Various ‎– Drone-Mind // Mind-Drone Vol. 7

Tracks by Specimens, the inimitable Skeldos, Mytrip and Opening Performance Orchestra. Lp and cd on Drone Records.

Download

Daina Dieva & Skeldos ‎– Aviliai

Wow just wow. Here Skeldos is collaborating with fellow Lithuanian singer/musician Daina Dieva creating a gorgeous piece of dark ambient/drone in three long tracks; first track is an imposing religious-like hymn with Daina Dieva in a chanting mode similar to older Grouper and Skeldos in background chants while a haunting drone is lying underneath; track 2 is a 21-minute epic with fog-horn heavy drones and dissonant ghostly violins building and building in a Culver-ian climactic fashion as Daina Dieva continues her chants. Track 3 is one of the most captivating tracks I've heard recently; based on a very simple repetitive droning organ sound loop, Daina Dieva offers a completely heartwarming and devastatingly beautiful vocal performance. The fragile beauty and the fleeting string and accordion sounds remind me a lot of Troum, but this has its own distinctive personality. The production is also worth-noting as it showcases a deep church reverb that elevates the atmospheres generated by the two musicians. An absolute must hear. 2015 self-released cd.

Download

Skeldos - Ilgės tape

The other day I received the most recent Troum/Drone Records newsflash with new additions in the DR catalogue; as usual it starts with personal recommendations by Stefan Knappe/Baraka (H), and one that attracted my attention was his reference to Skeldos, a Lithuanian solo project of Vytenis Eitminavičius of self-described "anxious electronic, industrial, ambient." I definitely don't see the anxious reference here; the musician plays heavy but atmospheric and longing drone/ambient on Lithuanian zither, accordion and acoustic guitar together with organ and synth drones and he also sings in a calming evocative voice in his mother tongue. The result is very close to Troum - therefore Baraka (H)'s recommendation - yet is not derivative, but very personal. The melancholy here is neither too oppressive not gothy-ethereal, it evokes a sense of hope over defeat. 2018 self-released tape.

Download