Annwfyn Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?

While I was tracking the last piece for my personal project Meslamtaea (that was about 2007) I felt the urge to explore new sounds. I wanted to create different music with acoustic guitars, spoken words and emphatic synths. This idea resulted in the track called ‘Wyrd’. It was so different from my older stuff, that I decided to release it under a new name: Annwfyn. I went further and scanned for more style-changes. I introduced the Ebow and acoustic bass, which sounded great next to my fretless. A new mood was determined: psychedelic, dreamy and furthermore clean and bright. All the songs are built up over periods of months and years. A good friend, Arjan, contributed the spoken words, Eventually he helped me out with the final mix of the EP. By the way, the drums are not programmed :-)

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

I think that Annwfyn is like a patchwork of various sounds. A collage with layers and layers of various instruments, which are carefully shaped into dreamlike, melancholic and hypnotic music tracks.

3.What are some of the concepts and images you bring out with your music?

Annwfyn is a journey into thoughts. The lyrics are about things that can be mused about on a january's sunday morning.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the projects name?

Annwfyn means ‘another world’. It’s a magic kingdom from the Welsh mythology. I just liked the name and it fits to the atmosphere of my music.

5.Currently there is only 1 member involved in the project, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you choose to remain solo?

I was grown in a little Dutch village were it was hard to find like-minded musicians. So out of necessity I learned to play instruments myself and started tracking music. However I play with other bands and projects these days, I always have the urge to keep writing and playing music on my own. I have direct control over all aspects of the music, and no compromises are have to be made with other musicians.

6.Does Paganism play any role in the music?

Nope.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your recording by fans of music?

Only a select group has heard the record, as the EP is recently finished. But I'm quite curious what people think of it.

8.Are you involved with any other musical projects?

I play drums in a few black-metal related bands and project. As I speak we are rehearsing for an album of the band Asgrauw.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

At this moment I've only a handful of new riffs. As composing and recording goes very slow – let's say one track a year - I've no clue at all how my music sounds like in 2020 :-)

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

My collection is very varied. You’ll find black & death-metal next to fusion, progressive, jazz, classic, 70's psychedelic, folk, post-rock and so on. Ulver's Kveldssanger and Clannad were a important influence for the acoustic parts of Annwfyn. But the bright sound of French acts like Les Discrets and Alcest were very inspiring too. Besides that, I liked to append the craziness of bands like Fleurety and Virus. And vinyl records of Yes were always turning it's rounds when I was out of inspiration. I also have to mention prog and jazz like Mahavischnu Orchestra, Gordian Knot, Canvas Solaris and so on. Though the dark atmosphere of black-metal always were a base for my chords and harmony's. One of the best and inspirational Dutch metal bands at this moment are Murw and Krocht.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

The best thing that mankind has brought forth is Art.

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks for the interview and all the best!

http://heidenshart.bandcamp.com/album/zicht 

Annwfyn/Zicht/Heidens Hart Records/2013 EP Review

 

  Annwfyn  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  very  experimental  and  atmospheric  form  of  music  that  is  hard  to  classify and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  ep  "Zicht"  which  was  released  by  Heidens  Hart  Records.

  "Sluimerwereld"  starts  off  with  sounds  of  nature  which  leads  to  some  post  rock  sounding  synths  as  well  as  acoustic  guitars  which  utilize  finger  picking  and  full  chords  which  sets  up  the  pace  for  whispers  which  in  returns  takes  the  song  into  a  more  progressive  direction  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  programmed  drum  beats  and  after  a  few  minutes  melodic  chanting/choirs  makes  its  presence  known  as  well  as  introducing  the  bass  guitar  before  closing  with  talking  and  guitars.

  "Weeperspiegeling"  starts  off  with  classical  guitars  which  utilizing  finger  picking  and  full  chords  along  with  some  drums  and  ambient  soundscapes  in  the  background  which  also sets  up  the  mood  for  the  spoken  word  parts as  well  as  introducing  the  synths  and  as  the  song  moves  on  you  can  hear  elements  of  dream  pop  and post  rock  as  well  as  the  song  heading  into  a  more  md  paced  direction.

