https://sequesteredkeep.bandcamp.com/album/sorcerous-steel-2
Genre: Dungeon Synth
Rating: 4/5
released on bandcamp March 15, 2022
This genre and the artists making this stuff really blow me away. It’s like watching someone create a castle right before my eyes. Actually, I’m not sure if SK considers themselves a part of the Dungeon Synth movement since it’s not an actual tag they use. The bandcamp notes are sparse so I assume the music is supposed to speak for itself. The tag medieval is used and I can certainly understand demanding credit for recreating the style. These compositions are only going to keep getting better as technology improves and the composers have to rely less and less on the uncommon musicians who can actually perform this music. Plus, there’s the matter of recreating the sounds from instruments that are rarely even played anymore. There’s no telling how many gems are in sheet music folders from the past never having been realized.
Also, I’m not sure how well stitched together Dungeon Synth is as a movement. Sometimes I read vaporwave musicians speak of their “movement” and I wonder if there really is as much continuity as some of them seem to think. I feel like there’s a lot of continuity in 4th Wave Emo but God help the Emo child who voices the wrong opinion. They strike me as brutally cancel crazy. Perhaps, that’s why SK doesn’t tag Dungeon Synth. I mean because genres can get cultish. I’m half expecting them to respond in the comments here that it isn’t synth!
I don’t have any suggestions for this composer but in general it seems like drone and other electronic effects would fit in well. Actually, that’s what many film score composers do to add texture so I guess it’s not exactly a pioneering vision on my part. Perhaps the purity is better.
I said a lot but not so much about this release. It’s very intelligently composed, coherent, very solid, and definitely enjoyable.
Warmth Highest 