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Throughout the decades of my existence, I’ve become acutely aware of my interests in and attachments to various subcultures that have arisen that to me are/were unique expressions of both collective creativity and Do-It-Yourself mindset. For instance, I’ve always been a fan of TTRPGs and their inherent utility to harness ones’ imagination, and the rise of the OSR and NSR movements only further developed and solidified that ethos for me.

I’m also willing to admit that in the past I had a dalliance with the local steampunk scene just as the subculture was gaining steam (pun intended) in the early 2010s, back when its beginnings had a strong DIY and artistic elements, before it peaked and became a commercialized aesthetic joke. Granted in retrospect, that subculture didn’t have much depth beyond aesthetics anyway, though the contingent more interested in focusing on the ‘punk’ side of steampunk did introduce me to several countercultural concepts.

Likewise soon after that I became involved in my local LARP community for many years where participating in the shared narrative of the game as well as developing the various aspects ones own characters, to me were powerful expressions of collective creativity. Whereas LARP itself has grown somewhat more popular/socially acceptable, I don’t think the hobby will be anytime soon be commercialized/commodified given its focus on individual creativity similar to TTRPGs, but perhaps less so because there isn’t a ‘big recognizable corporate name brand’ in the room trying to soak all the air and money up. *cough WotC D&D cough*

I digress.

With far less embarrassment I admit to being a fan of the musical equivalent of TTRPG zines: Dungeon Synth. Brief Aside: I’m not a musician myself nor well-versed enough in the particulars of music, so I’m not here to claim what Dungeon Synth is and what it is not, just to state what it is to me. A bit of background though for the uninitiated:

Not so much a specific genre of music, though obviously it is mostly composed via synthesizers and thus would be technically considered a type of electronic music that began in the 90s and could likewise fall into various categories and subcategories such as Ambient, Dark Ambient, Atmospheric, Synth, etc. Yet DS cannot be defined by composition type alone, nor sound, for there are numerous examples of DS bands that sound vastly different from each other but would still fall under the umbrella of Dungeon Synth [Examples: Jim Kirkwood vs Dungeontroll or Erythrite Throne vs Vandus].
Once could easily take the stance that Dungeon Synth is just a broad label that any synth artist could attach their work to, but what I believe sets DS apart from the aforementioned categories, is its obvious focus on fantasy (often book, video, and/or roleplaying game inspired), it’s continuity, as well as community. There’s a noticeable through-line of older DS artists inspiring new ones, enriching the proverbial tapestry.

Aside from often being excellent unobtrusive background music to play whilst gaming, doing chores, during writing, at work, for inspiration, etc. Dungeon Synth to me is not only a vibe, but an expression of the creative and DIY spirit: Independent musicians composing, inspiring, and sharing music with each other, and occasionally recording and distributing said music via cassette tapes, a physical medium many would consider obsolete. One could make the argument that being a “true” fan of the subculture involves acquiring a cassette player and listening the lo-fi cassettes from artists you support. The choice of cassettes themselves, aside from the obvious cheaper production costs, feels almost like a deliberate pushback or flat-out rejection of the current music milieu; a sarcastic callback to the 80’s when record companies were falsely claiming that ‘home taping was killing music.’

Dungeon Synth rests at a curious intersection on a Venn diagram where DIY, lo-fi music, and fantasy meet. Though it has its roots in black metal, Dungeon Synth has evolved into a diverse community, many whom now lean far more to the left than its precursors. Maybe it’s just me looking for it but there’s a fascinating countercultural statement in that. Dungeon Synth certainly wouldn’t have the same appeal to me and others if it was absorbed by mainstream culture, but such a threat feels unlikely given its independent and decentralized nature.

Pretty sure Dungeon Synth artists aren’t in it for the money, but for the craft and community.

Dungeon Synth artists/albums listened to whilst writing this post:
– Biltog by Fantratt
– The Lost Stories by Wooded Memory
– Into the Elderwood by Vandus
– Chipped Topaz by Faintly Glowing Skull
– Where Shadows Lie by Jim Kirkwood
– The Moonlit Branches of Powder by Nocturnal Effigy
– Secrets of the Starlit Citadel by Forsaken Keep
– Lost Chamber Scrolls by Castle Mouse

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P.S. I think Synthetic Dungeons would be a rad name for a local show featuring Dungeon Synth artists. Just sayin’.