Tag Archives: Tarkin Turfer

More records Stranger Aeons missed out on…

Life is a curious thing, especially when it fills your time with work, hobbies, sports and other activities. And then, there’s this… A global pandemic that makes everything come to a grinding halt.

But it’s cool that it got me writing again because I have so much music I want to share with you. Here you have Vaelastrasz, Smear Ghost, Hiemis and Tarkin Turfer. Dungeon synth, ambient, dark electronics, all there.

Smear Ghost – Earth Is For God, Hell Is For Men

Moonworshipper RecordsSmear Ghost

A Smear Ghost is what occurs when a false image follows the image that you see on your telly. Like a shadow. It’s well creepy if you think about that. And rarely do I get properly creeped out by an intro, but ‘How Will You Be Seen In His Eyes’ does the trick, alright. You could call the sound of this act from Romania, something like electronic black metal and that would make sense. Or call it black ambient it both hits the mark of dark, atmospheric music with a hint of synth to it. I mean, how ‘hunted in the dark’ do you feel when listening to ‘Encroachment’ in the dark?

I find it uncomfortably fitting that I can’t find any information about this act. The sound becomes more ambient-oriented though on ‘Words Are Empty Without Belief’. Yet, you can sense the same tension you get from the ambient Ulver records, which to me are the summit of how dark electronics can get in the ambient area. But even when Smear Ghost picks up the pace, the sound remains fantastic. I mean, this is stuff I really can get into. Everything dark and grimy, but also stuff to move to at times, if you an get your Jack the Ripper groove on that is.

HIEMIS – ThuleHiemis

Gradual Hate Records

This project by Juan Carlos Toledo from Silent Love Of Death has a long story to tell with this record, which addresses the myth of Atlantis and Thule. Not always considered to be the same, but highly connected anyways. It’s a fascinating material in itself, but it made me curious about the music which even on the first track already shows a tendency to the megalomanic with an overwhelming of hazy noise. It’s all grandeur, but it works and that is the strength of this record. But it gets better all the time, in fact, I love the eerie tinkling sounds on ‘Wrath of the Gods’ that breaks with the tumultuous storm that keeps emerging.

But from there on the sound opens up, becomes more ethereal and wavery to my ears. Particularly ‘The Offering’ stands out in its evocative moods. ‘The Ten Kingdoms’ is another mythical reference, of which I have not found a particularly clear basis, but it appears to refer to ancestral realms. It’s an exemplary track in the work of HIEMIS, on mythologizing the past that is shrouded in shadows due to the lack of written sources. A grand basis for material that makes you think of forgotten places.

Tarkin Turfer – Old Finnbar Furrowbrow

Tarkin Turfer
Ancient Meadow Records

The pool of dungeon synth records to delve into is an ever-increasing well with a lot of interesting works and more and more mediocrity. That’s why I’m excited to find something like Tarkin Turfer, which moves away from the gritty, dusky, dusty sound with a more energetic and full type of music. It’s really the old PC RPG versus the SNES JRPG’s, but here in sound. More natural, full sounds, more feeling and depth. I love the classic sound though, but the expansion is where the novelty thrives. What’s even better about Tarkin Turfer is that this album follows a Dungeons & Dragons narrative.

What you immediately notice is the layers in the sound. Sure, they’re easy to distinguish and hardly complex, but there is more texture, more elements to the construction. Wood, stone, fabrics, glass, it feels more tangible as we follow Old Finnbar Furrowbrow on his trips. At times, like on the title track, it can even feel a bit synthwave-like. Which is cool, the styles are not so distinct, but it’s the melodies that follow that really kick it to a new level. Certainly, the basics are still there. As the narrative builds, we go to a darker, more gloomy place and the repetitive rhythms are always there on ‘The Staff of the Underworld’. But it’s always about going towards events, instead of the husky melancholy you are used to. Particularly fond of ‘Shadow Visions’ which is a quite different track again, I love sinking into this record and forgetting about the world for a bit.

Vaelastrasz – The Birth of Naxxramasvaelastrasz

Self-released

A release dedicated to vanilla World of Warcraft? Yes, that is of interest to me and particularly this one as I’ve actually never run it in my day. Naxxramas is one of the most daunting places in the original World of Warcraft and woven into the game lore with a lot of grief and sadness surrounding it. I mean, you can tell me fantasy is camp, but the level of emotion woven into the stories is often exceptional. Blizzard has been very, very good at this. Vaelastrasz has created a wide catalogue of recordings on the very topic of World of Warcraft. Where the game has gone slightly downhill in my opinion, this music just gets better.

The music unfolds in six pieces, that are slow, densely atmospheric and rich in their sound. No meagre synths with some gritty lo-fi sound, but a full immersion from the first piece onwards. The parts flow together smoothly, effortlessly. It helps the experience and immersion, as you drone along with the repetitive rhythms and circular melodies. What Vaelastrasz succeeds in, is evoking a much grander feeling with the music. Listen to the transition between part I and II (around 6-8 mins in) for that swelling sound. Part II is my favourite anyways, but Part III is even more loose and frivolous. I’m not certain if there are vocals or a semblance, but it works as a seductive lament, enticing the listener further into the adventure. In the final sections, we build towards a final moment, a crescendo if you will, where the story wraps up. It Is that I read about the six parts, but they work so well together. I would not change a thing about this fantastic piece.