2024 retrospective
Here it folk, the only synth retrospective you were not waiting for! Featuring 18 albums by the best artists. Support them and take a listen if you want!
Faery Ring
Mys & Frox
We're off to a strong start with a fantastic album full of twists & turns, whimsical through and through, epic at times.
Bubble Blade
Vaporous Halls
Nothing I've not already said about Bubble Blade. A truly inspiring work of art, be it visually or sonically. There is a before and after Vaporous Halls.
Svampprinsen
Höstens vattenfall
Blessed to have such a talented artist who's a stone's throw away from where I live. A lovely person on top of being a crazy talented musician. Enveloped by mist and wisps you tread among the pines that grow in Svampprinsen's old growth forest. Enchanting work.
Tales from Baelecia
Celestine Druid
Eternal love for this album. It gives off a distinct whiff of tranquil adventure and mysterious forests. Both enchanting and eerie. And a beautiful soul on top of that.
Moss Knight
Adventures Across Hearth II: A Night At The Tavern
I am certainly not alone to have been enchanted by Moss Knight's beautiful tales, and I've had a hard time choosing across all his releases, but the Tavern feels the most special to me. Beautiful person, beautiful music
https://mossknight.bandcamp.com/album/adventures-across-hearth-ii-a-night-at-the-tavern-2
Umbría
The Rime Pathways
Cheerful, mysterious, cold but not without warmth. A master of melody and atmosphere. Seldom can words recount fully the beauty of this gem.
Lored Legend
Night of the Cobra
Again a master at melody featured here, but this time with a nostalgic and retro vibe. Visually gripping and musically dense, Night of the Cobra deserves to have a movie made for it.
Vermin Halls
Veilsong
Probably one of Vermin Halls' best works to date, packed with atmospheres and exciting moments ("Transcendence" and "Rebirth to the Mortal Realm"!). It's very easy to miss this absolute gem and I can only recommend it with all my heart.
Delmak-O
Cryptobiotic
I've always wondered where this album was, and it turns out it was simply not made yet! Incredible storytelling by one of the best artists in the scene. A grandiose look into the void of space, a cold and harsh quest told with no words. I'm just a sucker for arp analog synth and this one just elevates it to the highest.
L A N D S R A A D
The Ambiguity of Truth
It may feel trite to put the two best cosmic synth releases of the year back to back to back (to back to you) but they have a whole different approach. Landsraad is the epic cousin, the grand voyage, full of colors, and packed with emotions. The beauty of space and its awesome vastness.
Lord Gloom
Echoes of Isolation
Packed with emotions and calm contemplations. A melancholic voyage, trying to find a place for a peaceful and quiet sojourn. Highly evocative and calming.
https://antiquitytapes.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-isolation
Felsenmeer
Subterroir
Heavy and hypnotic bass-heavy synth. Envelops you like a weighted blanket. I want to hear this in a cave with crushing amps.
Emberwilde
Sands & Scrolls
Memorable melodies to enjoy under a scorching sun. A tremendous work on percussion that you don't often hear in the genre. Absolutely fantastic from beginning to end.
Weress
Rêveries Chevaleresques
Probably the best work by the extremely prolific artist John Lordswood, this one is like contemplating the starry sky in a field until completely losing one's sense of self.
https://weressmusic.bandcamp.com/album/r-vasseries-chevaleresques
Frostgard
Coranar
Frostgard is the absolute best at making an old-school sound sound fresh and exciting. A beautiful voyage across Middle-Earth, once again.
Zireael
Brokilon
This one will always have a special, place in my heart as the album that made me consider releasing Realm of Eternal Rain and consequently coming back to making music. Friggin love it.
Ithildin
Arda's Herbarium: A Musical Guide to the Mystical Garden of Middle-Earth and Stranger Places - Vol. VI
Six albums about the flora of Middle-Earth and you'd think everything would have been said and done. Not. Whimsical as ever, with little surprises and probably one of the best songs about Tolkien's work ever (of course it's "Laurelin")
Umbral Regency
Primeval Lure
Probably my most listened-to tape of this year, Primeval Lure is a masterclass of fantasy—Epic, somber and magical.
I could go on as it's not even a fraction of the albums I liked, but I have to stop at some point. I would like to thank every single one of you, artists or not, for being such an inspiration and fostering such a lovely scene. It is not without its problems of course, but seeing some people try their hardest to be inclusive, helpful and kind is all we can ask for.
The world is a fucked-up place and we can only advance by treating people as we'd like to be treated. Take no bullshit and be kind.
It's all that matters. Community is everything.
Here's to an even better 2025 year!