I have been listening to the digital download copy I got along with the vinyl purchase and I've been really impressed with every track. Not so much dark and foreboding, but more melancholic ambient with this release. I'm not very meditative, but I have been able to relax deeply and fall asleep to these tracks nightly.
And now when I spin the vinyl, it's actually a bit different. I was hoping for a bit more richness in the vinyl and it does not disappoint. You can hear so many more layers with the vinyl and it has a much fuller, deeper low end. This vinyl version will be my go-to whenever I'm working away in my office, and I REALLY recommend a vinyl copy if you happen to have even a decent turntable.
This is the first dark ambient release on vinyl that I have added to my collection (and the first release on vinyl from Cryo Chamber). If other vinyl releases offer more complexity and richness over their digital counterparts like this one does, it surely won't be the last!
The two bearded Swedes join forces on this collaborative album. Black Corner Den is the result of long winter studio sessions separated by the Atlantic Ocean but made possible by the internet. Lonely moments in the company of the night lamp, overlooking the messy pile of tape loops
while the machines hummed and the piano played until the morning.
Exploring the opium dens at the end of the 19th century this album takes you deep into the soothing dreams of dead poets.
"The streets lay silent as the floor creeks under your bare feet. The old loft lit by a wax candle, it's light dancing over your oak desk. You grab the vial of black ink and the leather bound book as you scurry out the door into the humid night. You pass trails of fire as the
lamplighter tends to the myriad lanterns adorning the bridge. A left turn leads you down a set of stone stairs where the satin clad lounge welcomes you in.
Sweet smoke lingers in here where gentlemen gather to dream about the black sea. Your booth at the far end stands prepared. A pipe, tinderbox and purple pillow for a tired head. You have a friend tonight and it calls itself the Black Corner Den."
Pär Boström’s dreamlike soundscapes combines with the careful melodies and elegant structures of Simon Heath. The perfect soundtrack for decadent nights or introverted reading sessions, preferably combined.
As an added bonus, they are doing a limited, absolutely gorgeous release on vinyl!
I don't have any dark ambient releases on vinyl, but I'm all in on this one. I can't wait to hear this release through the warm tones of my turntable.
Black Corner Den releases September 5 on Cryo Chamber.
A cold, weathered hand pierces the rust-laden earth of a late autumn night. Reanimated decay becomes the evening's guide. Masked faces bask in the fiery glow of a jack-o-lantern's illumination. A lifeless finger points the direction toward the next porch-lit house. For this is the night of ghouls and goblins and tricks and treats. This is the night of Hallowe'en...
