Sombre Présage ‎"Errance" CD

Reissue Occultum 2021 Limited to 500 copies.

As far as very obviously bedroom-made dark ambient goes, I have to say that this is probably the best I've heard. Honestly, I don't have any really satisfactory reasons as to why 'Errance' is so much better than the legion of other Myspace projects out there; it just is. It might have to do with longevity- this is an album released three years into the project's career (where most projects of this type don't last six months), as well as pretty far into the endeavor's surprisingly long discography- surely enough time to work out any stylistic kinks. Still, it's not as though Sombre Présage really does anything obviously different from similar bands, so what's the appeal here?
I think it's the sum of a lot of subtle things, really. For one, the sound design is impeccable. While the subdued tape hiss (my copy is the cassette version) does add a lo-fi dimension to the recording, the soundscapes themselves are surprisingly lush, not compressed to hell and given a lot of aural breathing room to express themselves. On top of that, the sampling itself is very strong- I'm not sure if these are all digital samples or manipulated tape loops, but the slow, wavering nature of the sound really does give this a more authentic feel than most of the sort of stuff produced via FLStudio that passes for dark ambient these days. The combination of space and intelligently picked sounds makes 'Errance' particularly ominous and harrowing- every addition or subtraction of a voice is felt by the listener, with keening hints of feedback or the barest traces of melody snaking around the droning surface of the music's core like foggy tendrils.
Beyond that, there's a more definite structure and arc to the songs on 'Errance' than in your usual one-man ambient project. 'Abattement' is the clearest in this regard: beginning with a bed of what sounds like a lo-fi black metal song, effects, noise, and distortion are ever-so-slowly piled on until the origin of the track is rendered indecipherable and meaningless. The other two tracks (the purely ambient ones) are a bit more restrained, snaking through long sequences of sparse drones and sound effects, more concerned with peeking at little dark corners of the musical space rather than arriving at an ultimate point. Of the two remaining songs, I prefer the title track: its rhythmless, formless drift sounds like someone exploring the darker side of nature, finding dead birds nestled in the roots of trees and little whispers from deeper in the forest discouraging further adventures. 'Abandon' is solid too, but its more rhythmic attack along with its medieval melodies makes it feel a bit too much like an overlong black metal intro to me.
While the sides of this tape are slightly imbalanced, I'm still pretty impressed by how much Sombre Présage manages to do with such simple elements. If you're fond of minimal dark ambient, and particularly older projects also tied to the metal scene like Aghast, this would be a great modern reference if you can track it down. Very uncomfortable listening.

Sample: https://sombrepresage.bandcamp...