  "Wyrd"  starts  off  with  folk  style  acoustic  guitars  which  utilize  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  before  adding  in  drums  and  melodic,  distorted  guitar  leads  which  in  returns  takes  the  music  in  a  more  progressive  direction  and  introduces  the  bass,  synths  and  spoken  word  parts  before  adding  in  some  post  rock  elements  and  black  metal  influences  and  after  awhile  the  song  switches  back  and  forth  between  the  folk  and  rock  elements  combining  the  2  different  styles.

  "Niets"  starts  off  with  am  radio  sounds  which  leads  to  the  acoustic  guitars  and  synths  setting  up  the  mood  for  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts  along  with  a  post  rock  lead  making  its  presence  known  among  the  other  instruments  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  music  becomes  more  diverse  and  progressive.

  'De  Bron"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  acoustic  guitars  and  bass  which  leads  to  the  post  rock  sounds  and  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  gets  more  diverse  and  progressive  which  the  guitars  using  a  great  amount  of  variety  and  the  song  closes  with  some  atmospheric,  ambient  synths  and  talking.

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  cover  Nature,  Philosophical  and  Paganism  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  ep  with  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Annwfyn  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  atmospheric,  ambient,  progressive,  folk  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Weeperspiegeling"  and  "Niets".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.
http://heidenshart.bandcamp.com/album/zicht 

Synsophony Interview

 1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Tom: So, we founded in early 2013, when I showed Ollie - a friend from university, who I share a love of metal with - a little something I had been fiddling around with. With the advise, support, and then additions he made to that 'little something' - which grew into the first Synsophony demo track -  it became clear to me that Ollie would be the best thing that could happen to the band musically. So, we are currently in the process of releasing our debut EP, which is now ready to stream. We are an experimental act, incorporating elements of dark ambient music, drone, doom, with our inspiration largely lying with black metal.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

Ollie: Dark, and desolate. In fact if there's one thing we really take from black metal, it's that bleak, desolate sound. We also like keeping an element of progression in there - each track's got to be a journey.

Tom: In our music we try to combine a number of different elements, being largely inspired by a diversity of metal, but also by electronica, classical, jazz etc. I think our sound can be very dark indeed, but - over the course of a song - there can be moments of hope, and even happiness, before melancholia returns. What is important in our sound is that nothing is too sudden: the music unfolds very slowly, in an effort to draw the listener in to the journey we attempt to create. We're not on par with John Cage, and his 639 year performance (!), but we do like to keep things down tempo. Saying that, sometimes a sudden transition (normally an anti-climax), after a period of intensity - as on our EP -, works quite well as well.

3. What are some of the concepts and images the band brings out with the music?

Tom: Well, the EP - Karmic Existence - was based upon, as the name suggests, Buddhist concepts regarding conditioned/embodied existence. In this, the process of rebirth, and so re-death, is considered a process whereby the being inevitably suffers, in spite of momentary pleasure/happiness. Accordingly, the EP follows the process of coming to life from past karma (the unknown), through a first life, and then the suffering of death, arriving once again at the interim period, ready for the whole process to repeat itself perpetually, until liberation is attained. Apart from Buddhism, but related to it, we like to explore human experience - its transitory nature, and how it can be effected. It is this which leads to our interest in ominous, psychedelic music, and its capacity to warp one's senses, feelings, mood and the like.

Ollie: And I think that's kind of where the oppressive bleakness comes from. I mean, in the EP at least, we're charting human existence, right? And what the fuck does that consist of? A few chemical reactions collected in such a way that allows us to scream in terror and scrabble for meaning in the abyss, and not a lot else. And a literal, physical abyss as well as a metaphysical existentialist one: we're sat in this thin, increasingly less habitable shell, and what's below us? A big fucking rock. What's outside that? A whisker above absolute zero temperature and zero atmospheres pressure, with occasional pinpricks of mass in the form of planets, which amount to big fucking inhospitable rocks, with poisonous atmospheres, widely varying surface temperatures, no water, no life. Just pinpricks of pointless mass, lumps of nihility in all that fucking nihility, with the odd star: a goddamned explosion that goes on and on and on, with energies bigger than anything we could even comprehend dealing with, and all this is pretty much unobserved and inaccessible to us, and just as meaningless as the vacuum. It's almost mocking, and I think that's where the dark melancholia and desolation and angst in our music comes from.

