Sysselmann – Ritual Of The Aurora Noir (CD EP – Winter-Light)
Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient.
Background/Info: Sysselmann is a Norwegian solo-project driven by Thomas Narverud. After a few previous releases featuring the full length album “The Northern Chronicles” (2016) Sysselmann now joined hands together with Winter-Light to unleash this four-track EP. The work is meant as a “tribute to the collective consciousness of the Northern parts of Norway….. A celebration of the magical coastal landscape and those who came before us.”
Content: The work takes off with the long-during and progressively built up title track. This cut takes you in its grip for more than 10 minutes, revealing a kind of electro-analogue sound wave joined by drones. A similar sensation emerges from the next cut. Overwhelming sound treatments and background drones are suddenly interrupted by a kind of electronic trumpet sound on “The Long Wait – Memorial Mix” while the work comes to an end with the dark-astral sounding “First Winter Light”.
+ + + : The opening title-track is a fascinating composition, which is slowly built up and crescendo moves towards its ultimate point. You feel like moving through a dark and endless tunnel vision where the monotony –which has something exciting, is sometimes interrupted by a few extra sounds or noises. This is a work that slowly grows on you to finally get you in its sonic web.
– – – : The total climax at this work is right in the beginning with the first cut and that’s a pity as the other cuts left –which are cool, never reaches a similar level.
Conclusion: Sysselmann is a project I have never heard of before, but which clearly has the potential to conquer dark-ambient souls.
Best songs: “Ritual Of The Aurora Noir”, “MS Nordlysnatt”, “The Long Wait – Memorial-mix”.
Rate: (7½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/sysselmann
Label: www.winter–light.nl / www.facebook.com/winter.light.1
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