Review: Skymningsvävd - Fragment

Artist: Skymningsvävd

Album: Fragment

Label: Self-released

Release date: September 2023

Some artists feel unconstrained by genre limitations and have no problem putting out stylistically different releases throughout their careers under their usual namesake. Others, however, have clear visions for their projects, and once a musical idea takes shape that is deemed too heterodox in the artist's self-censorship process, they simply decide to release it under another moniker. Such is the case with the prolific Swedish dungeon synth musician Anders Ragnar, best known for his main act Örnatorpet (whose last full-length I've recently reviewed), but also his side project Thorvroht (which also underwent my treatment not long ago). Yet there is a largely undiscovered gem in this expansive discography, an obscure album judged sufficiently different to merit its own name - Skymningsvävd, a Swedish name that would roughly translate to twilight-woven.

Just like his other acts, Skymningsvävd is a dungeon synth act, but the vibe here is quite different. In some ways, this is the most traditional dungeon synth among all of Anders' projects, with clear synth-driven melodies driving most tracks, whispered raspy vocals offering hints of a storyline, and an album cover that hearkens back to the early 90s (but is actually a motive by Rudolf Koivu, a Finnish painter from the early 20th century). In other ways, however, it is also the least traditional, because there are strong influences of neofolk and dark ambient present (even black metal if we're talking about aesthetics), which makes it difficult to categorise, and certainly difficult to pigeonhole for the benefit of people who buy their albums based on for fans of stickers. What certainly separates this release from the artist's other work is the lack of the usual dynamics between tracks, as the whole album has a very uniform presentation. However, the tracks themselves are imaginative enough to make up for this, and the flow of the album constantly shifts between an uplifting, exploratory mood and a more melancholy, pensive spirit (especially on tracks such as Fjällbårglöd). Most importantly, Anders showcases his usual mastery in weaving emotions into sound, and the whole album is like an ode to an unwritten fantasy novel - in fact, although I'm not an adept of board games, I could easily imagine myself playing this album over a good D&D session. The warm analogue synth sound is enough to melt the iciest heart, while the melodies reminiscent of traditional Scandinavian folk motives (but not overly so) truly drive the album and make it seem much shorter than it really is. That said, don't mistake Fragment for an uplifting album; this is still dungeon synth we're talking about, and the sound - and presumably the storyline - make some very ominous twists and turns, not least in the album's closing track.

I feel almost tired of writing about Anders' work in superlatives, but I have no choice as he consistently merits it. I have no idea how he does it considering that he only started releasing music in 2018 and already has more than a dozen bona-fide albums under his belt under various pseudonyms, but some people just don't have to choose between quality and quantity, and this is a prime example. I genuinely cannot complain if he's going to continue to maintain this level of quality, though; I can only hope that Skymningsvävd was not a one-off side project to be forgotten as a relic in time, and that we'll get a sophomore album in the not-too-distant future.

Rating: 8/10