A gloomy, obscure record, ‘Ritual’ is certainly not for the faint of heart. Built on haunting, eerie tones, the album navigates dark-wave and gothic territories, with the occasional foray into industrial and leftfield electronica. Penned by American alternative outfit Hypnagogia, ‘Ritual’ benefits from the guidance of head honcho Elijah Durnell, who is taking care of the creative and technical direction behind the LP.
With collaborator Christopher Beachy at his side, Durnell crafts a stunningly evocative work, a slice of cathartic energy and introspective lyricism. Exploring highly specialised and niche storytelling, Hypnagogia delve into “the rituals and ceremonies of life”, in a way exposing society’s hidden rules, even involuntary ones. That’s perhaps what also fuels the creepy sonic character so common in ‘Ritual’: simply, this is an artistic piece that digs deep into the human consciousness.
‘Tobacco & Lavender’ takes care of lead single duties, a heavy and hard-hitting piece with a pumping electronic beat and spacious vocals. Speaking about the inspiration behind the album, Hypnagogia explain: “Whether that be in relationships or social observations, there are things and behaviours we engage in and submit to, whether willingly or unwillingly, and this album explores those.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Ritual’ on Spotify:
