I mean it with the utmost respect!!  It's awesome!!  Perfect for roleplaying background music, relaxing, being weird in your room, etc.  I'm going to start writing posts on my favorite dungeon synth musicians soon, and who knows?  Maybe I'll even have an interview or two as well to give the posts some more depth :)

The old Castles and Crusades/Pathfinder crew (RIP!!): Nathan, Terry, Anson, Me (Wulf), Josh (Judge Dredd), Jake, and (Grym) Kym...illustration by Grym Kym!!

4.   I've been meaning to have more interviews coming up with Korean metal bands (or pretty much anyone else who is interested!), but due to a busy schedule and other stuff it's just taking too long.  Hopefully that will change soon, as there's still tons of bands here that I think are worth talking to so we can get a greater understanding of the state of extreme music here in South Korea!

Somewhere in South Korea, this dude is running around and making pagan black metal...obviously it's up to us to get the inside scoop!!