Tuesday 28 April 2015

Uruk Hai - Heulend Horn split!


Heulend Horn discography

  In March 2015, Uruk Hai, the well-known austrian fantasy ambient metal project of Alexander "Hugin" Wieser, and Heulend Horn got in contact. Immediately, Hugin and Curwenius told to Furias Records their initiative of making a split, and the label accepted without hesitation. It is the first split to be edited by Furias Records.
  After a couple of mails, Uruk Hai delivered three tracks (more than 30 minutes of music), but Curwenius only had a few draft compositions for Heulend Horn.
  Anyway, in the first days of April, Heulend Horn got four tracks (27 minutes) for joining Uruk Hai music.
  All tracks, for both Heulend Horn and Uruk Hai, are unreleased, brand new songs.
  There is going to be a special entry for the release day, but the Uruk Hai - Heulend Horn split name will be Three Ages of War.
  Cover, case and booklet art is already finished, and the layout was made by F. Curwenius.
  The album is ready to be released by Furias Records.

Goblintropp

A 90's Dungeon Synth project

  Once finished all previous projects, Curwenius had the idea of recreating the 90's Mortiis sound in a new Dungeon Synth project. But in this case there would be no samplers or software synthetizers: only a pure Roland EM-20 keyboard native sound, just playing and direct recording, instrument over instrument.
  The project took shape as two long songs, deeply immersed in the Mortiis first era sound and style. It was named Goblintropp. Track names are Troop of Goblins (16 min) and The Grotto of the Whispering Mushrooms (21 min). The work was titled Tunnels under the Forest. Proposed cover art is:
 

 









The album in unreleased (in fact, it wasn't sent to the label up to now).
Below there is a link to the final 10 minutes of the track Troop of Goblins.


Fourth album of Mitternacht

Mitternacht discography

  In 2013, a new album of Mitternacht was composed by Curwenius. Music follows the line of the previous albums, orchestral with intense percussion.
  It consists of nine tracks and 45 minutes long. There is no vocals or voices (at least up to now) but plenty of sound effects. In fact, every track has a story to be narrated by these sounds.
  Curwenius kept working on the album in the first months of 2014, and then he presented the finished work to the label. 
  The album is under evaluation by Furias Records.  It has no name yet, but track list is:

01-The Fluttering Black Flags of Empire Earth
02-Last Charge of Hannibal
03-Lament of the Nova
04-Funeral of a King
05-Through the Silverwood
06-The Dream of the Pharaoh
07-First Encounter with Fomalhaut Migration
08-The Turning Point of the Century
09-An Ambush in the Forest

Total time: 45:52

Eislandschaft

A Winter Synth project

  This was a project that Curwenius wanted to start from a while. Since the creation of Mitternacht, he was a follower and a fan of Vinterriket, creator of the Winter Synth genre, it could be said.
  After finishing his work with Vridd Gren, Curwenius immediately started a project called Eislandschaft, exploring this hipnotic genre, the Winter Synth. The full length was named Lethargie im Schnee, with six tracks called Weisse Blindheit, Sleeping in the Ice, Augen in den Bäumen, Eine Klagelied in den Bergen, A hand waves in the blizzard and Nördlichen Flüstern. No lyrics, only gelid synth sound and freezing melodies. Proposed cover art is:

 










  The album is still unreleased.
  Below you will find two tracks for listening online.

Vridd Gren

A Dungeon Synth project

  Despite Mitternacht was considered as a reference for the genre, after connecting with Andrew from the Dungeon Synth blog and the Dungeon Synth VK group, Curwenius started working on the idea of a new synth project, much more quiet and closer to a Mortiis style.
  In this way, Vridd Gren born in middle 2013, with a full length work named Skapninger. Four long tracks with short narrated lyrics, all on the topic of nordic folkish mythological creatures.
  Track names are: Noekken, Troll, Tusser and Underjordiske. Proposed cover art is:














  The album is still unreleased. 
  Below you will find a link for the track Tusser.

