Winter's Slumber

My Halloween props have been put away after another incredible October season, ready for their hard-earned winter slumber.

Luckily, we still have plenty of posts to get through before we do the same...

  

Apocryphos, Kammarheit & Atrium Carceri - "All Dreams Mined"

So I'm revisiting some older releases in my ever-expanding dark ambient library while I'm cleaning the house, getting ready for Christmas celebrations. As I shuffle through the songs, I land on "All Dreams Mined," a collaboration between dark ambient heavyweights Apocryphos, Kammarheit and Atrium Carceri. And wow. I literally stop what I'm doing to listen to this track. And then I listen to  it again. It's THAT good.

"All Dreams Mined" is the final track on the collaboration's 2017 release, Echo. Buried at the end, but definitely the most atmospheric track, making an easy bridge from dark ambient into the larger realm of soundtrack scoring. It immediately calls to mind something from Blade Runner 2049 or other dystopian science fiction film.

And it also plays well as a track for our winter season. Cold, bleak and dark, yet somehow warming in its melancholy. Such a perfect track to put on repeat. Enjoy.

Spital am Pyhrn Krampuslauf

So in these days leading up to Christmas, I have been checking out all of this year's cool Krampuslauf (Krampus Run) videos from in and around Austria.

Such a cool annual winter tradition! And as I have written in the past, a true "bucket list" item of mine would be to go over to Europe and experience one of these Krampus Runs in person.

But this year, I have decided to amend this a bit. After getting a chance to guest act in a local haunt this October, I really want to go to Europe and be a PARTICIPANT in a Krampus Run.

As I watch video after video, I realize that this is the European equivalent to haunt acting here in the US. The interaction is basically the same as being a queue line actor, and the parade watchers have the same reaction as our haunt guests. Fun and enjoyment, while trying to hide the fear and dread from those swinging birch sticks.

One of the best videos that I have seen this year comes from the Austrian town of Spital am Pyhrn (and although is says 2019 in the initial description, it may actually be from 2015--but let's just ignore that for now).

From the Youtube video description:
Accompanied by dull rumbling and roaring bells, around 600 Krampus performers and their companions marched through the snowy Austrian town of Spital am Pyhrn in Upper Austria in 2019. Due to the early darkness of winter and the impressive surroundings of the baroque collegiate church, this Perchten run in Upper Austria, which according to the custom is supposed to banish evil, receives a special touch.

I was blown away from the very first scene in this video. I had never seen the start of a Krampus Run and the vocal track along with the squatting band of Krampuses that spring up with flashing flares and fire on cue is quite powerful.

The entire parade takes place during an amazing winter snowfall, creating the perfect juxtaposed backdrop to the grotesque, frenzied figures parading through the town.

And this particular parade had some really incredible, outside-the-box characters throughout. Alongside the standard Krampus masks were an absolutely STUNNING angel with large flaming wings, an odd duck-billed surreal mask, a talking goat puppet head, a grim reaper with a flaming scythe and a lot more.

Enjoy this one. And if any Austrian Krampus actors wanna give me a shot as a Krampus in their local Krampuslauf, I'd be there in a heartbeat!!

"Cold Survival Music" - Dark Ambient Mix By Atrium Carceri

I almost hate to admit it, but it's been lazy days around the old Cemetery. Most of my props and other assorted Halloween doodads are safely stored away, allowing time to get ready for that other holiday coming up in December...

And it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but we've been hit with an extended, winterlike cold spell. Couple that with the seasonal time change where it gets dark by 5 o'clock, and an early season snowfall and I really don't feel like doing too much.

It's the kind of weather (and season, really) where all you want to do is throw on those trusty comfy clothes, crawl under the warm blankets, and dive deep into a good book.

And luckily, Atrium Carceri has just created a really great dark ambient mix to go along with your winter retreat. Cold Survival Music is a new mix created for the Cryo Chamber label and it really nails the cold, bleak and dark aspects of the upcoming winter season, yet it offers a respite of warmth to get you through it all. The perfect background soundtrack for when you're all curled up under the blankets, snow falling outside the window, deep in a good book.

Enjoy!

Kammarheit - "The Nest"

The perfect soundtrack for our slow transition to winter, embodying the cold and the darkness...

Dead Melodies - "The Eternal Veil"

The perfect track for a low-key evening, nestled away from the damp, dark cold of late autumn. The warmth and melancholy of piano notes shielding the approaching snows of winter...

Lull - "Whiteout"

Happy Winter Solstice. A perfect track to lead us into the bleak, dark cold of winter. From Lull's classic 2008 dark ambient release, Like A Slow River. Cold and eerie, yet oddly relaxing...

Svartsinn - "Towards The Dark And Cold"

The chill of autumn air, the crackle of fallen leaves and the fiery glow of a jack-o-lantern's candle have now gone away. We sit at the colorless doorstep of winter. The harsh season of ending. Embrace the march towards the dark and cold...

Remnant

So I was all set to shoot a picture of a rotting jack-o-lantern that was left over from Halloween, but Mother Nature decided to add to it...

Two weeks until the official start of Winter, but we already have a foot of snow. I think it's going to be a long winter...