Over the last week or so, a few fellow writers and I have been sharing and exploring the world of dungeon synth together. If you are unfamiliar with the genre, there are multiple articles online about it, but I will give a brief introduction to the genre. It is a style of ambient, or at least ambient adjacent music born out of early synthesizer music pioneers like Mort Garson, the krautrock offshoot genre, kosmiche; and perhaps most specifically, the second wave of black metal’s flirtations with eerie, li-fi, synth-based intros and interludes and, in some cases, entire albums that capture a warm, nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of medieval music, fantasy role playing soundtracks, video game music, and fantasy and horror film scores. Sometimes it can be grim and foreboding, like a Castlevaniagame or a John Carpenter score. Other times is can be as comforting as a cozy blanket, a cup of tea, and a high fantasy book taking your mind into worlds of emotional adventure, chivalry, magic, dragons, and, of course dungeons.

As you can imagine, it has something of a niche audience, and doesn’t get much coverage by music journalists or bloggers. My own introduction to it happened a few years ago while I was browsing through Bandcamp where I stumbled upon Hole Dweller. The most prolific project of musician Tim Rowland, Hole Dweller uses electronic music production alongside stringed instruments to compose musical narratives and atmospheric journeys into imagination-powered settings, mainly focused around J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Middle Earth. I was an English major and am a writer today because of the memory of my grandmother reading me The Hobbit when I was a child. I read all of* Lord of The Rings* by the time I was in sixth grade, and made a point of seeing every one of Peter Jackson‘s films on opening day. So, it gives me great joy and honor to present** Hole Dweller** as our Weekly Featured Artist.

Rowland says of the project’s history:

‘Hole Dweller started back in mid-2019 shortly after releasing my first dungeon synth album under the name, Bellkeeper. It all came together rather quickly from concept to finished album,Flies the Coop. Andrew over at Dungeons Deep Records had a little side label where he did super limited tape runs for all anonymous projects. He suggested I do something in a forest/green theme for that label, do a drop of maybe 25-50 tapes, and move on. Well, at the time I was knee deep intoLord of the Rings Online* and figured I would make it about my hobbit character in the game, Jamwine, and go with a Shire theme.*Flies the Coop came together in a little over a week. I mean the name, logo, artwork by my friend Paul Noble, music, mixing, everything. It was super fast and I gave to Andrew and he then suggested releasing it on the main label because he saw something in it I don’t think I did. So we went that direction and the rest is history. I really didn’t think much of it at first, but the response was pretty strong out of the gate.’

Flies The Coop is the first album I listened to and every successive release (6 full albums and a handful of EPs, singles, and demos) has been a new adventure for Jamwine and fans that has put a smile on my face. With each release, Rowland’s production gets more detailed and rich, and Jamwine’s lore grows deeper. Flies The Coop was followed two sequels, with some restful and mournful moments on Returns To Roost, Another Chance At Peace, and With Dreams of Hereafter in between, introducing mandolins into the mix on the Crossroads EP. Rowland’s adventures in sound grow with Jamwine’s levels and character depth, though there is more inspiration than Tolkien at play:

‘Within the genre of dungeon synth my main influences are Secret Stairways, Depressive Silence, and Jim Kirkwood, though you can probably hear them more in my other two projects, Bellkeeper and* Spell of Unseeing**. With Hole Dweller specifically, the influence was the story and world itself. It was more about how to make the music sound like the points of Jamwine’s adventures, more so than actual musical influence. When I initially wroteFlies the Coop, I had my character from*LOTRO go to the location the song was about and I wrote with my DAW [digital audio workstation] open in one window, whileLOTRO was going in another. I was just trying to capture the vibe I was directly looking at in the game. It almost felt like a super primitive version of scoring something. Over the next several releases some of my influences outside the genre have seeped in, like Rush and Genesis. I’m a massive fan of 70’s prog. I also can’t forget to mention that I listen to a lot of video game music. My preference is PS1 – PS2 era soundtracks. That’s definitely a giant influence as well. ‘

My brother has been listening to a lot of Nobuo Uematsu, composer of Final Fantasy soundtracks, and we saw the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra perform Uematsu’s work earlier this year. So, if video game music is attracting orchestras around the world, it is easy to see why Rowland and many others have taken so much inspiration from these underappreciated compositions. ‘I usually just downplay it as much as possible and keep expectations low.’ Rowland says of describing his music to the uninitiated*, ‘It’s always been the safest route for me. haha. I just tell them, ‘It’s like old video game music’. That seems to connect the best.’My other brother echoed this sentiment the first time I showed him a little synth loop I had made, (‘it just sounds like video game music‘). Regardless of downplaying it or writing off this music, it has a lot of staying power and resonance with its fans and creators. ‘Everyone is super nice and supportive from what I can see,’ Rowland says of the dungeon synth community, ‘I tend to be more engaged with fans because of mutual nerdy interests. It’s a pretty close-knit community, though. It’s definitely expanding by the day it seems. I’m friends with a lot of the other artists, as well, and again, they’re all super cool. Not a lot of egos in this genre, more so because we’re all aware that what we’re doing would be considered maybe a little ‘low-brow‘ by the outside world. [It] keeps us all humble. Most of us are just having fun with i*t.’

