Ain Soph
Rituals

THE REVIEW

Ain Soph are a cult group and a legend of the Italian underground that, over time, has earned a place of respect within the European dark esoteric-industrial and neo-folk scene. Ain Soph was formed in Rome in the early '80s, initially releasing a series of sound experiments, true occult rituals inspired by the reading of magic texts, only on cassette. The guiding spirit of these early recordings was the infamous magician Aleister Crowley and, in particular, his sacred text "Magick." The approach to the sound material was amateur but enjoyed an evocative power and an esoteric atmosphere that still holds its charm today. The atmospheres created are a fitting accompaniment to some "magic" texts by Julius Evola or the great Gustav Meyrink. The small Roman label Misty Circles released the first 3 works of Ain Soph on cassette, an impressive trilogy dedicated to the universe of Traditions' values. Musically and philosophically, this is akin to early Current93, heralds of esoteric-industrial and also initially devoted to Crowley. However, Ain Soph are amateur musicians, and their albums are, in comparison to Current, very naive and based on simple electronic manipulations. Something similar can be found in Italy with Sigillum S, another industrial group that, especially in "Bardo Thos Grol," explored similar sound and mystical universes. In fact, the two groups shared a tape released by Cthulhu. Ain Soph, before being a traditional group, is an entity that goes beyond mere musical discourse. All of this makes their early records unique so much so that I personally adore them and rank them ahead of the even great Current93. Subsequently, the Roman group would release more mature and layered albums like "Kshatriya" and "Ars Regia." Fortunately, the commendable label Old Europa Café has made almost their entire discography available on CD, starting from the mentioned trilogy. The present "Rituals," a mythical "live" dating back to 1985, thus to the first and legendary period of Ain Soph, has also been released. As the booklet states, it is a private live concert recorded "in an attic of an elegant 1800s building in Piazza Venezia." For the occasion, Ain Soph was Thx/Crucifige/Foraenovis/ClauDEDI. In "Rituals" we can hear some tracks from "I" and "II." Imagine witnessing, at night, an occult ritual in a deconsecrated church where blasphemous rites are officiated. The music contained in this album is dark and a fitting soundtrack for a horror film. This recording should not be missing from the collection of anyone who loved their first trilogy madly. Album produced by Old Europa Café and available on the label's website.