Nijiumu – Era Of Sad Wings (1993)

Country: Japan

Tracklist

1. Untitled 02:39
2. Untitled 16:10
3. Untitled 06:52
4. Untitled 05:13
5. Untitled 04:54
6. Untitled 09:30
7. Untitled 05:07
8. Untitled 04:48
9. Untitled 06:52
10. Untitled 03:56

Keiji Haino (灰野 敬二 Haino Keiji) born May 3, 1952 in Chiba, Japan, and currently residing in Kawagoe, 

is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter whose work has included rock, free improvisation, 

noise music, percussion, psychedelic music, minimalism and drone music.
Haino's initial artistic outlet was theater, inspired by the radical writings of Antonin Artaud.

An epiphanic moment came when he heard The Doors' "When The Music's Over" 

and changed course towards music creating the improvised rock band Lost Aaraaf in 1970.

In the mid 1970s, having left Lost Aaraaf, he collaborated with psychedelic multi-instrumentalist Magical Power Mako.
Other groups Haino has formed include rock duo Fushitsusha in 1978, Aihiyo in 1998,

Vajra (with underground folk singer Kan Mikami and drummer Toshiaki Ishizuka),

Knead (with the avant-prog outfit Ruins), Sanhedolin (with Yoshida Tatsuya of Ruins and Mitsuru Nasuno of Korekyojinn, Altered States and Ground Zero) and a solo project called Nijiumu.
Nijiumu (滲有無) featured Keiji Haino, Asahito Nanjo (who left in 1990), Takashi Matsuoka and Shizuo Uchida.
They created mysterious soundscapes mixing acoustic instruments, electronic treatments and Haino's vocals.
Asahito Nanjo (member of High Rise, Toho Sara) speaks about it in an interview:
"Nijiumu concentrate on creating an atmosphere. There was no clear concept,

sometimes we wouldn't even talk about what we were going to do.

Nijiumu is like Fushitsusha in that it was started with the aim of doing something that no one else had thought of.

It doesn't have any clear philosophy behind it."
Haino has also collaborated with many artists, including Faust, Boris, Derek Bailey,

Bill Laswell, Stephen O'Malley, Jim O'Rourke, John Zorn and John Duncan.
Haino cites a broad range of influences, including troubadour music, Marlene Dietrich,

Iannis Xenakis, Blue Cheer, Syd Barrett, Charlie Parker and Butoh dancing.
NHK, Japan's national broadcaster, banned him from broadcast from 1973 to 2013.
He has been active since the 1970s and continues to record regularly and in new styles.

Memory

Akrabu – Kispu Ina Ina Nekelmu (1996)

Country: United States

Tracklist

1. Awakening The Serpent Force (Declaration) 00:19
2. Raising The Serpent Force (Conservation And Channeling) 01:54
3. Summoning The Desert Winds From The Scorpion's Domain 02:06
4. Invoking The Chaos Beyond The Stars 03:26
5. Chant Of The Dreaming Ancients, A Curse Unto The Elders 05:32
6. Conjuring The Shadowed Mountains Of Mashu 03:04
7. Procession Through The Desert Lands Of Sumeria 01:02
8. Invoking The Temptress Of The Dark Waters 03:02
9. Summoning The Ancient And Immortal Ones 05:16
10. Spilling The Water Of Life Upon The Stone Altar (The Sacrifice) 02:59
11. Opening The Gate Beyond The Stars 06:45
12. Embracing The Immortal Wine (Communion) 03:02
13. Conjuration Of The Serpentine Eye (Ascending The Path Of The Vampire) 02:47
14. Channeling The Dragon Realm (Awakening) 02:31
15. Towards The Veil Of The Dreaming (Crossing The Veil Of The Abyss) 04:57
16. The Scorpion's Sting (Penetrating The Sleeper's Astral) 04:43
17. Unleashing The Serpent Force 01:43
18. Releasing The Ancient Winds 03:01

Formed in 1995 with the release of the "Kakos Draconis" demo, 

Akrabu has been the musical outlet of Scorpios Androctonus (Crimson Moon, Sabnack, Possession Ritual).
Consisting entirely of acoustic instruments, Akrabu has continued with this tradition throughout its recordings, 

avoiding the use of synthesizers or sampled/synthetic sounds.
Based on Sumerian lore/ritual and mythology, the music of Akrabu is intended to evoke a meditative state 

utilizing a variety of acoustic guitars, exotic stringed and wind instruments, various percussion, voices and field recordings.
The hour long album "Kispu Ina Ina Nekelmu" was recorded entirely with acoustic instruments, 

chanting and voices without the use of synthesizers.
It was originally released on Dark Age Productions in 1996 as a cassette covered by printed paper sleeve, 
wrapped in snakeskin, all in black velveteen bag with printed booklet in a limited edition of 100 copies 
and it was reissued on it's 22nd anniversary with a different cover, again on a cassette and for the first time on a CD format.

Recorded at the Serpent Chamber, Covina California on analog 4-track in 1996 and performed by Scorpios Androctonus 
with the help of Darke Shadoe on female vocals, conjurations and invocations.

Memory

Lucifugum – Path Of Wolf (Demo 1996)

Country: Ukraine

Tracklist

1. On Search Of My Soul 03:48
2. Bringing By Rain 04:25
3. The Mysterious Garden (Hymn To The Black Art) 05:13
4. The Sabbat 03:36
5. Wolves... 04:15

Lucifugum was formed in 1995 in Zhytomyr by Khlyst, Bal-a-Myth and Faunus.
Faunus left the band in 2001, and Bal-a-Myth died in his sleep on October 5, 2002.
The albums "...Back To Chopped Down Roots" and "Sociopath: Philosophy Cynicism" were recorded in 2003 

with different session musicians which, however, didn't join the band.
In 2004 Khlyst moved to the Ukrainian city Mykolaiv to continue the activity of Lucifugum 

together with local black metal musician Elena (aka Stabaath).

"Vector33" was the first album with Stabaath, where she recorded vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards.

The album "Sublimessiah" was the last one to feature vocals by Stabaath 

because of critical problems with her throat during the record of the vocals on the album.

Khlyst is handling the vocals since then.
Khlyst and Stabaath (Igor and Elena Naumchuk) are the owners of the black metal label Propaganda and they are married.
Igor Naumchuk also used to have close ties with the band Nokturnal Mortum 

but later all relations have been stopped due to ideological disagreements.

Memory