What does Flickers from the Fen sound like?

Medieval dungeon synth

The review of ‘Coda for Gielinor’ by Flickers from the Fen

Before we begin, I must declare that I discovered Flickers from the Fen from this EP, which itself rounds off a three-album arc of dungeon synth music. I toyed with reviewing this EP first before diving back into the last few years of releases, but I decided to proceed anyway. The reason why is that I enjoyed the sound and vibe of this EP so much that I’ve gone back and bought or wishlisted for payday the three previous albums. Clearly, this works as a great litmus test. If you enjoy this, then there is a bounty of treasure to explore.

So what actually is medieval dungeon synth? In this case, it’s traditional-sounding medieval melodies, but they’ve been created using a lot of synthesisers and tech from the 1990s through to the mid-2000s. The instruments straddle the PS1, N64, and PS2 era of RPG soundtracks that chose to stick with synths over real world insturmentation. As a result, Flickers from the Fen sounds like a grubby and muddied sludge of a medieval world in some ways, but then Mercian Sam, the person before the moniker, adds in real banjos and more realistic percussion. It’s actually quite difficult to determine what is truly real with the bard-like guitars and percussion, as everything has a petroleum jelly smear over it.

The smeared musical effect works beautifully for this EP because most of the tracks feature flute, synth voice, and airy keyboard samples. ‘Tenant Farmer’ is a hazy panoramic wind synth collective, backed by waltzing percussion. It sounds like an opening menu piece. I’m reminded of Hitoshi Sakimoto’s Final Fantasy Tactics soundtrack as elements of military poise seep in with the synth brass. ‘When a Knight Won His Spurs’ is a fantasy journey track that conveys movement and raising ales in cheer perfectly. Each soft kick drum thump is backed by a push of wind and brass synths that give it a jolly propulsion I just love.

‘Beaming Beneath the Hat (Pt. I)’ brings in harpsichord, electric pianos, and quenas to create a euphoric and graceful piece. If Kate Bush did dungeon synth, this would be what she’d put out. ‘Beaming Beneath the Hat (Pt. II)’ takes the previous track and strips it back to an echoey electric piano piece that transforms into a tavern jam for its outro. As a pairing, they complement each other well, even if they sound distinctly different. The EP ends with a muddy, bedroom metal rendition of ‘An Orb in the Sky (Sends the Orks Away)’. The original comes from ‘Stoned in Gielinor III’, and this Heady Metal Mix brings out lots of electric guitars, live drums, and some rocking organs. It’s a wonderful crossover of bard-folk and psychedelic rock. The track changes tempo and intensity, and it’s the kind of track Akira Yamaoka would be proud of.

Whilst the final live metal version isn’t entirely representative of the main sound, if you like this EP, then get the albums. Flickers from the Fen have them all available for £1 or pay more if you want on Bandcamp. Each album then has its own live EP, too. What I love about the approach to this EP, and the Geilinor series in general, is that the songs are often incredibly happy. They have bounce, verve, and joviality in spades, but often the instrumentation is murky with its smeared synths and medieval doom sound. It marks Flickers from the Fen out from the rest of the crowd, and it keeps my brain and toes entertained. A unique take on dungeon music.

Recommended track: Beaming Beneath the Hat (Pt. I)

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