Tom: Carl Sagan eat your heart out - spot on.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Tom: Well, with this you'll have to forgive a sort of pun, but to avoid suggesting "Synsophony" is a pun, I'll call this the 'epistemology of Synsophony'. It all began with Sisyphus, the Greek fella who for eternity was stuck rolling a boulder up a hill, only for it to come back down on him, before the process is repeated. Mix that with symphony, and you get close. Then, to make it easier to pronounce, and nicer on the ear, the 'n' was added, and, voila, you get 'Synsophony'.

5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you choose to remain a duo?

Tom: I think we have found a good, working dynamic as a duo. Saying that, we are always open to collaboration, and considering that it was an initial collaboration between Ollie and me which led to the formation of Synsophony I'm ruling nothing out.

Ollie: I'd agree with Tom. I mean, in the end I consider it mostly his project, as the initial impetus was his and the best ideas come from him, so it'd always be his call ultimately, but I reckon that with the two of us we do have a good working dynamic and a shared creative vision. Having just the two of us also makes it easier to get together on short notice as we just have to both have a moment, rather than co-ordinating a bigger lineup, but as Tom's said, we're always happy to collaborate, and I don't think either of us is inherently opposed to an expanded lineup.

6. Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?

Tom: No live shows so far, and I cannot see us ever performing regularly. With the number of instruments used, and the production methods deployed, live performance would be very difficult. Saying that, I would never rule out live improvisation, especially if an audience were willing to forgive a backing track and an awful lot of distortion! (hey, they do for a lot of experimental acts)

Ollie: Yeah, I mean it'd mostly be a question of logistics and what to do on a backing track and what to do in person. In each track, we both play several instruments, multitrack our own voices etc. (you may hear some of that in future releases), so doing it without a backing track would be impossible. It'd also depend on the track in question, cause while Karmic Existence wouldn't be very doable live, but future tracks might be. In any case, gigging doesn't look enormously likely at this stage, but we'll see.

7.Currently you are signed to Apechale Winter Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Tom: Acephale Winter Productions is a very exciting label, who have shown incredible support and loyalty to Synsophony. This cannot be emphasized enough: they showed interest to, and commitment in, our project ever since we sent them a demo of only 5 minutes! It was founded in early 2013, and is based in the Bay Area, USA. They are forward thinking, and ultimately take an interest in exciting black metal, and subgenres derived from it. In spite of still being a relatively young label, they have already put out many very solid releases - I personally recommend Dunnock and Ringbearer - and, from the sounds of things, have a very busy release schedule for the foreseeable future.

Ollie: They've been great. Jacob's been supportive since the project's infancy, and has always seen eye-to-eye with us on our sound and where we're taking things. They put out a lot of interesting stuff and aren't afraid to push the boat out and do some strange releases (I mean look at us), and we respect them a lot for that.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your ep by fans of dark and underground music?

Tom: Whilst the EP has not even been streaming for a week now, the response we've had on Social Media and via email has been positive, surpassing our expectations in fact. What is more humbling is that when playing the EP to friends who are not into experimental music - or even metal -, they have often said that either they enjoyed it, or that they like it but it isn't really there type of music. What is so great about this is that it suggests that there is a recognizable quality to the music, which can be seen even by those who don't know the genre. 

Ollie: Yeah, I think at least some of our friends have been pleasantly surprised by it. We don't personally know many people into dark ambient and doom drone and such, but fans of post and prog rock tend to quite enjoy us.

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band?

Ollie: I'm always trying to get something together (probably a more traditional heavy/power metal act) but the metal scene in Cambridge, especially among students, is bloody terrible. Tom and I were once at a Motorhead gig with Anthrax supporting, and you'd expect that lineup to at least draw *some* people, right? But by the looks of things we were just about the only students there, and that was pretty sobering. I'll get something together some sunny day though.

Tom: For me, no. I will often get together with friends, and play guitar and sing into the early hours, but nothing formal like Synsophony.

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Tom: I think Synsophony will always remain experimental - a diverse and vague descriptor I know, which will allow us to try out many types of sound. I think our music will always incorporate drone, and elements of dark ambient, but we are both quite keen to see how this can be mixed with vocal elements. Further, Ollie is an awesome cellist, and I think we neglected to use his talents on the EP, so in future releases the cello will likely be more prominent. I can also foresee more tradition black metal elements creeping into our music.

