VORNOFF – the “Alsdybet” compilation is out!

The now-defunct dungeon synth/lo-fi dark ambient project known as Vornoff recently went through the old archives and discovered a bunch of god-awful demo versions, rehearsal tracks, and sketches that had not been released previously, and due to a complete lack of self-respect, it was decided that they should be released digitally via Bandcamp and YouTube.…

DOUBLE MUTE – Corporate Culture_FINAL_v2

RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://doublemute.bandcamp.com/album/corporate-culture-final-v2 One of the most unique entities out there today is undoubtedly the deeply intriguing Double Mute and their highly eclectic and delightfully twisted on all things progressive. Also, for the sake of clarity, let there be no doubt that main man Jake Rosenberg is a musical genius whose ideas and visions…

ASIRA – As Ink in Water

RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://asira.bandcamp.com/ What we have here is a highly interesting and uniquely crafted release that displays passion and ambition in equal measure. Somewhere between post-black metal, modern progressive rock, and experimental shoegaze lies this epic and emotionally intense opus titled As Ink in Water by the Reading-based outfit intriguingly named Asira. Sweeping melodies,…

PICTURE ANN IS TRAPPED IN THE DYING ROOMS OF LONDON

RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://floodgatemoodsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-dying-rooms-of-london The rather short and concise 3-track digital single intriguingly titled In the Dying Rooms of London sees the deviant post-rockers / lo-fi ambient explorers known as Picture Ann carve a musical love letter to the grandeur and squalor of the great city of London. As J.N. says, “In the Dying Rooms…

LORENTZEN – Leave Nobody Behind

RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://apollonrecords.no/products/lorentzen-leave-nobody-behind-cd Apollon Records were kind enough to hand me a copy of Leave Nobody Behind, which was composed and crafted by the talented Eivind Lorentzen (ex-Gentle Knife, Oldenborre, and Synsbedragerne), and the idea behind the album and lyrics seemed a rather interesting and intriguing one on paper. Floating somewhere between atmospheric prog,…

Expressionist Sonic Images by Sagntid

Up from the ashes comes a most unwelcome specter of the past, namely a 10-track compilation containing re-mixed and re-mastered songs dating from 2008-2010 by the now-defunct ambient/post-rock entity known as Sagntid, which was released on June 26. Consisting of the entire debut album titled The Slipstream World of Sagntid and three additional compositions lifted from…

PICTURE ANN RELEASES THE “FROM THE WINDSWEPT SHORE OF TYNEMOUTH” EP

Inspired by a handful of trips to Newcastle upon Tyne and Tynemouth these past few years and more specifically the rich history surrounding those parts of England and the whole cultural landscape in the Northeast, a morose and reverb-drenched collection of tunes collectively known as From the Windswept Shore of Tynemouth has presented itself. In…

PICTURE ANN REVEALS ITS SOLEMN TRAITS

RELEASE YEAR: 2024  BAND URL: https://floodgatemoodsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/solemn-traits Late August sees the digital release of the full-length opus titled Solemn Traits, which is a brand-new sonic curse that is firmly rooted in dark ambient drone experiments and disquieting textures – the kind that require and reward patience on the part of the listener. Spawned by thoughts and notions…

SHADOW KNELL – Shadow Knell

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://shadowknell.bandcamp.com/album/shadow-knell They rarely make records like these anymore, i.e. dark medieval ambient-esque works that pay homage to dungeon synth linchpins such as Mortiis and Penitent while also weaving influences from Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze into their richly textured and evocative soundscapes in such a confident and pleasantly assured manner. Sure,…

PICTURE ANN RELEASES THE “MUSEUM” EP

RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://floodgatemoodsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/museum The sparkling new EP by dark drone rockers Picture Ann sporting the evocative title Museum is a musical exploration of the lives of peasants and fishermen between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries in Northern Jutland. In the words of J.N., “The two lengthy sequences that make up this release essentially…

PICTURE ANN IS CAUGHT BETWEEN BLIND OPTIMISM AND A BLEAK PROPHECY

The brand-new output by the musically devious post-rockers Picture Ann has just arrived digitally and sees the Danish/Norwegian act conjuring up thick waves of dark ambient and drone music that explore the disruptive power of loss. Thematically speaking, the three compositions that constitute Blind Optimism – Bleak Prophecy all revolve around the postmodernist claim that…