Boreal Dawn - In The Icy Embrace
Of The Winter Queen
One of my all-time favorite dungeon synth artists is at it again. J. Browne, the same guy who brought you Widersinnen and Shelter Ov Shadows. I like him, simply because that he is the sole owner of a certain sound and style which he himself has created. In other words, a lovely kind of personal uniqueness that differs from each release.. and still... you can identify his sound on the spot. The same thing I can say about other favorite dungeon-synth artists like Fåntratt and offcourse Talog. This release is one among the many side-projects of Canadian-bred J. Browne, released via his own label Realm of Sleep. All the physical releases have been sold out, so you have to manage with a digital copy!
First track Hypothermic Healing being a very icy piece with a lovely kind of warmth to it. Think Finland, naked people rolling in frosty snow and then straight into a warm sauna... that kind of feeling. The melancholic and hypnotizing synth tones feel completely like a cold blanket against warm skin, it chills you down without a doubt. I am inside a huge and epic cathedral of ice... is also in my mind here as well. Incredible beautiful first track/opening!
The second track Life Lays Beneath A Blanket Of Snow has a certain kind of Berlin-school/kraut-rock meeting Steve Roach sound of feel. Early ambient music if you please. It still has that dungeon vibe over it, Tangerine Dream/Harmonia running in the background to a game of Dungeons and Dragons maybe?. Fans of another dungeon-synth act called Foglord would dig this track for sure!
The third track Her Kingdom, Her Will Be Done continues the adventure further into pure ambient minimalism. Almost on the planet of Dune here, completely devoid of life... but soo incredible calm, and beautiful. The sound of this track makes me think how sound is/travels through the very air when the snow has fallen, that kind of calmness... Time stops. Again, epic and beautiful without the drama fuss.
We flip the cassette and continues on the B-side, where we will find the longest track on the album. It´s called In The Icy Embrace of the Winter Queen (Like the album). Although a long track, it is (so far) the quickest track to jump on a sort of melody. A beautiful, melancholic monotone beginning with additional synth work a bit later on. Lots of peaceful intensity is being built here, brick by brick!. Although the winter queen being quite icy, I wouldn´t mind being embraced by this. Again, breath-taking stuff here. Otherworldly loveliness.
An incredible journey from the start and to the end. An essential classic in the modern age of ambient music if you ask me. Not only would it please dungeon synth fans, but also listeners to some of the pioneers of ambient music as well. Let us all hope that this one will be re-issued in one way or the other, it deserves more attention!.
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