Ollie: You're too kind mate. But yeah, I think we're going to bring in more audible melodies and such. Vocals of all kinds would be nice, and the cello, especially played high up the fingerboard, can have this really eerie quality, and you can make it sound a little strangled if you like, which could fit with our music nicely. And I think we're both in agreement on how our black metal roots could become more pronounced.

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Ollie: Stuff that influences us? I mean, we make no secret of our love of black metal and how the atmosphere and sound of that has influenced us. A BM band I particularly enjoy would be Emperor (Prometheus blows my tits off every damned time), and if you count the first wave stuff, I rather like Venom and I adore Mercyful Fate. I love Abigail Williams too, espeically their first album (in fact that's how Tom and I first met, when I showed up on the first day of uni in an Abigail Williams shirt). Other influences would be doom and stoner metal (I'm a big fan of Bongripper and Electric Wizard, as well as a lot of Sabbath's early stuff, back when it was very doomy and psychedelic), and we have a bit of a shoegaze/blackgaze influence too: a couple bands of that sort which I like are Spacemen 3 and, of course, Alcest. Let's not forgot the post-rock influence: I love Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and their album F#A#? is spectacular. Oh and I can't forget to mention Cormorant: their particular brand of blackened prog metal or whatever you'd call it is just amazing. I feel like I'm a bit influenced by some less instrumental stuff as well: M83's 2011 album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is some amazing dreampop, and that sort of thing contributes to our weird, psychedelic edge (see also Oneirology, the fantastic trip hop album by Cunninlynguists). As for other stuff without such a pronounced influence on our work? I'm a huge sucker for power metal. Blind Guardian, Angra, Crystal Eyes, Highland Glory, Lost Horizon, Avantasia are some of my favourites there. As well as just about all other types of metal, which I won't go into because it'd be pretty boring for me to go listing every band I like, I'm a fan of the blues. Not so much the more recent, overproduced stuff, which is all electric guitars and keyboards (although I don't mind this in blues rock, it kind of grates on me when it's in straight blues), but I love the dirty, raw, slide guitars and blues harps sound. Some of my favourite musicians there are Big Walter Horton, Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo.

Tom: As of right now, I am listening to nothing but Iron Maiden's 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' - such a great album! Beyond this, I really do enjoy metal, and particularly relevant to Synsophony is my love of doom and stoner metal - bands such as Sleep, Bong and the like. Doom metal in particular made me aware of the psychedelic effect repetition, and slowly unfolding harmonies can have. Outside of metal, I like my psychedelic rock a lot, as well as down-tempo and IDM electronic music, with a healthy slice of hip-hop (particular UK hip-hop) thrown in. I think electronic and industrial metal/doom drone go hand-in-hand at times, so maybe this sometimes comes through in Synsophony.

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Tom: I am a student, who - against the tradition in Black Metal - studies theology and religious studies, and really enjoys this. I am also a football fan, wholly loyal to Oxford United. I enjoy reading, and also work in a cafe, where barista work is something I enjoy a lot.

Ollie: Also a student, and this year I'm doing philosophy of science. Music is just about my favourite thing (I play the cello, the blues harp, the piano and I sing a bit), but I'm also quite keen on cooking. I also enjoy good whisky, good beer and good tobacco (I smoke a pipe - it makes you look a bit of a prat, but I haven't tasted anything but pipe baccy that delivers that sort of variation and depth of flavour), and I read sometimes. I'm generally too lazy to read anything particularly long so I usually stick to poetry, and I'm a big fan of the Romantics.

Tom: oh yeah, I forgot the drink... I do like the drink...

13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Ollie: Thanks for having us. I very much enjoyed the chance to speak about our vision and our music!

Tom: Apologies about the length of some of my answers - they are much like our music: long!

https://www.facebook.com/synsophony/

Synsophony/Karmic Existence/Acephale Winter Productions/2013 EP Review

  Synsophony  are  a  band  from  the  U.K  that  plays  a mixture  of  doom,  drone,  dark  ambient  and  experimental  with  some  post  black  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013 ep  "Karmic  Existence"   which  was  released  by  Acephale  Winter  Productions.

