Stoner Synth
A serious issue through a Facebook conversation was brewed the other day, the existence of Stoner Synth??... This was (more or less) misunderstood as someone interpreted it as some kind of dungeon synth you can enjoy, after the consumption of illegal/legal substances/drugs (whatever that means). I wasn´t thinking of drugs when someone mentioned it, I was just thinking of a certain style or sound. I guess there can be two ways of understanding it.
1) It can be early vintage ambient synth works by the likes of Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Eno or even Jarre. It´s pretty trippy, imaginative, made on synths and you can "relax" to it.
2) The fusion between dungeon synth and heavy bass-driven dark ambient. Something that lies between early ambient/esoteric industrialists like Lustmord, Ain Soph, Controlled Bleeding, Sigillum S, and modern and classic dungeoneers like Old Tower, Hedge Wizard, Witchking of Angmar etc. Primitive, noisy and slowly driven dark dungeon synth with thick undercurrents of bass?.
With these two approaches, I will try (with my knowledge) to satisfy those who seek Stoner-synth. Or just synth, you can stone too. You can do it with a nice coffee, cold beer or whatever. Regarding the drug "controversy" (when it comes to stoner-culture) I have then chosen NOT to recommend any trippy substances to be taken while listening to these... humble suggestions.
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Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear (1976)
They just HAD to be mentioned of course!. This is the ground zero of the term, the Black Sabbath of stoner synth if you please. Have a soft couch, a nice imported stout beer, warm fireplace, a Dr.Who Novel perhaps? This is the ultimate vintage sci-fi synth trip you´ll ever get. A wonderful synth (and minor guitars) journey through the cosmos. A relaxing mentally stoner trip worth digesting. Don't forget to check out all their other early releases from the 70s, they are ALL good!.
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Cluster - Cluster (1971)
More obscure and murky then Tangerine Dream, who also hails from the days of synth-driven kraut-rock days in Germany. Homemade electronics and very experimental in nature. They were basically before Throbbing Gristle, doing haunting factory like industrial sounds. Creepy, cold and dark incredible innovative stuff! It´s a bad and heavy stoner trip, with dusty synths and rusty guitar strings here and there. Need the early challenging synth-sound?. This is it!. Sounds like being trapped in a robot-making factory!.
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Ain Soph - I (1984)
Highly regarded as one of the prime movers when it comes to esoteric ritual/synth music. Frightening, evocative soundtracks if you ever need to summon your demons and great old ones. Think dark apocalyptic rituals in elite and hidden occult societies. Although being incredibly dark in nature, it doesn't prevent you from returning to it again and again. This and reading Aleister Crowley could work together nicely.
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Controlled Bleeding - The Poisoner (1997)
Maybee, not a 100% synth driven one, but surely within the boundaries of stoner ambient. Controlled Bleeding has churned out every aspect of extreme music since 1978. From progressive rock, punk, power electronics, EBM, industrial rock, kraut-rock, orchestral neo-classic, gothic rock etc. BUT, their ambient releases are SOO GOOD and DEEP!. And this one is NO exception. It basically grows on you everytime you hear. Good for a power nap if you ask me!
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Tyrannus - The Warden
It´s called dungeon-noise. Sounds like a mixture of drone metal, funeral doom and black satanic noise submerged into the world of dungeon synth. It works as a perfect introduction to dungeon synth if you are into stoner/doom rocker (Earth, Sunn (o)) or satanic black noise (mz.412?). Is it bass-driven? .. Yes, it is, more in the punishing distorted kind of way!.
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I just came upon this by chance, the cover-art revealed or smelled like a stoner-synth thing. And I was right! It isn't as punishing and harsh like Tyrannus but works more with slowly build and ritualistic synth drones. From an isolated spot in Ukraine. Cold, desolate minimal dungeon synth for the isolationist! Even the cold (almost industrial-sounds) of early Cluster/TG can be heard here!.
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There you go, lots of diversity to submerge your stoner needs into.