That kind of fun is contagious. Dungeon synth fans are merely a microcosm of the broader music nerd community. The mainstream may ignore us dorks, but in our own little cloisters, we thrive and find solace from the harsh realities of modern day life. The growing popularity of internet driven genres like vaporwave, slushwave, and dungeon synth harken us into a necessary nostalgic reprieve after being bombarded with AI, advertisements, overly commercialized pop and rock music, and of course the depressing and frightening cycle of current events. While too much escapism and nostalgia is inadvisable, these songs serve as a reminder to touch grass and take in the quiet, peaceful moments of life. Rowland says, ‘Being out driving around in the countryside of where I grew up influences me. It’s kind of like my own little Shire [that] I return to. Those nostalgic memories are so deeply influential to the creative process. Nature, especially the Appalachian mountains, [is] deeply inspiring.’It is hard to argue with that, and the way it comes through in the incredible ways Hole Dweller** conjures the pastoral, the cavernous, and the whimsical sides of nature are perfect for adding a little ease and comfort through a stressful day.

Speaking of comfort, dungeon synth has bifurcated into wildly specific sounds and nano-genres that evoke everything from forklift operation to prehistoric sloths and dinosaurs, to outer space and everywhere in between. One of these hyper-specific categories that shows a lot of potential is called comfy synth, a category sometimes applied to** Hole Dweller**. Rowland clarifies:

‘I consider Hole Dweller to be fantasy synth, though I wish the title fantasy ambient would’ve caught on because it seems more accurate. People can call it whatever they like. I generally just describe it as fantasy/dungeon synth with folk elements. A lot of folks lump into comfy synth, which is a subgenre that came afterFlies the Coop*. That wasn’t even a thing when I put out the first album so I never think to put it in that category. There are songs in the discography that are definitely not comfy, so i don’t know what you do with those. haha’*

Like any art, though, what the artist intends and what others get out of it aren’t always the same thing. Given how much dungeon synth can be used for table top RPG sessions or LARPing or background music to crafting or any number of other activities (I like it for reading as much and give it more active listening to get through the work day), I asked Rowland if he thought about a target audience when he writes music. ‘Honestly, I don’t think about who the listener might be in the creative process,’ he replied, ‘I’m more in my own nostalgic place, not thinking much of the world outside the DAW. Of course, after songs are finished I think about which listener type is gonna like what or who a song will appeal to. It’s kind of hard not to. Every time I think I know my base it expands into a base that’s totally different.‘

For as much as dungeon synth is a bunch of bedroom projects, there is a growing live presence for the genre as well. Sometimes these events are called ‘dungeon sieges’ and often feature cosplay, candlelight, and an enthusiastic community of fans embracing their inner-nerd. after six years of Hole Dweller, Tim Rowland is about to fly his own coop and embark on an epic journey in touring:

‘This is my first tour as Hole Dweller! I’ve had more experience in live stuff in the early days of my metal years as a drummer, not anything even close to what Hole Dweller is. I’m feeling a bunch of things in anticipation; excitement, restlessness, and some anxiety. I just really hope that the folks who show up walk away happy with what I pres**ent. It’s a hell of a lot of uncertainty, but that makes it more exciting to me, I think. Most of the anxiety is in the logistical sides of things, though I’m sure everything will go smoothly. If there are some stumbling blocks here and there, it’ll be a learning experience. I’m ready to go! It would mean the world to me if the listeners came out to one of the shows! Also, if I’m not in your city this year, bet on me being there next year!’

Beyond Hole Dweller, Rowland has released projects under the names Bellkeeper and Spell Of Unseeing that both fit in the dungeon synth umbrella, but with different approaches. They are both excellent projects, and Rowland isn’t settling on one project or style. He says:

‘[I am] always writing new music or coming up with concepts for Hole Dweller. There’s an upcoming single releasing October 2nd that’s gonna throw people for a loop. Outside of HD, I have a new band with Barre Gambling of* Daylight Dies** called, Cold Communion. It’s very similar to the stuff he did in his other band, though expands on it a bit more, melodic death doom that’s a blend of sorrow and darkness. We are about to start releasing singles and setting up pre-orders for the debut album here soon.’*

I am definitely looking forward to more, and right now cannot get enough of this genre as a whole. Whenever I recommend dungeon synth to someone, Hole Dweller is the first artist I throw out there. If you are already a fan of the genre, I hope Hole Dweller‘s hobbit world is as exciting for you as it is me. Now, I must beg your pardon, but like any good hobbit, I must see myself off to prepare a succulent dinner and water my plants. Before I go, make sure to check out Hole Dweller on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Instagram. Catch a live show, too!