Ain Soph

[Into_The_Void]

I didn´t see a topic about Ain Soph on this forum, if I´m wrong, I apologise.

I think there are few names, or even no other name relevant as Ain Soph if it comes to ritual industrial music in the Italian panorama.
I personally love everything up to the album "Kshatriya". They expressed some of the most sublime soundtracks for magic rituals with their first three works and with the monumental "Ars Regia" out on Nekrophile Rekords (which is actually my favourite release of the label), ending up combining the magical approach with the action, bringing it somehow partially out of the most "abstract" dimension of the previous records and applying it - let´s say - to the mundane life (as clearly stated in the record´s insert).

I didn´t really dig the works after "Kshatriya" and what I heard doesn´t really match my tastes.
What´s your opinion?

[impulse manslaughter]

I have the remastered cd's of 1 and II. Liked the 2nd one the most and played it a lot years ago when I bought these. Should maybe buy the other 2 as well.

[Eigen Bast]

a very inspirational group for me, started with Ars Regia after learning about Nekrophile records via Zero Kama, enjoyed everything through Khastriya. I have not stepped into the later works too much but my understanding is it went kind of latter-day Der Bluthsarch psych vibe? 2 may be my favorite. Not a ton to say - this is just real deal occult practice put to music, rewarding the deeper you dive into it. Haunting and kind of "out of fashion" - there's a warmth to their works that a lot of newer "dark ambient" and "ritual occult" music lacks. There's a liturgical sensibility that becomes more and more prevalent as they go on that I will always appreciate.

Anyone ever hear the Sex Voto stuff? Some of the Ain Soph folks gone trance....also an incredible band name

[Into_The_Void]

Haunting and kind of "out of fashion" - there's a warmth to their works that a lot of newer "dark ambient" and "ritual occult" music lacks. There's a liturgical sensibility that becomes more and more prevalent as they go on that I will always appreciate.

spot-on, that is exactly what I think. That sensibility comes in my opinion in a good part from the Italian culture overall, her tradition in esoterism, catholicism, the particular aura of Rome, etc...but you´re right, they definitely have a high liturgical eerie and engulfing component in their music. Big inspiration also for me by the way.

Anyone ever hear the Sex Voto stuff? Some of the Ain Soph folks gone trance....also an incredible band name

Didn´t know but I will look for them. Thank you for the advice.

[Bloated Slutbag]

If I were forced, at gunpoint, to name a favorite band - and you'd be surprised at how often this happens in my town! - it would very possibly be these fellers. The Nekrophile tape the intro and how could one not ever less than love the lithium brood of the vocals nevermind the infinitely inspired deaddrone shiiitvience. I think the follow-up for me was the nekrophile beast 666 comp with somehow even more inspired deaddrone shiiitviences of the two standout contributions. And by the time Kshatriya hit home, I was already locked in a padded cell, catatonic repeating over and over, twenty-four seven, exarp hcoma nanta bitom. (Er. I'm better now. Really.)

I blame that ae0rd chap. But then, I would.

[no_baizuo_allowed]

I've been ruminating on this band's earliest incarnation, recently. I can see there's unanimous laudation of their earliest artefacts, all round. I am in agreement.
To offer a comment on their concepts/reoccurring themes: I think it's easy to look at Ain Soph's discography...see the Kabbalistic and occult themes, and brush them off as some hopeless Church of Satan followers or something generic. But this band is pure Evolian. Probably the first of their kind.

[Into_The_Void]

I've been ruminating on this band's earliest incarnation, recently. I can see there's unanimous laudation of their earliest artefacts, all round. I am in agreement.
To offer a comment on their concepts/reoccurring themes: I think it's easy to look at Ain Soph's discography...see the Kabbalistic and occult themes, and brush them off as some hopeless Church of Satan followers or something generic. But this band is pure Evolian. Probably the first of their kind.

Agree. Although the first three chapters were more oriented on magickal issues (they were actually thought as background for their ceremonial magic rites as far as I know), afterwards - starting with their masterpieces "Ars Regia" and "Kshatriya" - they focused the project on a pure traditional side of occultist exploration. Especially "Kshatriya" is Evolian in all his faces - from the concept to the music - and their declaration on the internal sheet of the album confirms it and complement the work.

[tiny_tove]

Haven't been in touch with them for some years although I'm still collaborating at distance with Spectrae since he is the main technical guy behind New processean order.

My all time fave Italian experimental project who played with different styles and concepts, yet following a coehren trace of evolution from magic, mysticism, radical traditionalism and the so called "mystic of action".

If I would have to pick up two records for sure Kshatrya, both soundwise and conceptually my favorite, more accessible in sounds than the previous cult works, but still intense. There are some tunes that still today absorb me completely in their "sacred music" approach.

Second pick is obviously Aurora. Apparently rough folk that probably you can appreciate if you grasp the lyrics, but in-fact a devastating concept album where radical traditionism and ideology meets, with very personal words and 2/3 classics that inspired several projects to do acoustic oriented music without sounding neo-folk, with strong roots in Italian/French songwriters, 70s revolt/militant songs and lots of alchol.

I helped setting their first show in Germany in 98 (I think), and it was a mystical experience despite the fact they were playing in their new "post velvet underground" style.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Yesterday was listening AIN SOPH + SIGILLUM S -CD. Really good one. All tracks a bit different. Ritual music, eerie organ stuff, a bit nearly neo-folkish approach. Was it 1987 recordings, originally on Cthulhu. Very much recommended! Then was listening the Ain Soph on new OEC fest compilation cd. AS, Iugula-Thor and Teatro Satanico. Damn! Ain Soph was like little psychedelic clumsy rock band. Their two songs are nearly unbearable, but IT and TS delivered the experimental electronics dosage that saves the CD.

[Strömkarlen]

Damn! Ain Soph was like little psychedelic clumsy rock band.

Time for a tour with Der Blutharsch then.

[Into_The_Void]

Yesterday was listening AIN SOPH + SIGILLUM S -CD. Really good one. All tracks a bit different. Ritual music, eerie organ stuff, a bit nearly neo-folkish approach. Was it 1987 recordings, originally on Cthulhu. Very much recommended! Then was listening the Ain Soph on new OEC fest compilation cd. AS, Iugula-Thor and Teatro Satanico. Damn! Ain Soph was like little psychedelic clumsy rock band. Their two songs are nearly unbearable, but IT and TS delivered the experimental electronics dosage that saves the CD.

I personally find that neofolk-ish / avantgarde / whatever direction of Ain Soph post-Kshatrya not that interesting, but everything before is pure magic(k). I was wondering to get an original tape of Ars Regia but I´m not that up to give 40/50 euro for a tape. Nevertheless, that album mesmerizes me.