HDK 191 † SWORDGLEAM “Songs of Battle-Magic” CASSETTE

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Appearing on Bandcamp a few years ago, this dungeon-synth album immediately struck us with the magic it unleashed: upon pressing play, a powerful spell fell upon us and transported us out of time and space. It would have been a mistake not to give physical form to this powerful artifact that certainly deserves to appear in the cassette collections of every fantasy music fan.

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“Songs of Battle-Magic” immerses us in a dreamed past, in events poised between history and legend: its music takes us to that liminal dimension between sleep and wakefulness, where everything is blurred and shrouded in nostalgia. It is no coincidence that the author, in writing the album, was inspired by an ancient Welsh tale from the 12th century entitled “The Dream of Rhonabwy,” which details a dreamlike vision whose protagonist is King Arthur.

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In “The Dream of Rhonabwy,” King Arthur plays Gwyddbwyll, an ancient Welsh board game similar to chess.Included inside the “Songs of Battle-Magic” cassette is a 24-page booklet that tells the story of Gwyddbwyll and describes its rules so that, while listening to Swordgleam music, you can play this ancient board game beloved by King Arthur and have a 100 percent immersive experience in ancient Welsh legends!