The next cassette release on Umbra will be Fenrir’s Haze. Fenrir is the black metal/dark ambient project of Massachusetts-based musician Scumfrost.
For me the novelty of dungeon synth wore off nearly a year ago. A member of Dungeon Synth Cult posts monthly lists of every release, lately noting that the overall volume has decreased. That may be, but it’s still well over one hundred new albums/EPs/comps every month. That’s a huge amount for such a niche style.
I’m not going to seek out dungeon synth anymore. Haze is a great example of ambient electronic music at the intersection of black metal, that doesn’t rely on medieval aesthetics or lean hard into lofi. It is a few shades darker than previous Umbra material and I’m proud to be the first to release a physical edition.
What is coming after?
Shades of Dark Ambient will continue with more emphasis in this area, dark/blackened ambient and away from DS for Volume II, and maybe a downtempo “accessible” ambient comp for III. For dungeoneers reading, there is still at least one tape and two digital releases coming in Fall and Winter. The four-month release schedule is working well for me.
Also, a belated thank you to Dungeon Synth Treasures for sharing Fallen!
Umbra Vulgaris 