What makes this release so powerful, is its haunting singular focus. Sporting only two tracks (“A Night in Malnéant” and “Ubbo-Sathla”), Autaar (Mark Lindhout) distills vast atmospheres into semi-analog soundscapes. Rather than diluting the vision, the release leans into its brevity, giving each piece space to haunt you fully.

Literature and Sound

Autaar’s tracks don’t just reference Smith’s stories, they entwine. The release is explicitly framed as a “reading accompaniment” to the original tales. Listeners are encouraged to follow along as they listen. This deepens engagement: the sound becomes not just background, but co-narrator.

Smith’s work is known for decadent, macabre landscapes and cosmic dread; Autaar honors that tradition, employing synth sweeps, droning bass, and tape recorder artifacts to evoke fog-laden cities and primordial, eldritch forces.

The electronics swell and recede, the textures shift. One can feel the mists of Malnéant, and hear the pulsing presence of the ancient Ubbo-Sathla lurking just beyond perception, oozing through time.

The release was originally intended as a split album, but that plan never came together. Perhaps that’s for the best. The unified Den Toorn en de Wraeke feels quite potent enough as a singular statement.

It Matters?

Yes it does. This release offers atmospheric integrity over excess. In an era when many musical projects chase runtime or track count, Autaar opts for concision, letting depth compensate for length.

The release is a sensory bridge between prose and sound. The listener who reads along as the tracks unfold experiences a merging of narrative and auditory space. The use of tape machines, careful mixing, and a mastery of drone allow the unease to emerge quite organically.

Listening Suggestions

During your first listen, read Smith’s “A Night in Malnéant” or “Ubbo-Sathla” (both first published in 1933) before or during listening, so the imagery guides your ears. Let it unfold slowly. Don’t expect obvious “hooks” or conventional structure. The magic lies in the tension, in what’s suggested rather than spelled out.

All links and information are available on the release page at https://awardwinningrecords.com/release/award004-autaar-den-toorn-en-de-wraeke-2025/