    The  music  starts  out  with  some  doom/drone  style  riff's  coming  out  of  the  guitars  as  well  as  creating  ambience  with  more  traditional  instruments  and  then  the  avant  garde/experimental  sound  effects  start  kicking  in  which  after  awhile  get  louder  bring  in  the  harsh  noise  elements, After  awhile  the  song  goes  into  a  more  dark  ambient    direction  with   some  evil  sounding  synths  and  it  stays  in  that  direction  for  a  few  minutes  til  the  end  of  the  song.

  Vocals  and  song  writing  are  all  absent  from  the  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  song  themes  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  the  only  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Synsophony  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of doom,  drone,  dark  ambient  and  experimental  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHzHhf2q-_I
https://www.reverbnation.com/synsophony

Stevie Floyd/Aerial Ruin/2013 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  released  split  between  Oregon's  Stevie  Floyd  and  Aerial  Ruin  which  was  released  in  2013  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Aerial  Ruin  an  act  that has  been featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  dark  neo-folk  music.

  "Where  The  Shadow  Stands"  starts  of f  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  singing  bring  in  a  dark  folk  rock  sound  with t he  guitars  utilizing  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  along  with  some  dark  and  depressive  lyrics.

  "November"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  full  chords  from the  guitars  before  the  soft  clean  singing  kicks  in  which  makes  the  acoustic  guitars  sound  even  more  powerful.

  "Less  Than  Deca"  starts  off  with  some  fast  finger  picking  and  melodic  vocals  which  also  utilize  some  back  up  parts  and  female  vocals  which  lead  yup  to  some  black  metal  style  whispers  before  before  returning  to  the  clean  singing.

  "Blood  For  Fall" starts  off  with  some  classical  music  style  finger  picking  and  then  the  psychedelic  folk  rock  vocals  kick  in  which  remain  that  way  towards  the  end  and  the  song  closes  with  a  full  chord.

  "Ascending"  starts  off  with  some  fast  finger  picking  on  the  guitars  before  the  dark  neo-folk  singing  kicks  in  along  with  some  more  higher  pitched  vocals  which  lead  to  some  full  chords  coming  out  into  the  music  along  with  some  female  vocals.

  "The  Only  Road"  starts  off  with  some  finger  picking  and  full  chords  from  the  guitars  and  then  the  60's  style  folk  rock  vocals  kick  in.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aerial  Ruin  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  artist  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "November"  and  "Ascending".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Stevie  Floyd  a  solo  artist  that  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  neo-folk  who  also  uses  Wrest  from  Leviathan  and  Aerial  Ruin  as  quests  on  her  songs.

  "You  Scatched  The  Sun"  starts  off  with  some  powerful  soundscapes,  exotic  sounding  acoustic  guitars,  folk  instruments  and  clean  singing  before  closing  with  psychedelic  sound  effects.

  "Failure"  starts  off  with  an  ambient  style  background,  finger  picking,  black  metal  screams,  clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  before  the  guitars  start  throwing  in  some  full  chords  into  the  song  and  then  the  synths  get  more  powerful  and  the  vocals  darker  as w ell  as  some  drum  programming.

  "Wrest  In  Nature"  starts  off  with  some  ambient  synths,  female  chanting  and  grim  black  metal  vocal  sounds  for  a  couple  of  minutes  and  then  the  actual  singing  starts  kicking  in  with  some  Gregorian  chants  and  percussion  in  the  background  staying  that  way  for  while  until  the  song  closes  with  some  guitar  distortion.

  "Disappear"  starts  off  with  tribal  percussion,  ambient  soundscapes  and  clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  which  have  an  exotic,  esoteric  new  age  feeling  to  them.

  "Ungod  Reapper"  starts  off  with  some  heavy  guitar  drones,  haunting  female  vocals  along  with  some  semi  influenced  black  metal  elements

  "This  Has  Gone"  starts  off with  a  distorted  ambient  drone  before  the  etherial  clean  singing  kicks  in with  the  song  being  very  short.

  In  my  opinion  Stevie  Floyd  is  a  very  great  sounding avant  garde  neo-folk  artist  with  the  best  music  on  this  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  her  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wrest  In  Natur"  and  "Ungod  Reapper".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  neo-folk  music,  you  should  add  this  album  to  your  collection.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

http://www.StevieFloyd.Bandcamp.com and http://www.AerialRuin.BandCamp.com.