STRFLL - In Memoriam

Best album of the year.

You can still order the tapes here. Stream the whole album below.

Voodoo Crystals & The Implicit Order - No Eye Of Heaven Can Penetrate

This exciting collaborative record between underground icons Voodoo Crystals and The Implicit Order is one of the standout releases from the new batch by Dagger Forest, which dropped today. "No Eye Of Heaven Can Penetrate" uncannily evokes images of a warped world hidden behind our reality, taking the listener on a journey through electro-acoustic transformations, dark ambient soundscapes, interdimensional voice manipulations, and deconstructed witch-drone music. Both artists feed off each other's strengths, curating an album full of sounds both strange and wonderful - sure to inspire and intrigue fans of them both.

The limited edition tape can be orderded directlyhere. Bandcamp version should be available on Friday.

Mater Suspiria Vision - Hotel Trancesylvania

The latest release from Mater Suspiria Vision "Hotel Trancesylvania" landed in my mailbox many moons ago, but for some reason I've delayed this review for months. Since I got it, the album has been on constant replay. I actually loved it so much I managed to get MSV agree to let me release it via Dagger Forest on tape, complete with bonus tracks and remixes. Phantasma Disques obviously did a CDR version too. In my opinion, it's their finest record in years, bridging the gap between their original DIY production style and contemporary experimentation. Hypnagogic drones set the stage for layers of eerie synths and haunting ambience, complemented by ghostly vocals from Æchidna Morgan Kamen and trippy contributions from Shazzula. The latter's input to the LP proves how much chemistry and mutual understanding is between her and Cosmotropia de Xam, which leaves me yearning for a potential Shazzula/MSV album. Tracks like "Power Of Intensity" or "Crawler's Revenge" pay homage to the Disaro days, without sounding derivative or trying to resurrect a bygone era. On the contrary, they cement the band's legacy as an underground tour-de-force and originator. Ultimately the album is a thrilling and wholly immersive journey into the world of one of the most innovative artists of the post-internet era.

Order the CD here, tape here and stream the whole album below.

Mater Suspiria Visioin - Crawler's Revenge // video

Third single promoting MSV's album "Hotel Trancesylvania". The album will see a cassette release with a bunch of bonus remixes on Dagger Forest on December 29th - 14th anniversary of the creation of MSV.

Pharmacist - Pallor // video

Bonus track from Pharmacist's incredible collab tape with Three Wishes on Dagger Forest. Sick!

Pharmacist + Three Wishes - Maelstrom (Stay Healthy Remix)

Perfect remix of a perfect track right here, Stay Healthy delivered something special for the Pharmacist and Three Wishes' tape. Their version of "Maelstrom" sits somewhere between a cover and a remix, altering the original's DNA and creating a tribute of sorts. Beautiful. Grab the tapes here.

Three new tapes from Dagger Forest

Grab them here.

Ritualz - Hypermotion X 2.0

Dagger Forest will release tomorrow a compilation of two extraterrestial EPs from Ritualz: "Hypermotion X" and "Hypermotion Demos", now collectively named "Hypermotion X 2.0". The newly mastered material is a spaced-out take on the trance-leaning spectrum of JC's work. The original "Hypermotion X" was published in 2012 by Mishka NYC, while the demos were self-released by the artist one year later. The former EP consists of four post-trance witch transmissions destined for the clubbing after-party cooldown zone. Kicking off with the cinematic, eerie ambient intro (that got extended for this tape release), Ritualz channels darkwave influences intertwined with witchhouse elements and melodic vocals throught the next three tracks - each one unique in its own right. "Limerence" is a the slowest of them all, like a sad ballad with muted vocals, dope beats and synths. "Alien" ups the tempo with his signature witch-trance only to be countered by pulsing "Rhythmic Release". Side B includes two demo versions of "Limerence" and "Alien", backed with three dance-focused tracks that further explore the underground trance-phoria. Brillaint release and a great companion to Mascara's "Heru-Ra-Ha" from the same label.

Order the tapes here, and check out the whole release below.

Tetsüo ii - Spectral Return // video

New video promoting the self-titled Tetsüo ii tape on Dagger Forest. Cosmic voyage gone wrong with a background of droney synth epic.

Dagger Forest Special: NC Ives - Breaking Dawn

Dagger Forest Special: PVNDV - Haunted

Dagger Forest Special: Tets​ü​o ii

Dagger Forest label is back

I'm happy to announce that I will be restarting my label Dagger Forest, which I founded in 2014 and ended up putting out 8 tapes and a promo CDr before I had to put it all on hold. After a seven year hiatus I'll be releasing three exciting albums on cassettes from some of the most amazing artists that have been pushing the boundaries of the undeground: Stay Healthy's "Dirt", Edith Underground's "Heaven's Night" and SCYTHE's "Candlelit Descent Down the Initiation Well", coming out December 27, 28 and 29 respectively. Follow DF on Bandcamp here.