Mitternacht on VK

Translation of Andrew's interview to Curwenius

  Days after the publication of Andrew's interview in the Dungeon Synth blog, a translation to russian was published in a group of the social network VK dedicated to Dungeon Synth. Also, The Raise of the Secret Cities was posted for listening online.
  Click on the image to access the Dungeon Synth group in VK.

www.vk.com/dungeonsynth


Re-recording of The Desolation of Blendenstein

Mitternacht discography

  Around 2009, Curwenius made a re-recorded, re-mixed instrumental version of the  album The Desolation of Blendenstein (2002). This was not intented to be a re-release. Below there is a link to the track Mist of Ravens of the instrumental re-recorded version.

  

Thursday 23 April 2015

Interview to Curwenius (Mitternacht)

Interview to Curwenius (Mitternacht) by Andrew from Dungeon Synth

  On early 2013 F. Curwenius found Mitternacht listed in the Dungeon Synth blog created and run by Andrew, as a reference (among many others) for this particular and fascinant genre. After contacting him, Andrew kindly proposed to make an interview for publishing later in a blog entry. Click on the image to access the interview directly in Dungeon Synth blog.
 
http://dungeonsynth.blogspot.com.ar/2013/05/interview-with-curwenius-of-mitternacht.html

Fragments from the 13th Century

Heulend Horn discography

Released in 2013 by Furias Records (Argentina).

 Track list

About the sacrifice of the warrior
1. First Fragment
2. Second Fragment
3. Third Fragment
4. Fourth Fragment
5. Fifth Fragment

About the coming of the Aryans
6. Sixth Fragment
7. Seventh Fragment
8. Eighth Fragment
9. Ninth Fragment

Total time: 43 min.





  Third album of Heulend Horn. This time the tracks were faster and blacker than the previous work, but keeping the folk brushstrokes. The lyrics explore the "warrior" topic, and they are connected to battles and the longed return to home after the bloodbath. Lyrics were written by Lord Edwar.
  In this third album there is no clean vocals, and most of them are the typical black metal vocals. For the first time, all vocals were performed by F. Curwenius, in charge of all instruments as well. Recorded in early 2011, Fragments from the 13th Century would wait more than two years to see the light.
  Recording by F. Curwenius, mixing by F. Curwenius and Lord Edwar.
  For this album, all paintings are details taken again from the work of Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947), most of them strongly attached to the viking topic.
  Art layout by F. Curwenius.
Listen:

From the Caucasus to Gotland

Heulend Horn discography

Released in 2006 by Furias Records (Argentina).

 Track List

1. Leaving the Horn of Miklagard.
2. The Knorr Crosses the Black Sea.
3. Towards the Dnieper's Mouth.
4. Kiev has Fallen.
5. Nordic Ghost.
6. The Death of Ormr.
7. On the Black Sea of Gotland.
8. Eykr's Lament.
9. The Words of Odhinn.

Total time: 42 min.







  This second album of Heulend Horn, keeping the viking black metal guitars and style, added a lot of folk instruments from Asia and Eastern Europe. This was strongly connected to the concept of the album. It tells the story of two Varangians (special nordic guards of the Eastern Roman Emperor) who refuse to be baptized (ordered by the emperor itself). This situation takes them to a journey (the name of the album) with many characters and apparitions.
  Black metal vocals were performed by guest vocalist Vargulf, clean vocals by Lord Edwar and all instruments and narration by Curwenius.
  Recording by F. Curwenius and mixing by F. Curwenius and Lord Edwar.
  Art layout by F. Curwenius.
Listen:

The Saga of the Draugr

Heulend Horn discography

Released in May 2003 by Furias Records (Argentina).


Track list

1. Part I: The Raise of the Unresting One
2. Part II: The Dead Wanderer
3. Part III: The Master of the Winds
4. Part IV: Raid of the Drakkar Wolf
5. Part V: Duel and Epilogue

Total time: 47 min.












