Words by Paige Cobos
Dungeon Synth is an often enigmatic genre. Cultivated within the shadows of basements and garages and home offices, its performers and proponents are sometimes literally cloaked in secrecy. However, despite these deep roots its reach extends across continents and inspires many with its ancient and fanciful aspirations.
Sergey of the one-man project, Cave Spellcaster is one of those musical artists. Based in Germany, not only does he have his own project but also runs the record label, Mushroom Keep Records. We talked about his inspirations, starting a new label, and the importance of art and its relationship with the music and listener.
Off Shelf: Dungeon synth takes inspiration from all kinds of different places. Outside of music, where do you find inspiration?
Cave Spellcaster: Nature was always the main source of inspiration, I get the most powerful vibes when outside in the woods or even commuting in the city with the cold wind in the face. Old fairytales and old school RPG video games have been always inspiring me as well, those little fantasy worlds where you get lost for some time while reading or playing.
OS: You also run Mushroom Keep Records, how different is it from being a musical artist? How similar are these pursuits?
CS: Yes, I decided to start my own label a while back as an experiment that is working quite well so far. As a label owner you work with a lot of figures and planning, calculating costs and profits etc, so it is something like a second part time job for me now that I enjoy. However, at some point it might be challenging to combine the dayjob, artistic acts, family, and a small label. Despite the fact that this is fun, you have certain responsibilities and I definitely intend to run things seriously and honestly.
OS: What gear do you record with? What do you play in Cave Spellcaster?
CS: I mostly use digital VST instruments [software-based sound generators or synthesizers] but push myself to record more live acoustic instruments and use my own field recordings more frequently.
OS: Have you played live? What is the experience like to play live for an audience?
CS: So far I had three shows as Tales Under The Oak, and it was amazing. I feel very comfortable in this scene and get a lot of support and inspiration from the people I meet. At some point – probably even this year – I have plans to play the first Cave Spellcaster show.
OS: As a genre, dungeon synth has a particular affinity for cassettes. What do you like about the format? Also, what do you like about limited physical runs?
CS: Oh yes, cassettes are amazing! I used to listen to them as a kid and then switched to all new formats and media, step by step. But when I consciously discovered the dungeon synth / fantasy synth genre around 2018 I slowly got back to listening to cassettes and gathering my own humble collection.
This a great difference in comparison to all digital platforms where you lose attention to what you are listening to in a minute. One values the music and the effort put into the cassette production much more when holding something physical in the hand. Even kids get that.
Taking about the limited aspect: I get that, but I do not understand the vibe around the fact that there are 10 people around the globe who got limited copies of some old school project and are totally proud of that and overprotective. Once again, I understand and value the collector’s aspect, but music has to be heard which will not happen in case of 10 limited copies.
OS: Your most recent release, Fortress of Eternal Cold has more embellished liner notes to it. Was there more world building to this album? Are your albums connected narratively?
CS: The two albums are not connected, these are different worlds and I guess I will keep it that way within Cave Spellcaster not to limit myself narratively and on the sound level.
I can’t say that I invested a lot of time into world building by the Fortress of Eternal Cold, but I definitely researched every angle of the fortress setting. In that essence, it is a setting album with different camera angles throughout one cold winter day.
OS: You also record as Tales Under Oak which has more of a folk music influenced dungeon synth project. How different is the journey with this project compared to Cave Spellcaster?
CS: In comparison to Cave Spellcaster Tales… has its deep lore and each album takes place in one world, but in different centuries. I already have plans to write a prequel to the Toad King, but I will keep it low for now.
OS: Back to Mushroom Keep Records, there is a real attention to album art for your releases. How do you see the art interplaying with the music and the listener experience? What has the collaboration with Vitaliy Ilyin been like?
CS: Thank you for mentioning this! Artwork is indeed a big part of the label’s choices. As for the audio immersion I believe the good – or even perfect – artwork can transport the listener even further down the world’s funnel.
OS: Finally, what musical artists are you currently listening to?
CS: Let me think… after returning from the Echoes from the Dungeon Festival “All is dust” by Atlantean Sword is not leaving my headphones. At the moment I have been going through another Örnatorpet phase and prior to that I’ve been wildly listening to The Doors – which happens to me once a year, when I start shouting Morrison’s lyrics in the streets. And when I want to relax I put on some Elder Scrolls ambient mixes or sometimes Harry Potter related atmospheres with subtle melodies in the background.