Journeys in the dark

Today we are happy to see the first release of 2022 with two collaborative efforts. On Bhogavati three label veterans - Silentwave, Havdis and Indo - help us navigate the mysterious remnants of the Naga Kingdoms that are hidden away in the depths of the world's oceans. On The Seer, Mathias Grassow and Rüdiger Gleisberg have once agan teamed up for a really otherworldly experience. Special thanks from the label for the little froggy bonus adventure at the end. :)




In many ways this has been a long, dark year for many people and we light a candle for those who no longer journey with us.

The albums can be sampled in full at the gterma bandcamp site.

Report: Thor Heyerdahl 100th anniversary

The all-knowing Google today reminded us that 100 years have past since the birth of the esteemed Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl, the man who conquered the Pacific on his historically inspired raft the Kon-Tiki.

We do a little mini-celebration of our own by playing a related track from the Rano Raraku album, which was released on the netlabel Load & Clear back in 2010.

The long summernights just got a bit darker...

We're halfway through summer here in the northern hemisphere, the city bathes in the golden colours of yet another tranquil evening. Yet somehow we all know the shift has taken place, the days are again doomed to grow shorter and shorter as we once again begin the slow rush toward the dark season. Illustrating this point finely are the brand new albums we have available tonight. Music on the edge between light and darkness, between fantasy and reality, between madness and sanity. The journey continues.

[gterma036] : Urenga - Mu (The Lost Continent) (out now)

The world's oceans still jealously guard their many secrets from the prying eyes of our fledgling 21st century civilization. Brave minds remain convinced that unseen lands dwell in the cold depths of the deep waters. A few claim to have visited these places in their dreams. We were amazed to discover a portion of a dusty traveller's journal, telling of one travellers tireless pursuit in heeding the ocean's calling. We invite you to follow in the wake of this dreamlike journey.

[gterma040] : V/A - Phra Rahu (out now)

A long time coming, we have worked zealously to present this offering to the dark entity known as Rahu. A vast demigod with a strong worldly influence, Rahu's might is perhaps best illustrated in his devouring of the sun, causing the Earth to sit in his dark shadow. We have assembled this dark mantra from material both new and old, creating a deep tribute featuring several of the profile artists of gterma. Massive double album in a jewel case with 16-page booklet.

[gterma041] : Gleisberg & Grassow - Ad Lucem (out now)

Veterans Rüdiger Gleisberg and Mathias Grassow, who have previously worked together in constellations such as KarmaCosmic and Nostalgia (together with Carsten Agthe), have come together again to create Ad Lucem, an album dedicated to the light and the hope for a better tomorrow. Six deep pieces carefully balancing on a slight penumbra between light and darkness. Comes in a jewel case with 16-page booklet.

When it rains it pours...

It seems the only holidaymakers who can claim to be really pleased with this year's summer are the snails. In a not exactly atypical fashion, most of the Scandinavian (and I'm sure elsewhere...) summer disappeared in a fuming, chilly cloud of moist. What better then, than to escape into the foglands with some deep mesmerizing soundscapes? We do have a few brand new suggestions for you, of course...

[gterma003] : Parsick & Reuter - Lament (out now)

Stephen Parsick and Markus Reuter have once again met up to brew their own kind of dronescapes. The path leads into sonic hinterlands where processed guitar fuses with experiments of a decidedly electronic nature. Complex structures are erected from out of a mysterious tonal language, and the journey meanders between cold and harrowing audioscapes into the blooming fields of the outer reaches of the psychosphere. Comes in a jewelcase with a 8-page booklet.

[gterma005] : V/A  - Gyalpo (out now)
 
Dedicated to the great protectors of our realm comes this tributary to the Four Heavenly Kings of Caturmaharajika. Four artists (A.P, Earth Vibration, Mathias Grassow and Indo) each provide an interpretation of one of the four guardian kings and their continuous efforts to ward off all evil that threatens our world. Expect longform ambient with a mysterious twist. The album comes in a jewelcase with a 16 page booklet.

[gterma017] : Seetyca - The Luminous Deep (out now)

When the final faint rays of light shine upon motionless limbs, colours begin to fade as the pelagic darkness bides a welcome with its cold and soft embrace. The descent continues, unevenly adrift on an unknown current. The boundaries of time and space no longer apply. Finally at rest on the distant seabed new life is destined to spring from this empty shell anew. Comes in a jewelcase with 16-page booklet.

Report: Indo featured on OAN compilation "Vapor & Polvo Vol I"

Our Hungarian friend Indo makes an appearance on the compilation "Vapor & Polvo Vol I" from Organic Acoustic Netlabel, a minimalistic experimental ambient collection of tracks from this promising Chilean netlabel. All releases of the label are currently available digitally on Bandcamp free of charge and are worth to investigate. Find it here.

