Year: 2025
Label: Steinklang Industries
In their almost 20 year long recording career, Dark Awake have been nothing if not prolific. Discogs lists 16 full length albums and half a dozen of shorter releases, which translates into way more than one release per year for the project.
So, high time for a compilation, eh! And that is exactly what Dämmerung is: a cut-through of the sizable back catalogue of the project, offering a glimpse into the myriad mysteries of the Greek project steeped in esotericism and ancient mysteries.
Being a compilation lumping together material from three decades, it’s scarcely surprising that Dämmerung doesn’t offer an exactly unified listening experience. It is somewhat fragmentary, presenting tracks of differing sounds and styles. But that’s par for the course, of course.
Throughout the years, Dark Awake has explored a wide array of styles: from eerie dark ambient to experimental electronics to martial industrial. And lots in between. Speaking in broad terms, Dämmerung could be divided into two over-arching categories: mystical dark ambiance and neoclassical post-industrial. But that’s describing the release with the broadest of strokes.
I mean, take for example Archemoros. With its sweeping synthesizers and evocative, understated composition, it gets very, very close to dungeon synth in the vein of Vinterriket. The harpsichord on Mourn The Loss Of Ishtar gives the achingly melancholic track a rather baroque atmosphere. Complemented by bright synthesizers, this track too has a strong 90’s vibe, although perhaps more in the Cold Meat Industry style. In other words: simplistic, too generalizing pigeonholings are far from exhaustive.
On the other hand, Sancta (And We Are Opening The Gates) is a prime slice of very classical, oppressively atmospheric martial industrial. The percussion lays down a powerful backbone, upon which low-pitched brass instruments and choirs provide ominous layers. The occult understatedness of Shava Sadhana, with its whispered vocals, takes a turn towards ritualistic ambiance. Song Of Erichtho remains ensconced within ritual mysticism.
Clocking in at 70 minutes, on one hand Dämmerung is but a surface scratch of Dark Awake’s expression. On the other hand, it is a representative one at that. It presents the many facets of the project’s musical stylings, and clearly demonstrates how the common strain of Indo-European esotericism and traditional mysteries deeply permeates everything the Greek project does.
Containing but one new track, fans who already own the back catalogue may not necessarily find Dämmerung entirely essential. On the other hand, it is one of the few cassette tapes the project has released, which would justify adding it to any existing collection.
For new listeners, it is easy to recommend this release. It is a good primer, pointing listeners of varying tastes and preferences in which direction to go next.
Only Death Is Real 