Proto DS (1950-1990)
Though Andrew Werdna was looking at the 1990’s when he created his Dungeon Synth blog in 2011, the history of at home synth can be seen in decades past. Fantasy ambient composers Jim Kirkwood and Mark Griffiths produced at home synth music dedicated to fantasy in the late 1980s and early 1990’s. Kirkwood’s Master of Dragons (1991) and Griffith’s K2 (1987) had no connection with the scandinavian black metal scene and had the same aesthetic which would be embraced by the revival in the 2010’s.
During the 1980’s, artists producing instrumental synth music and releasing it on on private labels made up the majority of what would be called new age. Though artists like Enya and Kitaro are known, there existed entire scenes of musicians, some classically trained, other amateurs making tapes of instrumental synth and drone which were circulated among private networks. At around the same time, musicians in Japan like Hiroshi Yoshimura and Inoyama Land were creating environmental music to be played as background music for home living. Finally during all of this dark ambient and darkwave musicians were crafting what could arguably called an aesthetic foundation to what would become dungeon synth.
In Germany during the 1970’s psychedelic art rock was shaping the attitudes of the current youth and academic crowds. Kosmische Musik (or Krautrock) had a diverse sound which included long soundscapes with prominent synthesizers. Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Edgar Froese, Ash Ra Tempel, and Popol Vuh, and even Kraftwerk, would come to develop this sound which proved to be an influence to the 1990’s black metal scene when creating dungeon synth. Berlin School is a genre meant to describe this period of time as well as contemporary music which takes its influence.
At the same time as the psychedelic German underground, Swedish progressive rock artist Bo Honsson recorded Music Inspired By Lord of the Rings using new technology including a moog synthesizer. The musicians could not afford a large studio so they put together a small recording space on the remote island of Älgö, in the Stockholm archipelago. Though the album has other live instruments the album is entirely instrumental and fantasy themed with long synth passages. Even earlier than that is the history of avant composers and library musicians embracing new and inaccessible technology making background music and non commercial experimentations with synthesized sound.
Early history of dungeon synth is an early history of electronic music which sees musicians at home creating worlds from synthesizers. Not every style of music is going to have simple historic connections; rather one could look at dungeon synth as being part of a greater family tree of world building through synthesis.
The Roots of Dungeon Synth
Even Deeper Roots of Dungeon Synth
1970’s / 1980’s Synth Recommendations
Inter-Dimensional Music Through Iasos (1975)
Inter-Dimensional Music Through Iasos was released in 1975 on Unity Records. The label was based in California with Iasos’ debut being the third in their catalog. This was the only release on Unity with all other material by Iasos on his own personal label Inter-Dimensional Music. This debut represents an opening statement by the artist and a collection of material he had been compiling in the mid 1970’s. Through field recordings, traditional instruments, manipulated sounds and heavily drone, Iasos debut can be thought of as the genesis of what we think of the new age sound. Its vision was daring all the while pushing for complete harmony with its experimental sound. It is also a record which I feel is the most commercial with songs broken up into 3-4 minute tracks instead of the future format of 30 minute tracks.
Don Slepian - Sea of Bliss (Plumeria Productions, 1980)
Sea of Bliss was the third album by Don Slepian and released on the independent, if not private, label Plumeria. Slepian was a musical prodigy and early practitioner in the electronic instruments often using new technology to sculpt sound. Sea of Bliss has become a touchstone for many new age revists with Numero Group reissuing the record in 2019. As one could expect, the releases from Slepian were intimate meditations of drone and minimal ambient. There is a sense of perpetual wonder in Slepian’s work and Sea of Bliss is a vast expanse of gentle yet unstructured space for one to explore.
Inoyama Land - Danzindan-Pojidon (Yen Records, 1983)
Inoyama Land are a duo of Japanese artists and were a part of the quiet wave of environmental music called "Kankyō Ongaku" which populated japan in the 1980s. Inoyama Land , along with other musicians, were recently rediscovered outside of Japan due to a renewed interest in the style and the success of the 2019 compilation Kankyō Ongaku: Japanese Ambient, Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990. Danzindan-Pojidon was produced by Haruomi Hosono and lives in a kingdom of post minimal dreamscapes and soundtracks to JRPG games.
Emerald Web - Valley of the Birds (Stargate, 1981)
Emerald Web was a duo composed of Kat Epple and Bob Stohl who not only recorded delightful ambient music but also saw success in producing music for Carl Sagan’s documentaries. Emerald Web was successful during their time with Valley of the Birds being a triumph among their early releases. Following the accidental death of Bob Stohl in 1990, Emerald Web would disband leading to Kat Epple’s solo career as well as guest spots on Devin Townsend record. The last ten years have seen a wave of remasters and unreleased material. This, combined with the renewed interest in the band’s material is befitting their stature of the king and queen of dream melodies.
Suzanne Cianni - Seven Waves (Finnadar Records / Victor 1982)
Suzanne Cianni is perhaps the most well known synth artist in this list and is usually discussed in relation to other innovators such as Wendy Carlos for pioneering women creators. Ciannis’ history before Seven Waves is ludicrous and filled with many bits of creation including advertisement design, pinball voiceovers, and her first release in 1970 which is more musique concrete. Seven Waves, Cianni’s most celebrated work, initially only saw a Japanese release but soon found international renown due to its sound design and unassuming tone.