Every genre hits a ceiling. How does jazz rise beyond The Shape of Jazz to Come, electronica exceed Computer World, classical beat the Beethoven nine symphonies, or black metal surpass Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Pure Holocaust, and Transilvanian Hunger?

The answer will disappoint everyone: by using them as the new baseline and writing more intriguing melodies. Genres that go senescent focus on quantity over quality, but genres that endure stick with the classics and focus on not technique but artistic content to continue evolving.

Garden Gnome is one of those projects that like Impaled Nazarene is as much provocation as music. Luckily the creator took more than a few minutes to set down some thoughts that needed expressing about dungeon synth, black metal, and the nature of the gnome.

What was the Garden Gnome project and what was its intent?

Garden Gnome was forged by my boredom with the Dungeon Synth scene: a scene in which the musically inept are content to praise themselves for formulating and championing the most moronic of trivialities; hot dog synth, dinosaur synth, and the like, each unbearably superficial, hailed by mindless supporters for no reason other than their blind obsession with novelty, not unlike the hipsters of the late 2000s and early 2010s, as if the mere presence of “originality” were enough to justify its existence and fandom. Generally speaking, the “music” of Dungeon Synth, if such a term can be applied, is devoid of any artistic value; its meanderings lack meaningful development and contrast. It is very evident that the bar in Dungeon Synth is not merely low; it is subterranean, too far buried beneath what Dungeon Synth could have been as a form of black metal-inspired ambient music that it seems to mock its original potentiality like a circus mirror parody. As an inside joke, and to be subversive, I manufactured Garden Gnome as a Trojan Horse to slip unnoticed into the core of this world of mediocrity, not with the intention of capitalizing on it, but rather to subvert it from within by using its own devices; fantasy and medieval aesthetics in a “novel” framework.

Thus, True Gnomewegian Dungeon Synth emerged in 2021. Created in a few hours on my Korg Triton keyboard, the album quickly caught the attention of several DIY Dungeon Synth record labels; I believe because the novelty of the project gave it a post-hipster appeal. Therefore, I started to churn out dumb Bandcamp releases in rapid succession, with the inside joke morphing into an outside one. I also started using another keyboard, a Korg Kronos, for additional textures.

To clarify, I don’t mean to disparage all of Dungeon Synth; some projects, like Khand, have been lumped under its umbrella, even though the Khand guy refuses to accept the Dungeon Synth categorization. Secret Stairways, Old Tower, A Good Mage, and others that I can’t recall right now, are rather decent, too. But the vast majority of Dungeon Synth is sheer novelty and should be disdained and left to rot in obscurity. There’s a reason why Jon Rosenthal of Invisible Oranges is Dungeon Synth’s biggest defender. Not only does the current state of Dungeon Synth carry hipster DNA, but it also enforces conformity to neoliberal identity politics within its social circles.

How well did it succeed?

In terms of stirring up controversy within Dungeon Synth circles, Garden Gnome was quite successful. It has garnered a substantial following on Bandcamp, with followers sending semi-frequent donations – thank you to those who have contributed! However, when it comes to mass appeal and the music reaching a broader audience through effective marketing, that has been missing. Substantial spikes in interest only occurred when the rabble-rousing went semi-viral.

One record label, larger than the DIY labels that had released cassettes of the project, expressed interest in releasing The Gnomer of the Beast. However, as a neoliberal cautionary measure, they asked if I had ever supported NSBM. I explained that I listen to music regardless of its political affiliations; I can listen to stuff like Burzum and Napalm Death without letting the politics of the bands interfere with my enjoyment of the music. The mere fact that I admitted this, that I don’t impose political boundaries on my music consumption, was enough for the label to leave me on seen. This is what I mean by the neoliberal identity politics in the Dungeon Synth scene: it is more important than the music itself, and Jon Rosenthal of Invisible Oranges does rejoice in that fact!

Do you listen to any of the music?

I don’t listen to my own music for pleasure, but I occasionally revisit it to analyze it to pinpoint deficiencies. As for Dungeon Synth, I only listen out of curiosity. It’s not part of my daily routine; I only check it out when something stands out. The problem with the music of Dungeon Synth is the overwhelming amount of low-quality content, which makes it extremely difficult to find anything worthwhile. This problem brings it intimately close to the current state of extreme metal; OSDM being on par with hot dog synth in terms of vibe being the principal source of expression.

My music consumption is mainly oriented towards classical music, extreme metal, electronic, and ambient music. Dungeon Synth could fit into the ambient music that I consume if it were worlds better… It would need a complete overhaul: the social circles nuked and restructured, and some kind of quality control imposed on the music. Unfortunately, I don’t see this ever happening!

What got you interested in Dungeon Synth?

I initially expected to find black metal adjacent projects, like the Burzum prison albums, Neptune Towers, Lord Wind, and similar works. However, what I discovered were shallow imitations and what seemed like quasi-video game music. As it is currently known, Dungeon Synth can’t justify its existence beyond its social circles. Similarly, I can’t justify Garden Gnome beyond its reaction to these very circles.

What are the strengths of the genre?

The potential strength lies in the capability, creativity, and intuition of the composer. World-building is a significant part of the fantasy aspect of Dungeon Synth; imagine if they would focus on music-building instead. While this may still be possible, I believe the Dungeon Synth micro-subgenre is so far gone that those capable of pushing it forward should do so on their own terms. They should forge their own path and create something separate from the musical dead end of Dungeon Synth. Do not fret if you’re not a part of a scene; become your own scene! If the music is worthwhile, it will eventually find an audience.

Will there be more Garden Gnome, or have you transitioned to a new project?

There are no plans for additional Garden Gnome releases, unless I find myself in a financial bind and need some quick Bandcamp money. As for upcoming projects, the Goatcraft tracks have been submitted for a split with Serpent Ascending, which will likely be the final Goatcraft release. I’m currently working on a black metal project called Amorphophallus Titanum, for which I’ve recently secured an excellent vocalist. Time will tell whether it leads to an official release.

A couple of years ago, I met up with Marko Laiho (Beherit), and we created some noise together. It’s entirely possible that we may collaborate again in the future when our schedules align. Outside of public music, I’m currently in grad school, where I’ve integrated music into my academic pursuits. Out of respect for the privacy of the department, I prefer not to disclose details about my upcoming piano performance next month.

What, in your view, is the goal or utility of art?

I find much significance in the Schopenhauerian notion that the artist should, whether directly or indirectly, expose the errors of their age. In this regard, nature-oriented art holds the greatest potential to endure and exceed the period of its creation. I do not refer to ecological art in this context. While ecological art raises awareness of the Anthropocene and climate change, it often carries an ecofeminist perspective in which the symbolism conveyed (more of a “mood”) takes precedence over its broader impact.

How do we know what is art and what is entertainment or decoration?

I still believe that art should embody a certain level of craftsmanship and philosophy, capable of disclosing truths that go beyond the materiality of existence. However, I reject any Heideggerian phenomenological framework that attempts to explain everything. Reality is far greater than our faculties of reason, and if we try to constrain it within a phenomenological system, it will inevitably fracture our reasoning. In short, art should infer profundities greater than subjective experiences. Entertainment and adornment only reinforce subjective experience.

How do people follow your ongoing projects?

Necroclassical YouTube is probably the place for music stuff.

Thanks for the interview! Cheers from the great state of Texas!

Tags: amorphophallus titanum, dungeon synth, garden gnome, goatcraft