In the previous journal entries about the music I love, I've discussed projects with a regular following and by people who hang out in some parts of the Dungeon Synth community. In other words, these projects have a bit of visibility and have built or are building their fanbase. This time, I want to focus on the other end of the spectrum: overlooked releases with only a handful of supporters. My reasons for doing so are varied. The first is that, since I started this journal, I wanted to talk about two obscure projects that I absolutely love.
Journeyer released exactly one EP since his debut on February 2023: five songs, not even clocking 15 minutes total. What could there be to say about it, besides a few perfunctory words and maybe a track-by-track review?
Despite its running time and the relative simplicity of the songs, on which I'll come back later, The Scholarship has a special place in my heart. I heard about it thanks to a Reddit post by Kaptain Karbon, the moderator of r/dungeonsynth and, on the very same night, I had to bring my first daughter to the ER. While my wife was in the hospital with her, I was waiting in the car with very little to do, so I decided to put The Scholarship on. I still remember how I channeled all the negative emotions - the worry, but also the mild annoyance of a trip to the hospital for something so silly - into how I felt about the album. I mean: the melodies seemed so simple and the sounds so dry...
If you're a regular reader of my journals, you know that I try to go beyond my negative first impressions, that are often unwarranted. After that gloomy night (that ended with our daughter being discharged on account of being perfectly fine) I kept thinking about The Scholarship. Listening to it again didn't improve the lack of staple effects such as reverbs, and didn't increase its running time or introduce variations in its melodies. However, what melodies they are! They nested comfortably in my mind and never left since then. And, believe me, they aren't as simple as I originally thought. I know this because I transcribed some of them and studied them in detail for one of the songs of Polyphony.
In time, my appreciation for Journeyer's melodies lead me also to embrace the essential production: the release feels like an intimate chat about that very human mix of joy and grief that comes from loving someone who has to move away, hopefully only for a limited time, for following their path. Who hasn't experienced such feelings? Who can't recognise such experience as one's own? And what a wonderful gift for the ones who have to leave: a declaration of love, a celebration of success and an encouragement to go on. I wish we all had significant others, relatives and friends like Journeyer.
Back in winter I got in touch with him and he told me he's writing new music. And a few days ago he published a single from his next release! Needless to say, I am very excited for more Journeyer's music in the near future.
I was aware of A Path to Owl's Keep for more than a year before I eventually decided to buy it at the extravagant price of $1.50. I also admit that I remembered it only by the title and album art (a terrific work by http://forbiddencat.com ).
Musically, A Path to Owl's Keep sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from The Scholarship: almost twice as long, with symphonic orchestrations that evolve through each song's running time, and an interesting use of recurring motifs. I love how everything in this release is so cohesive: the music fits perfectly the song titles, and the album art conveys the same feelings I have while listening.
The reason this album has a place in my heart is that, right from the first notes, it brings me back in time to a very specific memory: I'm a kid, walking with my family on the hills near home, threading on ancient roads - now nothing more than hiking trails - passing through the ruins of once proud castles. I always imagined how the life of the local nobles and commoners was like back in those ages... By extension, Owl Keep is a symbol of the ruins of my hills, and the titular path is the sum of all my youthful hikes. Music that speaks to the heart and with the power to tear the veil of time is priceless, and I'm so grateful to have found it in A Path to Owl's Keep.
Before publishing the journal, I got in touch with Hallowed Forest, and discovered he also has a black metal project, Ephemerae.
Even if my death and black metal days are behind me, I found The Painted Sanctum to be deep, catchy and very enjoyable. Listening to this project, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the guitar riffs of Ephemerae met the orchestrations of Hallowed Forest... And there's reason to believe that one day this marriage will happen, as the artist himself disclosed that Hallowed Forest was born out his desire of experimenting with techniques and sounds that might one day be used also in Ephemerae. He also plans to complete an Ephemerae EP within the year; I'm looking forward to hear how that project evolves after the Hallowed Forest experience.
Thinking about these two releases made me realize how many projects out there deserve more love. I've heard the argument that Dungeon Synth feels oversaturated, especially - or so I'm told - from the point of view of people who were in the scene way before the pandemic hit. As a newcomer, I have already had to accept that it's impossible to keep up with all the great music that's released daily. However, the inevitability of missing out is freeing: we already know we can't approach Dungeon Synth with a completionist approach. Instead, we need to find what speaks to our heart, no matter how popular or unpopular (Dungeon Synth is not a popularity contest either, thank goodness). We are called to find treasures of our own, instead of only focusing on what is or was popular (I owe this outlook to Nick of WereGnome Records, check out this thread in one of r/dungeonsynth symposia ).
In this spirit, some weeks ago I asked on Reddit for projects that, on Bandcamp at least, have very little supporters. Here are the releases that have been mentioned, along with the comments of the people who suggested them.
I am deeply grateful to the friends who took some time to share their hidden gems.
ᚼᛁᛆᚱᛐᛆᚿᛋ, July 2024
Technically, this is someone else's self-promo; however, Secular's debut deserves a wider audience for sure. It's a great project inspired by Keys to Oneiria.
Aveline Baudelaire is a wonderful person and artist, and has compiled all sorts of terrific resources for fans and artists alike. You can check them out on Aveline's website. Her artist page is Cave Bird Records.
A short but one, but of my favs ❤
Deeeeep and unsettling.
Comforting nighttime music made by a high schooler.
Chill, comfy-yet-mournful music that only has ONE supporter. And that's a travesty.
The last one has all sorts of great atmospheres. It really tells a story.
Antipodean Goblin is a friend with a great sensitivity and who gives excellent music advice.
I really enjoy this moody, romantic album, definitely under appreciated.
I've already talked a lot about Alessandro and his music in one of my first Dungeon Synth journals.
Underrated dark dungeon folk.
The Eternal Returns is a friend (we also worked on a song together in his Nightmare Architecture) with very eclectic tastes (at least, to my ear trained on melodic metal).
DS/neoclassical darkwave/ambient.
Dungeonwave/keller synth; not as good as Endzeit but still fun.
Dark ambient/dungeon noise.
Dungeonchip; not his best but still very underrated. Note: this has no Bandcamp supporters because it's free and not NYP, so it's impossible to show up as a supporter. I've decided to include it anyways.