Released from the clutches of the ancient dragon...

Xin nian kuai le, the Chinese New Year celebrations are over and we are happy to report that the old creature has finally let go of his prize and decided to share his insights with us. And what better way to open up the Year of the Dragon? We have received several new items which are now available for order. We extend our gratitude for the artists who have gone to great lengths to decipher these hidden terma. Follow the links below for more information and samples.

[gterma004] : Solar Ocean - Enter Serenity

Adrift on an endless ocean, suspended into mellow water gently rocking you to sleep. Each wave carries you further from land and into a twilight existence, the sun warming your face and the water sending a million glittering reflections into your gaze. The result is a mini-album of serene ambient soundscapes with a harrowing undertone. Comes in a jewelcase with a 12-page booklet.

[gterma007] : Indo - Winter In Zangla

Indo returns with a harrowing and cold narrative of Hungarian explorer and Orientalist Csoma de Körös' long journey to Zanskar valley where he studied the mysteries of the Tibetan language and Buddhist wisdom in the 1820s. Journey with us through the narrow mountain passes into the secluded villages at the foot of the Himalayas under the watchful eye of King Virudhaka. Comes in a jewelcase with a 12-page booklet.

[gterma009] : Parikrama - The Silent Bōn

Long before Buddhism spread into the Himalayas the region was at the mercy of frightening spirits and powerful divinities.Seetyca and Artin Mucht join the bonpo shamans in search for traces of the old faith, now consumed by the benevolent teachings of Lord Buddha. These are stark aural landscapes with a mystic touch, yet clear as crystalline ice. Allow yourself to be lost in the world of Parikrama. The album comes in a jewelcase with a 12-page booklet.

[gterma010] : Mathias Grassow - Alchemystery

Freestyle recordings are the order of the day as Mathias treads an improvised path into the colourful and enigmatic realms of the ever present mystery that is music. Traditionalists and purists beware, these sound sculptings will challenge any drone-ambient prejudice. Double album comes in a jewelcase with a 16-page booklet. Read more about the Alchemy Sessions on the Path of the Shaman page.

A long tradition of seekers

The search for the hidden gterma is a process started many hundreds of years ago. In the case of Pema Lingpa, the famous treasure seeker from Bhutan, it all begun with a vision at Yige Drukma. Tertön Pema Lingpa, born in the Bhumtang valley in the middle of the fifteenth century, had an encounter with the great Guru Rinpoche on an autumn day in the year of the monkey. Guru Rinpoche revealed to Pema Lingpa the knowledge of 108 gtermas, hidden in time and space by the great guru himself. Although the famous tertön is said to have captured the entire essence of all these treasures, fact remains that during his lifetime he only actually discovered about half of the them. The tertöns of our modern era continue the search in locations beyond. Today we all commemorate the revelation at Yige Drukma.

Turning our backs on mother sun...

Yes, it is that time of year again, when for some bizarre and misanthropic reason our host terra refuses to turn its axis toward the sun, thus sending those of us in the northern hemisphere into the season of darkness and gloom. Our trees zip up and the smarter birds head for Africa while the rest of us don darker and thicker fabrics in an effort to keep out the cold. The tertöns up north bid the warm season a hearty farewell with the recent track "Autumn" presented by Urenga, the dub-techno alias of our trusted Hungarian compatriot Indo.

Autumn -- preview -- [Gterma 012] by Urenga

Mystery revealed : gterma proudly presents "Rupa Loka" by Indo

As we reported earlier, our tertöns have been busy analyzing and structuring the wealth of information brought back from the Rupa Loka through Indo's revealing sound-exploration two years ago. In an attempt to compile and give an overview of this boundless and seemingly dreamlike realm forever barred to us lesser beings, gterma is happy to present an album of condensed soundscapes bringing alive this beautiful world among veiled and towering mountains. The album is now available for ordering, please see our order info page for more information.

[gterma001] : Indo - Rupa Loka by the lost gterma

Visions of the Rupa Loka

Beyond our human plane of existence lie the many other worlds of the Kama Loka; a sphere we share with the devas or suras, benevolent supernatural beings that have advanced closer toward the state of nirvana than we have. Further along the road to enlightenment are the sixteen worlds of the fine-material world, the Rupa Loka. The spheres here are mainly populated by blissful and graceful beings, in the higher abodes we also find the Arhats and remarkable beings that exist in a state of pure unconsciousness. Glimmers and visions of this tranquil and serene environment have now reached our civilization for us to enjoy. Stay tuned for the full report.

[gterma001] : Indo - Valley of the Dragon by the lost gterma