raison d'être blog

Pre-order at The Circle Music distributor

For the first time ever on vinyl, the original 1995 recording of Within The Depths Of Silence And Phormations comes in two stunning vinyl editions

Rune Serpent Europa, in collaboration with The Circle Music for worldwide distribution, will release the 30th-anniversary edition of raison d’être’s groundbreaking album, “Within The Depths Of Silence And Phormations”. Originally recorded in 1995 and a cornerstone of the dark ambient genre, this sonic masterpiece will be available for the first time ever on vinyl, alongside a special triple CD edition, on 21 May 2025, and is available now to pre-order.

raison d’être is the esteemed dark ambient project of Swedish sound artist Peter Andersson, formed in 1991 as a tool for self-expression. With a career spanning nearly three decades and numerous influential releases, raison d’être has become a pinnacle of the genre, renowned for its overwhelming dark ambient drone industrial soundscapes. Andersson’s work often incorporates field recordings and manipulated acoustic instruments, creating a unique and perfected sonic experience that invites listeners to explore the obscure realms of their inner selves.

“Within The Depths Of Silence And Phormations” is a defining work of sonic mysticism, originally released by the legendary record label Cold Meat Industry. Created by the visionary Peter Andersson, this album remains an unparalleled journey through shadowy cathedrals, industrial ruins and the vast chasms of the subconscious. Andersson conjures an atmosphere thick with sacred reverence and existential dread, where distant choirs echo like ghostly remnants, deep drones stretch into eternity, and mechanical whispers weave an intricate and otherworldly soundscape.

This re-release celebrates the enduring legacy of this essential album, offering fans and newcomers alike the opportunity to experience its haunting beauty in stunning new formats:

Limited Double Black Vinyl Edition: Presented in a lavish gatefold sleeve, this numbered edition is limited to 300 copies.

Limited Double Marbled Gold & Black Vinyl Edition: Also housed in a gatefold sleeve and limited to 300 numbered copies, this edition offers a visually striking complement to the album’s sombre elegance.

Limited Triple CD “Sublime Edition”: This edition is limited to 500 numbered copies and features an updated mix of the complete album, additional tracks and a second mastering of the original 1995 recording, providing a comprehensive exploration of this influential work.

“Few albums capture the very essence of dark ambient as completely as Within The Depths Of Silence And Phormations,” Rune Serpent Europa states. “It’s a work that demands full immersion, headphones, darkness, and an open mind. This re-release is an essential addition to any serious collection. With only 1100 numbered copies available across all formats, this is a unique opportunity for true collectors and fans of dark ambient and industrial music to own a piece of history.”

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Soundtrack for the artbook Ascend by the French photographer and multidisciplinary artist Nihil.
credits
released January 24, 2025

All music by Peter Andersson.
Recorded live on the 30th of November 2019, at the KONTAKT-festival/Dynamo/Norrköping/Sweden.

Artwork by Nihil.

CD+Book (by Nihil) release by Cyclic Law, 194th Cycle.
Digital release by Yantra Atmospheres, YA-2025-112.
Digital files are available in 24-bit quality.

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Unveiled, the verge of the silence, the voice of the shadow; the cynosure of the psyche is trembling for the essential breath. A subliminal reborn of invisible light strikes the eyes as the underpass appears in the essence and escarps into the esoteric realm of the source of life. A subliminal summon from disappearing heart enthralls the wind of loneliness. Lost spirit leaves deep traces behind as the path is revealing. Circle within circle the lingering path transubstantiates ostensibly, into a revolving contemplation.

‘Enthralled by the Wind of Loneliness’, the second CD album by raison d’être, was originally released in 1994 by Cold Meat Industry. It is now available in an exclusive Sublime edition, to celebrate its 30 year anniversary.

Track 1-11 (Disc 1) has been carefully re-recorded and mixed (redux 2023) to meet the contemporary standards for high quality audio.
Track 12-27 /(Disc 2 & 3) are the original recordings, remastered 2023.

Track 12-17 are taken from the demo cassette ‘Spiraal’ from 1994.
Track 20-26 are the taken from the original CD ‘Enthraled By The Wind Of Lonelienes’ from 1994.
Track 18, 19 & 27 are previously unreleased on CD.

Composed by Peter Andersson in 1993-1994.
Material on disc I are re-recorded, mixed and mastered (k-14) in 2023.
Material on disc II and III appear in their original format. Remastered (k-14) in 2023.

Release by Yantra Atmospheres, YA-2024-107.

Original recordings from 1991-1992 now available on LP from my Bandcamp store.

https://raisondetre.bandcamp.com/album/apr-s-nous-le-d-luge

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30 year anniversary boxset of this contemporary classic of Dark Ambient soundscapes. Originally released in 1993 on the now defunct Cold Meat Industry label, the album soon became a staple of the CMI sound and raison d’être subsequently became a household name in the genre and an inspiration to many. Offered in this massive 4 CD boxset is a completely new re-recording of the original album, made in 2022, in order to obtain the highest sound quality and mix of this 30 year old opus. Disc II contains additional unreleased session tracks, also re-recorded in 2022. Disc III gives us the original album in a remastered version and finally Disc IV offers additional session tracks from the period in their original versions.

“Prospectus I” is a stunning blend of modern ethereal gothic sonorities and the timeless chants of monastic rituals. A refined blend of melancholy touching higher realms. Archaic layers of string instruments, bells and choirs are intertwined with percussive elements and industrial loops creating an unsettling background atmosphere whilst spleen and bittersweetness form in the foreground.

Edition of 300 copies. 4 CDs in sleeves, housed in rigid box with lid, matt lamination. Includes a fold out 12 page booklet. 43 Tracks. Running Time; CD I 55:01, CD II 73:13, CD III 54:07, CD IV 71:12 EAN: 0679628554365.

Releases August 4, 2023

Composed by Peter Andersson in 1992-1993.
Disc I and II re-recorded, mixed and mastered (k-14) in 2022.
Disc III and IV appear in original format. Remastered (k-14) in 2022.

4CD-box is a co-release between Yantra Atmospheres (YA-2023-105) and Cyclic Law (229th cycle) 2023.

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Rumoured said there will be no more albums and the project is dead. But no, that would have been too easy. Stratvm Terror had just gone underground, hiding for their next terrorising attack. Now they are back after 15 years with their new assault: ‘Love me tender, or I will cause Pain’.

This album is filled with seven oppressive and depressive weird obscurities to ease or cause you pain, depending on your inclinations. Massive layers of corrosive darkness with occasional injections of ominous noise sounds and claustrophobic vocals makes this an utterly end-of-life experience.

The Swedish doom ambient industrial noise project Stratvm Terror consists of doom metal guru Tobias Larsson (Ocean Chief) and dark ambient master Peter Andersson (raison d’être). They started the band in 1993 and released a great number of albums in the late 90’s and early 00’s, on Old Europa Cafe, to finally take a longer break around 2008. With ‘Love me tender, or I will cause Pain’ the project celebrates their 30 years anniversary with no happiness, only sweet pain.

Releases July 1, 2023

All music by Peter Andersson & Tobias Larsson.
Recorded during drunk sessions 2016 – 2022.
Mastering and layout by Peter Andersson 2023.

Dark Winter Industrial tour with raison d’être and Brighter Death Now.

Saturday 19 November 2022 – Sunday 20 November 2022 at Södra Teaterns Stockholm, Sweden.

More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1621398008260129

Welcome to the 35th anniversary of Cold Meat Industry!

Over the past year, we’ve been racking our brains for ways to host yet another anniversary festival – but without repeating ourselves. Easier said than done, considering not only our first CMI festival in 2017 but also the success of the two Waves of Darkness cruises. Furthermore, if one is to draw any meaningful conclusions from Waves of Darkness 2021, the pandemic edition, it is that this type of music is best enjoyed in venues where people can enjoy the show while sitting down.

The only way to reconcile these two notions was to scale down the entire concept while upgrading the festival location to one of the best venues in Sweden. Södra Teatern – a small theatre in the Stockholm city centre – an architectural and cultural gem that opened to the public already back in 1853. For the past two centuries, the venue has hosted countless actors, musicians, and all manner of different performers. Come the winter of 2022, the very same stage will serve as the exhaust pipe as industrial darkness rises over the Swedish capital!

No more than 366 tickets in total will be released; this includes both two-day and one-day tickets. To put things into perspective, that’s about one-third of the capacity for the 2017 edition. There will be a 30-minute-break between each concert. Note that due to the nature of this venue, we will have to be rather strict in enforcing the festival’s sitting policy. Tickets will not be assigned seat numbers, so occupancy comes down to a “first come, first serve” basis. Once all seats on the ground floor have been filled, the remaining attendees will be directed to the balcony. Note that individual seats cannot be blocked or reserved across multiple performances.

With the technicalities out of the way, we’d like to invite you back to Stockholm to enjoy the following live acts in this fantastic historical venue:

Saturday the 19th of November:

• Deutsch Nepal
• Morthound
• MZ.412
• Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio
• Sephiroth

Sunday the 20th of November:

• Arcana
• Brighter Death Now
• Lamia Vox
• raison d’être
• Trepaneringsritualen

Please note that single-day tickets cannot be changed or refunded if the bands change the day of the show. Only two-day-tickets grant access to the after-party that starts after the concert on Sunday.

We hope to see a lot of familiar faces in November!