Event name: Blåsvart Aften #15
Artists: Astrix Manson (NO) / Svartsinn (NO) / Örnatorpet (SE) / Desiderii Marginis (SE)
Venue: Good Omens
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Date: 16th November 2024
What can I say about Blåsvart Aften that I haven't already said in my live report from last year's edition? Well, this year's edition was a bit more special. The excellent venue still hasn't changed, and Norway in November was as (un)welcoming as ever; what was unique about edition #15 is that 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of Svartsinn's activity, so in addition to curating the event, Svartsinn also decided to join the lineup! As if that wasn't reason enough to visit the deep white North, Jan Roger spilled his beans last spring and told me that Desiderii Marginis, one of my all-time favourite dark ambient artists, would be gracing the stage as well. That was all the incentive I needed to immediately book tickets to Trondheim.
As usual, I arrived the day before the mini-festival was set to take place, as that's when Jan Roger traditionally throws a dinner for the performing artists and select friends (which I immodestly describe myself as). This approach gives a precious opportunity to get acclimatised to the harsh Norwegian winter, which was especially unforgiving this time around, as strong winds were blowing from the West, turning an already freezing weather into a positively arctic one (which didn't stop me from taking a stroll around the beautiful Trondheim city centre that I never seem to tire of). Even more importantly, however, it gives an opportunity to get to know the performing artists in a more relaxed environment, and potentially do an interview or two, such as the one that I did with Desiderii Marginis on this occasion. 24 hours flew by in an instant, and it was time to head to the venue for the soundchecks et al.
Astrix Manson (NO)
If you haven't heard of Astrix Manson before, I don't blame you - the guy still hasn't actually released anything yet, other than a few tracks on his Bandcamp page. Hence, in all honesty, I walked into the venue without expecting much else than a half-decent opening act making his first foray into live performances (which is to be lauded, of course). Well, suffice to say that I have rarely been more wrong. As the artist in question made his first steps onto the stage, I was immediately captivated by his unusual presentation - rather than just another dark ambient guy in fairly regular black hoodie/garb, here was an anonymous figure wearing a white mask and overcoat over a black-painted face and body, making for a very powerful monochromatic impression. The performance opened innocently enough, with a wind instrument resembling a flute making curiously ethereal sounds, which were soon joined by some amazingly competent throat singing. That's when the video backdrop started, first showing a texture or material of some kind, and then evolving into spacey visuals; not spacey as in Interstellar-spacey, but rather something resembling the first moments of the universe and the creation and transformation of matter. Humans were introduced shortly thereafter, to be interspersed throughout the performance like blips on the infinitely long timescale of existence. As the audio evolved into deep, powerful drones with mere hints of rhythm, effortlessly matched with the increasingly complex visuals on the screen, it became apparent that I was witnessing nothing less than pure art. The music was incredibly varied, to the point where I genuinely couldn't compare Astrix Manson to any other dark ambient project out there. The 35 minutes he was allotted this time around flew by in an instant, and I had but two thoughts in my mind as the performance came to an end: (i) WOW and (ii) this guy needs to put out a release ASAP. What an opener! I still have that backdrop living in my head rent-free.
Svartsinn (NO)
And now for the star of the event! Well, perhaps not in his own eyes, but certainly in the eyes of the audience, as the excitement before the performance was palpable. Svartsinn is a well-established artist in the Scandinavian dark ambient scene with five fairly varied full-length albums under his belt, so it's always a guessing game which direction he'll go in for his live performances - my hopes always go in the direction of Elegies for the End, which I consider his best release. Well, it didn't quite pan out that way; the performance started with some hellishly deep drones and the occasional trademark screeching sound, and it was obvious that this was going to be one of his more contemplative performances. So it turned out to be - the focus this time around was less on melodies and more on the drones, hisses, whispers and echoes that hold such an important place in the Svartsinn sound. It wasn't until the last ten minutes or so that the artist showcased his more melodic side, although even then he did so ever so subtly. The slowly changing video backdrop was enriched with occasional, but powerful quotes/messages to inspire thought and pondering, and as the 45-minute performance drew to a close with the almost rhythmic echoes and the familiar chiming sounds, there was a sense of wholesomeness to the performance that one usually experiences after a good self-reflection session. Even if I desperately wanted to hear Vemod live, I have to admit that the increasingly elusive Svartsinn remains a master of his craft, and this performance was testament to that.
Örnatorpet (SE)
Since a few years ago, one of the slots at Blåsvart Aften has always been allocated to a dungeon synth artist, and this year's edition was no exception. Örnatorpet, the up-and-coming Swedish dark ambient act, had the honour to present his music live for the very first time in Norway; in fact, he freely admitted before the performance that this was his first ever visit to Norway - curiously for a Swede - and only his third-ever live performance. Suitably donning a pointed black hooded cloak, the gig opened in a somewhat folky fashion, with an acoustic guitar over a background of subtle synth melodies and a deep bass drone. Unlike many dungeon synth artists out there, Örnatorpet makes a point of playing most of his music on the keyboard rather than relying on playback, which certainly adds to the charm. Compared to your average dungeon synth act, Örnatorpet's music is less dark and more sentimental in nature, aiming at reminiscing the simple, golden times of yore rather than conjuring the dark mouldy cells of a medieval castle. Indeed, genre purists might accuse him of not being dark enough, but he more than makes up for it in the atmosphere he is able to produce, especially in a live setting. Ultimately, I found the performance captivating, perhaps somewhat less varied than showcased on his latest album, but remarkable nonetheless.
Desiderii Marginis (SE)
And now for the dessert. As you could guess from the introduction already, I'm a shameless fanboy of Desiderii Marginis, so I wasn't disappointed in the slightest when Johan (the mastermind behind the project) told me that he was planning on performing the exact same set as I had witnessed earlier this year in Paris during his tour with Raison d'Etre and Brighter Death Now. It turns out I was right not to be discouraged, as the atmosphere here at Good Omens led to an entirely different experience versus the industrial, somewhat anonymous club that the Paris gig had taken place in. As the trademark clang sounded the beginning of the performance, I instantly recognised various parts from the latest Desiderii Marginis album, Bathe in Black Light. The fascinating black-and-white backdrop showcased some form of liquid matter, somewhat reminiscent of the last album's cover, but soon switched the mood by morphing into images of gargoyles and various details of gothic churches. Around halfway into the set, the focus shifted away from new material into a treat for fans of Johan's older material, as the echoing melodies and voiceovers were highly reminiscent of Desiderii Marginis' mid-era releases such as The Ever Green Tree. The backdrop became more and more interesting, as usual for the artist in question, with snippets of the infamous serial killer Ed Kemper, followed by Holy Week processions from Spain. Deep rumbling drones and rhythmic breath-like noises ultimately gave way to the first track of the latest album, wrapping the performance in a delectable cycle. As scenes of a church in ruins melted back into beads of flowing light that served as the visual opener of the performance, I was left suitably satisfied and found the performance stronger than the one I had witnessed in Paris eight months earlier.
Blåsvart Aften is a dark ambient institution for a reason, and all of the artists featured rendered suitable homage to this jubilee edition. As always, I have to commend Jan Roger for the impeccable organisation of the event, and give my thanks to the 40-or-so members of the audience who braved the pretty terrible weather to show up and support the event. A special shout-out goes to the German couple present at the event, who Jan Roger tells me have been visiting regularly for the past few years - great job for supporting the underground! While the lineup of edition #16 is unknown as of yet, I allow myself to share the inside information that it might take place sometime in spring rather than at the end of 2025. Something tells me I'll be there again.
(Artist photos kindly provided by Terje Frostad.)
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