ORNATORPET
Aedes Aquilae (Trans Red + A2 Poster)

“Evigt främmande, evigt fjärran” is the seventh album of Sweden’s leading dungeon synth project, Örnatorpet. Modern music without the trappings of modernity; nostalgia and longing channelling the spirit both of timeless classics like Fata Morgana, Mortiis, and Wongraven and recent genre greats such as Erang, Old Sorcery, and Vindkaldr.

For those who believe the genre of dark dungeon music to be narrow, Örnatorpet stands as a living, breathing rebuttal. Each release has its own thematic foundation upon which the compositions rest. “Bergtagen” (2018) captures the sense of rustling leaves in autumnal woods. “Hymner från Snökulla” (2019) crackles with soul-piercing frost drawn straight from the heart of winter.

A forgotten tale, long buried beneath the snows of time, is about to be retold. “Midvintersagor” (‘Midwinter Sagas’) is the first music ever composed by Örnatorpet, a landmark in both personal and artistic discovery. Originally self-released in a small cassette run, this unaltered reissue allows listeners to experience the album exactly as it was conceived – pure, unrefined, and brimming with the wonder of creation.

At its core, “Midvintersagor” is a soundtrack to an unwritten legend. Each track weaves a narrative steeped in medieval fantasy, channelling the essence of forgotten folklore and the grandeur of winter’s stillness. Inspired by the interludes and atmospheric passages of 90s black metal, Örnatorpet sought to craft an instrumental world as evocative as the landscapes of his native Sweden.

Since its inception in 2018, Örnatorpet has become one of the foremost torchbearers of dungeon synth. With no formal musical training, he followed only instinct and inspiration, carving out a path that has since led him to the forefront of the genre. “Midvintersagor” is where that journey began – an unpolished gem gleaming with the spirit of discovery, now unearthed for a new audience to behold.

CD Jewel Case • 4-Page Booklet

Long before dungeon synth had a name of its own, atmospheric interludes and keyboard passages offered glimpses into strange worlds hidden within black metal. It was through this lineage that Anders Ragnar first encountered the sounds that would eventually lead to Örnatorpet.

On “Aedes Aquilae”, that inheritance becomes audible. The shadow of Mortiis, Summoning and Old Sorcery runs throughout, while the epic, grandiose and suggestive qualities of old symphonic black metal lend the music its sense of ancient scale.

The result lands somewhere between dark dungeon music, fantasy synth, and medieval ambient: sounds for forgotten dominions, buried skies, distant halls, and horizons without end. Yet beneath the grandeur remains the same solitary impulse that has guided Örnatorpet since its inception – the desire to escape the present through atmosphere alone.