Dungeon Noise

[balbulus]

Feb 2, 2017 11:45:20 GMT -5 thekeeper said:

Ah, well it's good to have you here! That's interesting, it's a highly believable synth mimic.
By the way, do you plan on reviving the Winter Synth blog in any capacity? Admittedly, it's not a genre I follow specifically but I'm quite the fan of a number of releases within the winter realms (Jötgrimm from the Voldsom label is especially frosty and enjoyable). Considering the amount of DS releases since 2013, there would be a lot to update.

Cheers, good to be here!

To be honest, I doubt I'll be updating the WS blog anytime soon. I lack the focus, time and motivation to keep it updated. It was intended to explore some of the projects that weren't being dealt with by the original DS blog (which rightly had very conservative guidelines), but I think the DS community is much more open to these grey areas now.

If someone in this community is interested in taking it over, it's something I would consider.

[Tyrannus]

Speaking of winter synth, do we have a thread about that going? If not, we should.

[chaucerianmyth]

Feb 2, 2017 13:45:37 GMT -5 Tyrannus said:

Speaking of winter synth, do we have a thread about that going? If not, we should.

I was just thinking this same thing.

[andrewwerdna]

Welcome aboard, balbulus.

[birriegoat]

Noisey/Dark Ambient Dungeon Synth. Most of the sounds on this album were created with percussion and effected vocals. Still quite a bit of synth but all recorded with a room mic and run through pedals. The goal was to create a very hopeless and "nightmarish" sound. Hope you enjoy! (or despise).

moonworshipper.bandcamp.com/album/a-night-of-fine-wine-and-hideous-voices

[Tyrannus]

Feb 7, 2017 13:48:42 GMT -5 birriegoat said:

Noisey/Dark Ambient Dungeon Synth. Most of the sounds on this album were created with percussion and effected vocals. Still quite a bit of synth but all recorded with a room mic and run through pedals. The goal was to create a very hopeless and "nightmarish" sound. Hope you enjoy! (or despise).

moonworshipper.bandcamp.com/album/a-night-of-fine-wine-and-hideous-voices

Oh yeah that label was mentioned a bit earlier! Top tier stuff!

It's always cool to learn how this sort of material is made. I'm considering making a video where I discuss my noise setup...

[ranseur]

Feb 7, 2017 13:48:42 GMT -5 birriegoat said:

Noisey/Dark Ambient Dungeon Synth. Most of the sounds on this album were created with percussion and effected vocals. Still quite a bit of synth but all recorded with a room mic and run through pedals. The goal was to create a very hopeless and "nightmarish" sound. Hope you enjoy! (or despise).

moonworshipper.bandcamp.com/album/a-night-of-fine-wine-and-hideous-voices

Some killer and very weird stuff over here

[ranseur]

Brighter Death Now song featuring Mortiis on synths

[nahadoth]

Awesome content and discussion here, folks. I've been thinking about this subject a lot, some of which has spilled over into my musings about the idea of "avant garde Dungeon Synth" which I posted about on the FB page. I think DS/Noise hybrids have a lot of really interesting potential, since a lot of noise is (to me) about pure timbre and sound rather than just melody and harmony, and I think this kind of textural thinking is what distinguishes releases for me, whether lo-fi and grimy or totally orchestral, and I think it will continue to be a factor in this genre's continuation, more than any sonic dogma.

[Tyrannus]

While poking around more I found this

It's more of a dark ambient with some jarring noise but it might be of interest for this discussion

[Verminaard]

Honestly, and this is coming from somebody who actually likes a bit of Merzbow -- I'm going to have to go against the grain here and say that intentionally trying to combine noise music with dungeon synth just doesn't do anything for me personally. Not saying that disparagingly or anything, it's just not my thing. I don't mind tape hiss and recording imperfections, sometimes they even add an almost "warm" atmosphere. However, that only works for me in the background. When you bring the noise to the foreground and make it part of the music's focus, I lose all immersion. Harsh noise placed intentionally in the front of the mix or worked into the music itself does not add a "dungeon" atmosphere to me, it adds a more mechanical atmosphere to me, and I feel like the two are oil and water. Just my two cents!

[Tyrannus]

Feb 18, 2017 7:04:47 GMT -5 Verminaard said:

Honestly, and this is coming from somebody who actually likes a bit of Merzbow -- I'm going to have to go against the grain here and say that intentionally trying to combine noise music with dungeon synth just doesn't do anything for me personally. Not saying that disparagingly or anything, it's just not my thing. I don't mind tape hiss and recording imperfections, sometimes they even add an almost "warm" atmosphere. However, that only works for me in the background. When you bring the noise to the foreground and make it part of the music's focus, I lose all immersion. Harsh noise placed intentionally in the front of the mix or worked into the music itself does not add a "dungeon" atmosphere to me, it adds a more mechanical atmosphere to me, and I feel like the two are oil and water. Just my two cents!

Interesting!  When I first encountered the concept back in maybe December it seemed like a most natural union!  But I think that just goes to show that everyone gets something different out of the music.  Another instance of our beautiful diversity as a community!

[ranseur]

Feb 18, 2017 7:04:47 GMT -5 Verminaard said:

Honestly, and this is coming from somebody who actually likes a bit of Merzbow -- I'm going to have to go against the grain here and say that intentionally trying to combine noise music with dungeon synth just doesn't do anything for me personally. Not saying that disparagingly or anything, it's just not my thing. I don't mind tape hiss and recording imperfections, sometimes they even add an almost "warm" atmosphere. However, that only works for me in the background. When you bring the noise to the foreground and make it part of the music's focus, I lose all immersion. Harsh noise placed intentionally in the front of the mix or worked into the music itself does not add a "dungeon" atmosphere to me, it adds a more mechanical atmosphere to me, and I feel like the two are oil and water. Just my two cents!

Well I can only respond using my own shit as examples but I do agree to a certain extent. Like when I first wanted to combine the two I made a clear decision to limit the amount of noise, so that it would really be noise influenced dungeon synth and not a 50/50 mix. I do think too much noise can alter the general feeling of dungeon synth which I still wanted to keep. But at the same time I like the idea of other people upping the noise and playing with the degrees of the two. It can atmospherically be very different but I suspect there will be some cool albums that do that in the future.

[Tyrannus]

Feb 18, 2017 23:29:56 GMT -5 ranseur said:

Feb 18, 2017 7:04:47 GMT -5 Verminaard said:

Honestly, and this is coming from somebody who actually likes a bit of Merzbow -- I'm going to have to go against the grain here and say that intentionally trying to combine noise music with dungeon synth just doesn't do anything for me personally. Not saying that disparagingly or anything, it's just not my thing. I don't mind tape hiss and recording imperfections, sometimes they even add an almost "warm" atmosphere. However, that only works for me in the background. When you bring the noise to the foreground and make it part of the music's focus, I lose all immersion. Harsh noise placed intentionally in the front of the mix or worked into the music itself does not add a "dungeon" atmosphere to me, it adds a more mechanical atmosphere to me, and I feel like the two are oil and water. Just my two cents!

Well I can only respond using my own shit as examples but I do agree to a certain extent. Like when I first wanted to combine the two I made a clear decision to limit the amount of noise, so that it would really be noise influenced dungeon synth and not a 50/50 mix. I do think too much noise can alter the general feeling of dungeon synth which I still wanted to keep. But at the same time I like the idea of other people upping the noise and playing with the degrees of the two. It can atmospherically be very different but I suspect there will be some cool albums that do that in the future.

Yeah certainly depending on what the synths are doing the noise can be pretty overwhelming.  For instance on my submission to the compilation I decided to tone down the noise a hair for a couple of reasons, one being I didn't want it to be too overwhelming on this track.  But on other Einhorn stuff I do really amp up the noise element.  I was inspired by the immersive ambient qualities of HNW and the harsh, noisy atmosphere of black metal acts such as Striborg and figured it'd be a good complement to some minimal, hypnotic synth work.  As far as a dungeon vs mechanical feel I kind of feel like grimy, grating noises are in some cases more evocative of that feeling then comfy, luscious synth music.  The whole "idyllic synth" notion sort of factors in, serving as like the other end of the spectrum.  As opposed to being idyllic I'd call what I do "hyper-flawed" and deliberately so, in an effort to create a different kind of atmosphere.  The collective white noise of crackling torches, loud footsteps, the distant cries of beasts, and stone grinding on stone as a trap is sprung is what is symbolically captured in the noise component of the music.  It evokes feelings of danger and discomfort.  Above all I just want it to be cerebral and it I'm pleased with what I've accomplished in the process.  But I feel like it's definitely not for everyone and I totally understand the critique!  But I am glad some folks out there are enjoying what I'm doing, and what other artists are doing.  

[kaptaincarbon]

Did anyone mention this release yet? It seems like the beginning and exploration to combine both aspects. Really wild stuff.

pagodamast.bandcamp.com/album/demo-i