CD

Here is another fundamental reissue of the Les Legions Noires archive, Aäkon Këëtrëh’s legendary demo “Dans La Forêt…“, originally released in 1996. Lord Aäkon Këëtrëh unique tunes should be well known to any Black Metal / Dark Ambient fan, 8 tracks that can be considered a must have for every fan. Totally remastered and with restored layout.

With 12 studio albums, a dozen EPs, singles and split releases, as well as more than 1.250 shows under their belts so far, it is high time ROTTING CHRIST get a proper compilation spanning their 30+ years career. The 2-CD set 'Their Greatest Spells' takes a retrospective look at the cult Greek band's fascinating musical development by picking a select choice of key tracks covering the many facets of ROTTING CHRIST. With such a massive catalogue, a "best of" compilation will always lead to controversy about certain additions as well as omissions from the final list, but the involvement of frontman Sakis Tolis himself in this difficult task ensures that the result is at least relevant.

Describing his ideas behind "F(OUR) WARD", EdleyODowd notices that the combination of sound and visuals were “essential to delivering a message”- points out Edley talking about his foray into new territory.
“I wanted to create something of nightmares and bliss” explains EdleyODowd when asked to discuss the combination of visuals and sound presented on his latest solo release "F(OUR) WARD".

ODowd, a long-time veteran of various musical scenes, has collaborated and performed with many musical luminaries (Genesis P-Orridge, Deborah Harry, LeneLovich, Tony Conrad, Shilpa Ray), as well as being a member of Toilet Boys, Psychic TV, Kylesa and his brand-new death rock band Scorpion Tea.

Initially released as an ultra-limited cassette release via Flesh Prison/DeathBed Tapes, "F(OUR) WARD" is coming out in the rest of the world via 13, as an extended version featuring three bonus tracks and expanded artwork by ODowd. “I am proud to present what I consider to be the complete version of this art and music”, stresses Edley, talking about the unity of two inseparable components of his creativity. “The video clips that accompany these songs are designed to be trance-induced launchpads for the audio and vice-versa” – admits ODowd: “A world within our own, in which we can see and hear new and exciting things”. The videos accompanying the release of "F(OUR) WARD" were shot on various locations in Mexico and Colombia, ODowd’s goal was to present a visual environment one could listen to the music within.

Five years ago, back in September 2016, Stefano Gentile published a photographic book entitled IL SILENZIO DEI TUOI PASSI (The Silence of Your Steps), which collected a series of 56 pictures, both in b/w and colour, dedicated to the nights in Venice. The book was a journey through the most remote "calli" and "campi" (streets, alleys and squares, as they're called in Venice) in search of the true 'breath' of the city, far away from the hordes of tourists who 'attack' it every day during daylight hours.
On such occasion, renowned musician Gigi Masin composed a 30 minutes epic ambient track entitled VENEZIA 2016 which was the perfect soundtrack to the images included in the book. The track was published on CD and released bounded with the book itself in a limited edition of 480 copies only, and has been unavailable for years now.
In 2021 Gigi Masin returned to that great piece of music and to its timeless sounds. Finally, Silentes can now offer PLAYS VENEZIA, Masin's latest work contanining a re-edited version of that 'pearl', accompanied by two unreleased tracks composed and recorded in the same period.
Once again inspired by the city, Masin created an enduring and wonderful ambient masterpiece, a sort of return to the origins, to his home. Adding to the intrinsic quality of the originals, the tracks were beautifully mastered by Brandenburg Mastering in Amsterdam.
PLAYS VENEZIA is simply an unmissable release and one of Masin's greatest accomplishment in a long carrier that never ceases to amaze us.
 

Nuovo ma senza cellophane 

Hard-cover mediabook with extensive booklet

Pioneering French dark atmospheric music since 1996, Dark Sanctuary is back with their eighth album, Cernunnos, the first in fourteen years. Following the EP Iterum released in 2022, it marks the group's return to the front of the stage.

Cernunnos is an ancient Gaulish god who embodied the biological cycle of nature, simultaneously reflecting life and death, germination and decay, like the deer, the animal that represents him, who loses its antlers in winter to recover them in spring. This title perfectly symbolizes the history of Dark Sanctuary after these years of artistic break and this rebirth.

Composed during the year 2022, the 11 songs of this album make it one of the most varied that Dark Sanctuary have made so far, oscillating between what has characterized the band for two decades and new musical horizons. Both dark and emotional, Cernunnos is a new milestone in the history of the group.

Mixed and mastered by Øystein G. Brun at Crosound Studio in Bergen

Cover Artwork by Valnoir/Metastazis