Start
Artist
Song
Time
Album
Year
Lost Harbours
0:00:56
Lost Harbours
Lake
3:41
Towers Of Silence
2017
Upupamaya
0:05:10
Upupayāma
Thimpu
7:06
Mount Elephant
2024
Emma Ruth Rundle
0:12:38
Emma Ruth Rundle
Medusa
5:06
Marked For Death
2016
Compassionizer
0:18:17
Compassionizer
For Them Who Shall Be Heirs of Salvation
4:58
The Fellowship Of Mystery
2024
Vitskar Suden
0:24:02
Vitskär Süden
Through Tunnels They Move
4:48
Vessel
2024
Andy Aquarius
0:29:16
Andy Aquarius
Ein Vogellîn
3:34
Forest Grimoire
2024
Kanaan AEvestaden
0:33:20
Kanaan & Ævestaden
Farvel
6:53
Langt, langt vekk
2024
Ethan Janais
0:40:37
Ethan Janais
Parasol
9:44
Ultralight
2024
Ekatarina Shelehova
0:50:46
Ekaterina Shelehova
Myth of Europe (Ancient Lyre improvisation)
2:55
Myth of Europe (Ancient Lyre improvisation)
2024
Ryan Shirlow & David Colohan
0:54:05
Ryan Shirlow & David Colohan
Through You, I See
3:57
Through Me, You Pass – Through You, I See
2024
The Owl Service
0:58:29
The Owl Service
The Garden Gate
3:50
Black Chapel Music Part 3
2024
Towers of Silence
by Lost Harbours
Lake
Ethereal, dreamy, sometimes nightmarish free folk music from a collective of sorts. Richard Thompson (not that one, this one), provides lyrics, quavery vocals, guitars, and “atmospheric sounds,” with Emma Reed on clarinet, and flute and vocals, as well as Sabine Moore and Diana Collier on vocals. The result is murky, dark, and utterly phantasmagoric.
Mount Elephant
by Upupayāma
Thimpu
Veering from psychedelia to folk with some world and krautrock elements thrown into the mix, Upupamaya is multi-instrumentalist Alessio Ferrari, who resides not far from Parma, Italy. The music is hypnotic and meditative, exotic and esoteric. The vocals are rather mysterious, which suits the intricate musical tapestry.
Marked For Death
by Emma Ruth Rundle
Medusa
Emanating from my neck of the woods, this Portland, OR singer/songwriter’s release is drenched in melancholy. It appears to intimately explore her emotions during an intense period of loss and self-reflection. Her confessional tone with the hushed, whispery vocals, in the echo-y production are absolutely addictive.
The Fellowship of the Mystery
by Compassionizer
For Them Who Shall Be Heirs of Salvation
This masterful quartet with two multi-instrumentalists returns with a knockout of evocative and imaginative music. The array of instruments features the rarely heard spinet, plus guitars, bass, synths, drums, clarinet, violin, trumpet, rubab, doira, kalimba, and even ukulele. This truly deserves to be heard from start to finish, with the epic final track being absolutely stunning, but since I’m compelled to choose a shorter favourite, going with For Them Who Shall Be Heirs of Salvation.
Vessel
by Vitskär Süden
Hidden By The Day
Angelenos Vitskär Süden bring on the heavy psych. The distinctive, deep voice of their singer and bassist, Martin Garner, makes them instantly recognizable. The band is rounded out with guitars and drums, and they’ve added cello, violin, and keyboards, plus Kristi Merideth on backing and a solo vocal as well. The lyrics are foreboding and vivid. Altogether intriguingly dark and chilling.
Forest Grimoire
by Andy Aquarius
Ein Vogellîn
Harpist Andy Aquarius teams up with a wooded setting and brings 8 improvised pieces, accented with birdsong and trees rustling in the breeze. You feel as though you are sitting in the glade with him, the production is very “live,” and pristine. His impeccable playing is reverent and effervescent, inviting one to stop and stay in the forest for a while with him.
Langt, langt vekk
by Kanaan & Ævestaden
Farvel
This is actually a merging of two Norwegian acts, Kanaan, and Ævestaden. They have delivered an amalgamation of traditional Norwegian folk music and hymns with psych and folktronica sensibilities, to lovely effect. Instruments are fiddles, cow’s horn, kravik lyre, mouth harp, synths, guitar, percussive elements and male and female vocals.
Ultralight
by Ethan Janais
Parasol
Previously recording under the name of Echo Us, this artist emerges with another wondrously light and faerie-like offering. Here, he primarily utilizes various synthesizers, with guitars, hammered dulcimer and several percussive elements, along with very effected, washy vocals. Spellbinding.
Myth of Europe (Ancient Lyre Improvisation)
by Ekaterina Shelehova & Theodoros Koumartzis
Another beautiful (sadly just a) single from Italian opera singer, Ekaterina Shelehova. Here, she pairs with Theodoros Koumartzis on lyre for a gorgeous improvisational piece, which just gives me chills. As usual, I could go for a full album (or several) of her material, my persistent and only complaint.
FC7 – Through Me, You Pass / Through You, I See
by Ryan Shirlow & David Colohan
Through You, I See
This EP was inspired by a recent lunar eclipse. The music exudes distance and grace of motion. Guitars, synthesizers, strings, banjo, some spoken word and also choir vocals create a sense of mystery, wonder, and awe.
Black Chapel Music Part 3: The Garden Gate / Above the Hill
by The Owl Service
The Garden Gate
2 song EP, or single? No matter, this is top-notch stuff. One traditional piece and one original. Steven Collins plays all instruments and sings on Above the HIll, with Liz Overs providing her haunting voice on The Garden Gate. Both pieces are excellent, but having a special place in my heart for eeriness, going with The Garden Gate as my favourite piece of the two.
