So local musician and pedal producer Ben Hinz, under the pseudonym Aen, recently released an instrumental, experimental album called Alone in the Dark, then got signed to a label on it. The album is free, so go download it here. As Ben describes it,

• "This release is somewhat of an anthology; songs from here and there over the last couple of years, all recorded in one dark, cold basement or another. The songs were all quickly constructed with whatever instruments were on hand. Usually after midnight. Alone in the Dark can be an emotive audio puzzle for those who take the time to listen to it."

I lent an ear, and labyrinthine may be a better word. "Viola Study"’s ambient, ghostly strings swell to a thundering and groaning techno stomper. And "I Do Not Remember This" begins with a minute of shrieking noise followed by a haunted mansion’s worth of eerie sounds. Have a listen and tell us what you think.

All the same, twin cities-based experimental/noise net label noiseKoncept liked Alone in the Dark, and now Aen sits among their list of artists exploring glitch, noise, ambient, dub, techno, and other styles of electronic music.

Ben has also been a central member of local experimental rock band The Ronald Raygun, but received international recognition (and a Volume One article to boot!) with his interests in creating and selling original guitar pedals and manual synthesizers. Today, Ben produces these tools as Dwarfcraft Devices, selling 10 to 35 a month to clients in the US, Europe, and Japan.