Darkened Soul - Bathys
Artist: Darkened Soul
Title: Bathys
Label: Hypnos Secret Sounds (Ltd CDR)
2008. Hypnos is pleased to announce Bathys, the first appearance on our label (in this
case, our Hypnos Secret Sounds imprint) by Darkened Soul.
The word "bathys" in Greek translates as "deep," and the rest of the titles here continue the Greek
language theme. It's the root of the word "bathyscaph" which is a submersible vessel for deep sea
exploration.
"Deep" is relevant here, as this recording collects resonant dark ambient sounds into aural mixtures
deep and spacious.
This aural journey is evocative of a subterranean trek through wet, metal-walled tunnels, with gritty
textures underfoot, and dripping sounds of water. Vague hints of machine-like sounds can be heard
churning away in the distance. Bathys by Darkened Soul is an exercise in resonant dark
ambient textures.
Darkened Soul is a psydonym under which Mike Soucy records dark ambient soundscapes. His previous
releases have been mostly self-released, though Hypnos followers may have seen his release Seasons
of Dark and Light on Umbra, the Italian label operated by recording artist Oophoi.
Track listing (with MP3 sample clips):
1 Eis Arthro Michani MP3 clip
2 Ateleiotos Agkareia MP3 clip
3 Mysteriodis MP3 clip
4 Trela MP3 clip
5 Ypexairesi MP3 clip
6 Bathys MP3 clip
Purchase for $11.99 on Hypnos Online Store
Reviews
"Waves of ominous electronic textures surge forth, blotting out the sky and saturating the air until everything seethes with a moody temperament. A haunting demeanor pervades, plunging the mind into a dark abyss where the self no longer has any external referential perceptions.
Auxiliary tones infiltrate these murky soundscapes, enhancing their sense of sensory deprivation and heightening a mental purge on the part of the listener. Stripped of all light, the audience is forced to conjure their own impressions of reality. Some will populate the dark with deadly manifestations, but others will use the dark as a canvas for vibrant renewal, redefining life against a backdrop of dire desperation.
These tunes roil and pulsate with a power that is raw and primal. Periodic crashes of metal scraping against metal punctuate the harmonic flows, implying a distant conflict being enacted deep within the impenetrable murk.
While these compositions display a distinct darkness, their intent is not to instill gloom or despair; they seek to establish a sober vantage from which one can view the world with objectivity. Brooding harmonic expanses spawn introspection on a grand scale."
--Reviewed by Matt Howarth at Sonic Curiosity
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