Urku Llanthu is one of the more peculiar projects I’ve encountered, yet again, the dungeon synth subgenre has always been a strange niche. The one-man Ecuadorian act is led by Pablo Mesías, performing synths, guitar, vocals, and a smattering of eerie field recordings.
Pablo has released a handful of records under the Urku Llanthu pseudonym, often conceptually exploring the indigenous cultures of the Andes, from mythological beings to spiritual beliefs.
His latest effort titled Pichkay is a Kichwa term referring to an ancestral Andean ritual where one must perform a ceremony to allow the spirit of the deceased to move on. Pablo curates samples of birds and other ambient nature noises atop some minimal acoustic and piano meandering on tracks like “Anku,” “Hanak,” “Tukuna,” “Pukara,” and the 23-minute “Killpana.”
While suspenseful and almost evocative of Wendy Carlos‘ score on The Shining, the simplistic arrangements do leave more to be desired, but if you’re a fan of Mortiis or Heilung, this stripped-down ceremonial music could be up your alley. I’d love to hear more layers and rhythmic variety in the future from the Quito-based composer, however Urkuu Llanthu‘s Pichkay solidly provides some ambience from the Andes for the subdued parts on your Dungeons & Dragons campaign – also, perfect white noise for witches or lofi Skyrim meditations.