Tryumf - Hymns of Power

Something from last summer, and something which mixes together ideas from the old world with the new world (kind of). Dungeon synth via retro-wave and soundtracks to old-school CRPGs. If you take a look at the catchy cover with its highly seductive colors, you will in an instant be transported back to a time when games for your computer came in HUGE cardboard boxes with a thick manual inside! I can still remember that very dad when we bought our Commodore64, I was (as an 8-year old kid) checking up on the cover-artwork for a C64 fantasy adventure game called Zork. The cover-artwork was incredible, then you would turn the box over only to discover that it was "only" a so-called text-adventure. The cover artwork for this release has that sort of 1985´ish-design, but the music inside sounds like something later. Yup, we´re in the time of the dear Amiga500!  A 4 track mini-album, a potent shot-glass of retro fantasy music from your old computer/Amiga500. 

The first track Anima Christi starts the album in a moody, ritualistic way. Howling winds, tiny drops of rain, ghost´ ish moaning synths, ceremonial bells and then, later on, comes the lovely melancholic folksy retro-synth with corny (but cool!) computer-game drums. The title track reveals it to be a Catholic prayer to Jesus of medieval origin, a very spiritual track indeed!. Second track Mt 28, 19 is about something from the bible (read below):

 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

A very Christian based mini-album sofar. And how true that became, after the death of Jesus-christ his religion moved from cult-based thing to a worldwide belief-system. Even the Vikings from Scandinavia thought, hell... that guy is worth believing in (kind of!). Nevertheless, churches were built everywhere etc. Again, a very retro, ceremoniously and sacrilegious piece. For some reason, it reminds me of Clannad´s soundtrack they did for the British tv-series Robyn of Sherwood (Cult and worth seeing!). Sounds very cool, I love the melody and the mood very much! 

Third track De Profundis is about a letter which our dear Oscar Wilde wrote during his imprisonment, reason? He was gay and lived an extravagant lifestyle. The name for the letter (which was published off course) was taken from Psalm 130. And the very first verse in Psalm 130 sounds like this:

Out of the depths, I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive

to my cry for mercy.   

So the letter was a cry for mercy from one of our greatest writers. The track follows up on this, sounds like someone who has "accepted" their "sin" and sadly waited to be executed. Oscar Wilde wasn´t executed but received an injury during his imprisonment which then leads to his unfortunate death. A sad but beautiful track!.  

Last track Zeal´s Sacrifice. A chilling synth-wave ambient piece with a medieval church-like aesthetic. Cool way to end the album!

So there you go. Quite a unique thing having all of these retro old-school elements being mixed up into a completely new thing. Go and have a listen yourself, chill-out and get back in time.

Bandcamp (band):
https://tryumf.bandcamp.com/releases