Vestigial - Aeon (2007)

Hailing from Italy and directed by sole member |:Y:|, Vestigial is a dark ambient project with minimal noise, industrial, and experimental tendencies. Limited to just 99 copies this little 3” CDr four tracker from 2007 has become a much revered recording.

The first thing to know about Vestigial is that when I say it’s dark, I do mean its really dark sounding! Lots of ambient artists tend to receive the dark ambient tag by default, but ask yourself how many of these artists actually invoke feelings of utter darkness and fear through their music. This is what I really enjoyed about these twenty three minutes of music is that the whole recording is very creepy and kept me hanging on for the entire experience. Vestigial is much like a good horror movie as I wait for the big climax where one of the characters of the film gets attacked by some sort of ghastly creature. However like most horror movies the heroes of the film conquers the enemy at the end, but with Vestigial it seems like all is lost at the end and the enemy has won this time.

The synthesizers remain darkened and mysterious throughout this recording and normally melodic too, as distant voices, backward speeches, inhuman growls, samples, and noisy industrial sounds appear throughout these four songs. The effect is outright spine-chilling to say the least and thoroughly engaging. Like a slow descent through hell or some sort of unholy forsaking colony where the sun never sets, Vestigial is up to something delightfully evil on ‘Aeon.’

Since this release |:Y:| has gone one to release a few different Vestigial items, including a split recording as well as two full-lengths albums and generally speaking has made a name for himself within the dark ambient scene. Maybe you've heard some of this work? Now, hear where he started.