Friday 1 February 2013

Воронмрак / Voronmrak (Ravendark)

I discovered Воронмрак or Voronmrak recently, via the Dungeon Synth community page on the Russian site VK. The project appears to be relatively unknown outside of Russia, so I thought I would give it a little exposure here. The name translates as "Ravendark", but I favour transliteration over translation, so I will use Voronmrak from now on (this also avoids any confusion with the Russian BM act Raven Dark).

The discography (listed at the bottom of this post) is fairly daunting at first glance, an extensive collection of demos, EPs, singles and splits ranging from 2005 to 2011. I have been exploring the music over the past week or so, and it is difficult to select any individual releases as being purely "Winter Synth" - there seems to be a fairly even split between Dungeon Synth and Winter Synth, with hints of folk-ambient lurking in the melodies. A couple of tracks venture into electronica/techno territory (one track in particular reminds me of early Aphex Twin), but these are isolated exceptions, the majority of the work being the usual brooding synthscapes we have come to associate with this area of music.

The man behind Voronmrak, a guy called Mrak Mstivoy, also records as Уводна (Uvodna) - a more Dark Ambient-orientated project that is inspired by industrial and military themes as opposed to Voronmrak's nature-worship. I have it from the man himself that new releases from both projects are in the works (edit: Uvodna's new EP "Знаки на снегу" has just been released).

Much of Voronmrak's discography can be obtained from here:
http://dark-world.ru/bands/Voronmrak.php

And you can keep up with updates from both projects via their official VK Russian community page:
http://vk.com/voronmrak

Do yourself a favour and spend some time exploring Voronmrak's world.

Воронмрак / Voronmrak Discography (transliterations are my own):

Тени лунного света / Teni Lunnogo Sveta (2005)
Навьи Ветры Сибири / Nav'i Vetry Sibiri (2005)
Предрасветные сумерки / Predrassvetnye Sumerki (2005)
Ледяными туманами... / Ledyanymi Tumanami... (2005)
Забытые тропы / Zabytye Tropy (2006)
Танец огня / Tanec Ognya (2006)
Ведогонь / Vedogon' (2006)
Эхо Навьей Стужи - Серебро Зимы / Eho Nav'ey Stuzhi - Serebro Zimy (2006)
Память / Pamyat' (2006)
Зарево битв над курганами славными / Zarevo Bitv Nad Kurganami Slavnyh (2007)
Рати зимних ветров / Rati Zimnih Vetrov (2008)
Темная Вежа / Temnaya Vezha (compilation) (2008)
Хладомрак / Hladomrak (split with Холод / Holod) (2008)
Великая Сиберия / Velikaya Siberiya (split with Яросвет / Yarosvet) (2008)
Духи Зимы / Duhi Zimy (2008)
Возвращение птиц / Vozvrashhenie Ptic (rehearsal) (2009)
Сумерки / Sumerki (2009)
Отзвуки давней зимы / Otzvuki Davney Zimy (2009)
Сполохи / Spolohi (2009)
Шаги Берегини / Shagi Beregini (2009)
Кромешная осень / Kromeshnaya Osen' (2010)
Поворот на весну / Povorot Na Vesnu (2011)

(The "Темная Вежа" compilation collects the releases "Рати зимних ветров", "Зарево битв над курганами славными", "Ведогонь", plus some tracks from "Танец огня" and "Забытые тропы" (the period between 2006-2008)).

Уводна / Uvodna discography

Перевал Дятлова (пробная запись) / Pereval Dyatlova (Probnaya Zapis') (2006)
Тени мертвых городов / Teni Mertvih Gorodov (2008)
Звуки Покинутых Мегаполисов / Zvuki Pokinutih Megapolisov (2009)
Энергия Вриль / Energiya Vril' EP (2009)
Навстречу Черному Солнцу / Navstrechu Chernomu Solntsu (2009)
Таинство Вриль / Tainstvo Vril' (2012)
Знаки на снегу / Znaki Na Snegu EP (2013)