Johan Levin has been releasing material under the Desiderii Marginis moniker for some twelve years, and the experience gained and lessons learnt during that time have clearly been invaluable.This is not a droning ambient album; on the contrary, a cornucopia of synthesized strings, machine-like sounds, trancey mindwarping effects and an acoustic guitar make the music sound more (for want of a better term) "alive". The use of an acoustic guitar was particularly inspired, as it lends organic warmth to what would otherwise be coldly clinical dark ambience. Its inclusion at no time feels forced and fits in seamlessly with the more traditional sonic constructions.
The net effect is the creation of an extremely atmospheric and moody, even beautiful album. As hard as I tried, I could find nothing other than the most minor flaws on this album. Alongside Atrium Carceri and Henrik Nordvargr Bjorkk, this is a strong contender for the dark ambient album of the year.
Tragic and timeless indeed.