Llyn y Cwn is an up and coming dark ambient unit from Wales, heavily influenced by the countryside from which the project spawned. The name “Twll Du” is in fact the name of a gorge in Wales known as the Devil’s Kitchen, where smoke from the depths is occasionally seen rising. It’s rare in the wide world of underground music that we’re exposed to the many treasures this nation holds.
From the outset, this is a rather minimal work focusing a lot on deep dark drones and what appear to be cavernous field recordings. You get a lot of that similar feeling as “deep ambient” artists like Amon occasionally generate, building layer upon layer of deep tones in order to generate a feeling of wide open spaces and deep chasms, but by the second track things take a much darker turn as the deep dirges and foreboding melodies kick in.
This isn’t just a nature walk or cavernous excursion, but the suggestion of something much more sinister and profound is lurking just out of sensory reach through the minimal melodies that act like a guide throughout this journey. Occasionally reminiscent of some of the darker moments of Dense Vision Shrine or even Vinterriket, though the ghostly atmosphere here is much more present and oppressive, like a thick tension in the air as one enters a haunted area.
On a whole, this is actually a very simple release. We never really get to see or hear what’s beyond the sinister door, but what we get instead is a very moody walk through the bowels of night, through foreboding landscapes, and a bit of a tour around the rim of the abyss without really falling in. Probably the best listening experience reading your favorite dark fantasy work by candlelight while this album throbs its magic through your headphones, or out for a walk through a mountainous landscape at night.
Presented by COLD SPRING RECORDS in a 6-panel digipak with breathtaking photography by the artist.