  The first album of Heulend Horn. Heulend Horn roughly means "howling horn". With this project, Curwenius took the viking topic in concept and musical style. Unlike Mitternacht, Heulend Horn has strong black metal guitars, black metal vocals (guest vocalist Vargulf), with some clean voice passages (Lord Edwar) and spoken vocals (Curwenius), spiced with sound effects and a varied instrumentation. 
  The five long tracks tell a story based in a viking mythology, specifically on the shape of a wandering draugr. The draugr was the living dead for the ancient vikings, with very special characteristics. 
  Recording was made by F. Curwenius and mixing by F. Curwenius and Lord Edwar. 
  Art layout was made by F. Curwenius too.

  Listen:  



8 Visions of the Time Pilgrim

Mitternacht discography

Released in October 2007 by Furias Records (Argentina).

 Track list

1. -10000: The Retreat of the Giant Glaciers.>>mp3
2. -3200: Sumer, the First Garden.
3. -800: Carthage, Mother of Rome.>>mp3
4. -100: Rome, Murderer of Carthage.
5. 0: Death Defeated Forever.
6. +600: From the Sands Came the Word.
7. +1300: The Medieval Plague.
8. +1900: The War Ruled on Earth.


Total Time: +44:00








  Third album of Mitternacht, the first one being completely instrumental. Due to that, the sound is strongly orchestral, with a lot of brasses, cymbals and timpani. Despite there are no vocals or lyrics, there is a concept anyway, relayed on the track names and album title. It regards to the observation of a character named "the time pilgrim" along the history of mankind.
  Art layout was made by F. Curwenius.
Listen:

The Cyclic Deliverance

Mitternacht discography

Released in October 2004 by Furias Records (Argentina).














  Days later after the releasing of The Raise of the Secret Cities, Furias Records released a Special Edition DVD Box, with a different cover art, including both The Desolation of Blendenstein and The Raise of the Secret Cities with their complete booklets.
  Art layout and design was made by F. Curwenius.

The Raise of the Secret Cities

The Raise of the Secret Cities - Mitternacht discography

Released in October 2004 by Furias Records (Argentina).

Track list

1. The Sighting of the City.
2. Fall and Rise.
3. The Apparition.
4. Synthetic Fallen Angel.
5. The Tide of Rotten Souls.
6. Lux Fare, The Light Carrier.
7. The Raise of the Secret Cities


Total Time: 44:43









 This was the second album of Mitternacht. This time Curwenius was able to record and mix the whole album. It follows the composition line of the previous "Desolation", with a stronger keyboard and percussion sound.
  The cover art is a painting of Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947), "Saint Sophia, The Almighty Wisdom". All booklet painting and detalis used in the booklet were taken from the work of this russian painter.
  This second album has a concept too, under the point of view of a character named as "the Wanderer", who witnesses supernatural events under the surface of the Earth.
  Listen:

The Desolation of Blendenstein

Mitternacht discography

Released in June 2002 by Furias Records (Argentina).


Track list

1. The Desolation of Blendenstein.
2. The Pain of Uncertainty. 
3. The Crushing of Blendenstein.
4. Mist of Ravens. 05:24
5. A Tribute to the Void.
6. The Unveiling. 

7. The Dawn of Uprising. 
8. War Against the Void. 
9. Last Battle in the Fields of Blendenstein. 
10. The Desert Beside Blendenstein. 

Total Time 50:39




  This was the first album of Mitternacht. Friedrich Curwenius started this project by June 2001, with inspiration in the keyboard passages of some symphonic black metal bands. Also, by those years, Curwenius listened for the first time the work of Mortiis, adding even more inspiration and encouragement for starting his own project.
  Mitternacht music started without guitars, but keyboards, percussion, narration vocals and sound effects.
  Narration along all ten tracks follows a story about a desolated land called Blendenstein, ruled by the sinister Ultrabishop.
  Art layout and design was made by F. Curwenius.
  Listen: