So I’ve had this obsession with playing the song “Like Shadows in an Empty Cathedral” when writing lately.  I’ve tapped it out though and so I thought I’d go searching for more like it.

I stopped by my local record shop in search of music like “From the Mouth of the Sun.” The guy there thinks a sec and points out Loscil’s “Endless Falls” and Rafael Anton Irisarri’s “Reverie.” In passing he comments, “you kind of know what you’re in for by just looking at the cover.” No kidding.  Especially in the case of “Reverie,” but I want to talk about Loscil this time.

I mean, just think about what kind of tone for mystery, the strange, or tension this could enhance:

And don't forget to check out the eerily hypnotic “Estuarine” :

“Loscil is the electronic/ambient music project of Scott Morgan, from Vancouver, BC. The name Loscil is taken from the "looping oscillator" function (loscil) in Csound.” –From Wiki.

To Check out Loscil’s website, click here: http://www.loscil.ca/
The rest of "Endless Falls" is worth checking out. As is Loscil's discography.
- Josh 

Year Walk is a much-anticipated supernatural/horror entry by Simogo. They’re responsible for the charming and innovative “Beat Sneak Bandit.”

In Year Walk, you partake in the Swedish phenomena of year walking, that is, in this case, a walk in a dark snowy wood, which is home to many strange creatures and events. A glimpse of the future is the hoped for prize for following the year walk ritual. Maybe you’ll “Discover if your loved one will love you back.”

It’s definitely got the horror flavor. One look at the companion and you’ll get a feel for the grisly affairs that await you. BUT, you may not want to look at that companion just yet. I didn’t see it until I was finished my first run through and it was still a great adventure without it. 

Here’s something of a downer: I found the “first person adventure that blurs the line between two and three dimensions…” bit to be lackluster at first. While with a lot more flow, it reminded me of running around Crystal Lake in the old Friday the 13th game for Nes. Admittedly though, Year Walk’s faux first person experience gets better as you play. The facing forward/walking backwards mechanism took me out of the game initially but helps in navigating the area later on (unlike the hard to navigate Nes game mentioned earlier). Don’t worry about not having a map, I found my play through (puzzles included) to be very intuitive. It was comfortably challenging. You’ll need a pen and paper to write down clues though.

The narrative here is very thin but gives the feel of being well grounded and with backstory. You’ll find some of that foundation in the companion app (Free), and that backstory, delivered expertly, in an unlockable portion upon completing your adventure. It is a MUST to follow up on that companion app for the full experience. 

The music is average to great in complimenting some genuinely unsettling moments (Like when you first come across the forest guardian, and when you find some of the babies you're looking for). Which reminds me, there’s some excellent use of the ipod’s touch mechanism! I won’t say much more than that. 

The end sequence to the main game is intriguing and fun on the level of puzzle solving, but likely more abstract than many would like (Though is made better by that complimentary app). Some will fault the game for being too short. I finished the experience (game plus companion) in under 3 hours. Is that worth the 3.99$ price tag? There certainly has been more bang for your buck in terms of quantity, but I can vouch that the quality in this “experience” is worth the money.

Year Walk gets 7.8/10

- Josh

I came across Myuu’s work while scouring the Internet for creepy pasta narrators. In certain videos I noticed something in the background noise that was beyond creepy and complimentary to the storyteller’s voice. What I found was captivating. No doubt the result of Myuu’s hard work. It was hardly a discovery however, with his already solid fan base and a close relationship with productive collaborator, Mr. Creepy Pasta (A talented online creepy pasta narrator). 

The musician and composer, also known as Myuuji (Youtube), has a multitude of works, many of them available through creative commons. They range from haunting originals to resonating remixes. Take a listen for yourself:

What kind of images does that produce for you? It could be just the thing to get your creative juices going.

I was so impressed by the sound; I wanted to work with a piece in a reading of my own creation. The product is a synergy I really love. Take a listen. The only song there is Myuuji’s “Disintegrating”:

For more great songs, please visit his Youtube Channel by Clicking HERE
And make sure to head on through and ‘Like’ his Facebook page HERE

New to The Dark Opera? Begin Exploring by Clicking HERE

- Josh