Some Music Recommendations
The 3rd of April, 2025
Wondering what Oshy has been up to? Hungry for an Osh update? No? Well, I’m going to make it your problem anyways! I’ve been listening to a lot of music lately, and I figured it’d be nice to drop some recommendations for all my beloved readers to check out. I’ve mainly been listening to Dungeon Synth stuff, but I’ve made sure to include a variety of things so I can keep your interest!
Mambo Nassau - Lizzy Mercier Descloux
This is an album from 1981, but it’s quite hard to tell that from listening to it. This record is very fresh, even today, extremely fresh! This album has some killer bass lines and wonderful performances from its vocalist throughout. I think this record is a bit obscure these days, and that’s sad because this is a serious banger. Have a listen to the opening track, Lady O K’pele for a nice sampler of what this LP provides. Out of all of the new music I’ve been checking out recently, this is by far my favorite!
The Twelve Castles - Quest Master
Ok, with this one I’m cheating a bit… In truth, this album has been on my queue for quite a while now, but I couldn’t make a music recommendation blog post and not post about it here, because I feel very strongly about it! I’m crazy about these early Quest Master records, I really think this is the best stuff the dungeon synth genre has to offer, full stop! Quest Master’s stuff is full of beautiful melody and wonderful composition, it’s hard not to fall in love with it. It’s always simple in its structure, but it carries an amazing stylistic vibe. The short songs and powerful melody on this album will leave you craving more. Not a single dull track on here, give it a go!
Luminescent Creatures - Ichiko Aoba
Luminescent Creatures is a quiet album. It’s sparse, but it’s filled with intent. It seems like all the vocals and instrumentation on this LP are the faintest whisper, but because of its wonderful writing, it’s all very powerful! This album is similar to Windswept Adan that came five years prior, but I feel like Ichiko’s style has been refined here to great effect. The tracks on here are enchanting and intimate. It’s a real pleasure to listen to. I highly recommend FLAG, my favorite track on the LP by far.
Nocturnal Heritage - Vanishing Amulet
Here we go, some stinky Dungeon Synth from the depths, right? Worry not, this album is filled with nuance and melody that make it appealing even to someone who’s not into Dungeon Synth. It has that musty cassette feel fans of the genre will appreciate, but it never lingers on its ambiance or slows down. It’s very intent on having interesting melody, and as you know, that’s my kind of thing! The Bandcamp listing has it tagged as “romantic dungeon synth,” and I have to agree. It does carry some of that vibe. This record doesn’t get a lot of love, so please check it out. I promise this is some great stuff.
新しい日の誕生 - 2814
This album is a bit of a classic. I was lucky enough to listen to it when it first came out, but I’ve been enjoying it recently too. This has to be some of my favorite album art of all time. It’s so evocative of its concept; the whole album is this way, uncompromising on its vision. Throughout its runtime, it paints a vivid picture of some distant future. Make sure to check this one out.