2024 Music Enjoyer Pt. 10
A Mid-Winter Dungeon Synth Adventure Module
DUNGEON SYNTH! The very words set the heart aflame, no? It’s a genre which can become very tricky to nail down with any too-specific definition, but yet which is somehow instantly recognizable when it fits, like pornography or vaporwave. As with any truly great music scene, it is populated almost entirely by incredibly dedicated weirdos who do what they do because that’s what they love doin’. And what they do, my friends, is conjure up musical portals into the mist-wreathed fey-realms of ancient magic and high adventure, using variable combinations of synthesizers, acoustic instruments, stray woodland creatures, and anything else they can get their hands on.
Here we find a plethora of sounds ideal for invigorating your next tabletop roleplaying game session with the crew, getting hype for the local renaissance festival, setting the mood for that deep-dive into the stack of awesome fantasy books on your shelf, etc. So without dwelling overlong in these introductory words, let us commence: The Mid-Winter Dungeon Synth Adventure Module!
Fief - VI
Exquisitely crafted arrangements full of zithers, guitars, silvery chimes, flutes, warbling synths and more. Provides instant sonic transportation to a sylvan glade somewhere fantastical, as you and your fellow adventurers are just about to set out upon A Quest. In some ways it sounds like the coolest Playstation 1 era RPG soundtrack that never existed.
Dungeon Synth label extraordinaire Out of Season has done us all a favor and released this long-awaited sixth volume from venerable scene artist Fief across a number of lovely formats & color-ways (tape, CD, vinyl etc).
Frost Clad - Strange Treasures of Ancient Days
I had no idea what the cover art was, which shows that I really need to spend more time nerding out on history.
From the artist’s Bandcamp page: “About the album cover: The cover is a photograph of an interior portion of the Gundestrup Cauldron. This incredible artifact was discovered in 1891 during peat digging in Himmerland, Jutland (now Denmark). Little is known about the origin of this solid silver treasure, though it shows both Gaulish and Thracian craftsmanship. The figure depicted on this panel is the ancient Celtic god Cernunnos. He holds both a torc and a serpent, while surround by various woodland beasts.”
My friends, while you listen to this album, you will be surrounded by various woodland beasts, holding both torc and serpent. Proceed wisely.
Atlantean Sword & Ysbrydnos - Fathoms of Celestial Sorrow
An excellent split release between epic dungeon maestro Atlantean Sword and eldritch synth sorcerer Ysbrydnos. Bust out those classic Conan story collections, Dragonlance Chronicles, Fritz Leiber’s Lankhmar tales, etc. and dream of the days of High Adventure!
If you seek further sounds in this vein, be sure to check out Atlantean Sword’s self-released All Is Dust, and the Realmwalker album on the brilliantly mad Heimat Der Katastrophe (HDK) label.
The Dire Chamber - Iter Per Tenebras
As you might have gathered from the cover art, THE DIRE CHAMBER is not for the faint of heart — here we delve into a true Dungeon vibe, blending classic 80s horror synth & early videogame aesthetics with a prog-rock sense of drama & suspense. Also once again HDK is one of the coolest dungeon synth labels out there, all wanderers are advised to investigate their massive catalog, but BE WARNED: many have been lost for days, even weeks, trying to delve into its labyrinthine depths…
Goblet Grotto - Bubblegum Dungeon
You lucked out on your last dice-roll, and we now enter a very different sector of this sprawling genre-constellation known as Dungeon synth, we have GOBLET GROTTO — bright & pixel-crispy bite-sized sugary snacks of sound that vibe like the soundtrack to the sweetest SNES RPG from another reality. Serious Secret of Mana (aka Seiken Densetsu 2) vibes y’all. Some tracks wax whimsical and nostalgic, others are, frankly, straight up bangers (lookin’ at you, “Earthman of Fire”). If you dig it, check out their other awesome album from 2024, Walking the Dragon (which also has some of the cutest cover art I’ve ever seen).
Witan - Hibernal
An album of absolute zero ice-elemental synthesizers. Just lie down in the snow and stare at the cloud-wreathed winter solstice sun until you freeze into a solid wizard-shaped block with a barely discernible hibernal heartbeat. If you performed the spell correctly, when you melt in the spring, you will have be able to call upon the Soul of Ice in your journeys. If you didn’t perform the spell correctly, well…I hope you brought friends with some talent working with Fire.
Potions of Eleanor -Mount Gariel
Assuming you’ve successfully defrosted, this splendorous album from Potions of Eleanor is just the thing to gently ease back into life as a warm-blooded being. Tracks like “Dreaming of You” and “Guided by the Serpent Tree” feel drawn from the same well as classic Final Fantasy piano themes, and the whole album is just a delight. Tape edition on venerable purveyors of the genre, Dungeon’s Deep Records.
Keys To Oneiria - Relics Abound
Keys to Oneiria runs a wonderful little label, Windkey Tapes, which you can get in its entirety for little more than a song ($8!), as well as their own personal set of albums on their artist page. My other favorite of theirs from this year is this split tape with Dream Chalice. Ideal sound-spells for entering the dreams of ancient trees.