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Bohdan Stupak — Book of Sorrow
(Projekt 617026236629, 2025, DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2026-01-08

Book of Sorrow Cover art

Bohdan Stupak is a Ukranian artist and musician who works in minimalist / experimental realms, and Book of Sorrow is his eighth release (some are EP length and extended singles) since his 2020 debut Fractions — there may be others that I’m not aware of at this time. Book of Sorrow is essentially one long piece, containing four movements in the ten minute range, a shorter interlude between the second and third movement, and an even shorter epilogue at the close of the piece. I hate to label things, because a simple description like ‘floating ambient’ may cunjure up some idea in a reader’s mind that is not at all accurate, although as a starting point it may serve a very general purpose. Each of the segments in this 45-minute trek is dark and reflective, almost nightmarish at times, but occasionally filled with light, color, and beauty. It was created using a single guitar mixed with some baroque harmonies at times, and gobs of effects and processing such that one might not easily recognize what the sound source is, as tones wallow and tumble over a shimmering backdrop that seems disturbed and unsettling. The tense, troubled, and dark visions that seem to preoccupy the first two movements give way to a more resolute vision eschewing the darkest tones after the interlude, embarking on a somewhat brighter and more colorful journey as the piece proceeds into the third and fourth movements, like the smoke clearing after a fire, revealing a clear sky with a full moon reflecting off a lake. Book of Sorrow, more than anything, takes the listener on a journey that goes from an almost gloomy and dreary uncertainty into a new world filled with the recognition of brighter times ahead, though that journey is slow and filled with mystery.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Bohdan Stupak

More info
http://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/book-of-sorrow

 

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