Radio Rivendell
Encyclopedia
Radio Rivendell is a non-commercial, non-profit internet radio
station dedicated to playing fantasy
music.
station dedicated to playing dark ambient
, orchestral, neofolk
, video game music, and fantasy music. The station is named after the Elven
outpost Rivendell
, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien
.
Streamed 24 hours a day in a variety of formats, the station has been online since 2001. It plays music mainly from royalty-free soundtracks to role-playing video game
s and up-and-coming independent artists who submit their fantasy music to be played online. Along with the music is an online discussion forum. Listeners who register for free can post to the forum, rate the music, and vote in the annual "Fantasy Awards".
Based in Sweden, the station began when Anders Dahlgren (screen name "Lord Elrond
") and his friends wanted ambient background music to supplement their role-playing game
(RPG) sessions. After trying various CDs, Dahlgren began to experiment with broadcasting music over the Internet using a SHOUTcast
server. Soon, listeners from around the world were tuning in.
In 2005, Swedish label Waerloga Records
asked Radio Rivendell to help recruit artists for their dark fantasy compilation CD, A Tribute to Uglakh. In 2007, the station once again paired with Waerloga to produce the first Radio Rivendell Compilation, an anthology of 16 fantasy tracks. Radio Rivendell Compilation, vol. 2: The Book of War was released in April 2008. This time the 17 tracks were linked by a single storyline of an epic battle between a dark lord and a noble captain.
On January 9, 2008, Sci Fi Weekly, the ezine of T.V.'s Sci Fi Channel
, named Radio Rivendell its "Site of the Week".
On March 12, 2009, Dahlgren's alter-ego Gargrim The Liar released his debut CD Stories of Long Forgotten, together with The Challenge by Swedish band Anabasis, in a double CD compilation from Waerloga Records
called Two Worlds. Artwork includes a cover illustration by noted fantasy artist John Howe.
On August 16, 2010, Radio Rivendell released an official iPhone Application.
The station is financed mainly by donation
s and the sale of compilation cds
.
on a series of compilation cds.
A Tribute to Uglakh (2005) musicians include: Za Frûmi
, Cryo
, Balaghan, Alvskugga, Autumn tears
, Musterion, Encryption
, Patrice Deceuninck, OverCoat
, Atrium Carceri
, Rising Shadows
, Vurpa, The Soil Bleeds Black
, Vox Vulgaris, Unto Ashes
, Abnocto, Sagor & Swing
, Volstoj, and Vagrant's Steps.
Radio Rivendell Compilation (2007) musicians include: Markus Holler, Erdenstern, Sean Beeson, Wilbert Roget, II, Gargrim The Liar, Dimitrij Volstoj, Sibelian, Tom W Hall, Abnocto, Balaghan, Lost Kingdom, Rising Shadows
, Tincolindo, Project Morfeo, Morgan the bard, and Helen Trevillion
.
Radio Rivendell Compilation, vol. 2: The Book of War (2008) musicians include: Sean Beeson, Zmei Gorinich, Erdenstern, Sully Koba, A journey of the mind, Unto Ashes
, Gargrim The Liar, Sibelian, Markus Holler, Dimitrij Volstoj, Za Frûmi
, Lost Kingdom, Anabasis, Peter Szwach, Encryption
, Ataraxia
, and Dråm
. Story by Simon Kölle and Kris Swank.
Two Worlds: Anabasis & Gargrim The Liar (2009) musicians include: Gargrim The Liar, Anabasis. Cover art by John Howe.
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
station dedicated to playing fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
music.
History
Radio Rivendell is an internet radioInternet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
station dedicated to playing dark ambient
Dark ambient
Dark ambient is a subgenre of ambient music that features foreboding, ominous, or discordant overtones. Although it had its roots in the 1970s, Dark ambient emerged in the 1980s and 1990s with the introduction of newer, smaller, and more affordable Effects units, synthesizer and sampling technology...
, orchestral, neofolk
Neofolk
Neofolk is a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial...
, video game music, and fantasy music. The station is named after the Elven
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
outpost Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
.
Streamed 24 hours a day in a variety of formats, the station has been online since 2001. It plays music mainly from royalty-free soundtracks to role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s and up-and-coming independent artists who submit their fantasy music to be played online. Along with the music is an online discussion forum. Listeners who register for free can post to the forum, rate the music, and vote in the annual "Fantasy Awards".
Based in Sweden, the station began when Anders Dahlgren (screen name "Lord Elrond
Elrond
Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
") and his friends wanted ambient background music to supplement their role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
(RPG) sessions. After trying various CDs, Dahlgren began to experiment with broadcasting music over the Internet using a SHOUTcast
SHOUTcast
SHOUTcast is cross-platform proprietary software for streaming media over the Internet. The software, developed by Nullsoft , allows digital audio content, primarily in MP3 or HE-AAC format, to be broadcast to and from media player software, enabling the creation of Internet radio "stations"...
server. Soon, listeners from around the world were tuning in.
In 2005, Swedish label Waerloga Records
Waerloga records
Waerloga Records is a small Swedish record label focused on dark ritualistic fantasy music. Records are available through mailorder and several stores worldwide...
asked Radio Rivendell to help recruit artists for their dark fantasy compilation CD, A Tribute to Uglakh. In 2007, the station once again paired with Waerloga to produce the first Radio Rivendell Compilation, an anthology of 16 fantasy tracks. Radio Rivendell Compilation, vol. 2: The Book of War was released in April 2008. This time the 17 tracks were linked by a single storyline of an epic battle between a dark lord and a noble captain.
On January 9, 2008, Sci Fi Weekly, the ezine of T.V.'s Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, named Radio Rivendell its "Site of the Week".
On March 12, 2009, Dahlgren's alter-ego Gargrim The Liar released his debut CD Stories of Long Forgotten, together with The Challenge by Swedish band Anabasis, in a double CD compilation from Waerloga Records
Waerloga records
Waerloga Records is a small Swedish record label focused on dark ritualistic fantasy music. Records are available through mailorder and several stores worldwide...
called Two Worlds. Artwork includes a cover illustration by noted fantasy artist John Howe.
On August 16, 2010, Radio Rivendell released an official iPhone Application.
The station is financed mainly by donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
s and the sale of compilation cds
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
.
Albums
Since 2005, Radio Rivendell has collaborated with Waerloga RecordsWaerloga records
Waerloga Records is a small Swedish record label focused on dark ritualistic fantasy music. Records are available through mailorder and several stores worldwide...
on a series of compilation cds.
A Tribute to Uglakh (2005) musicians include: Za Frûmi
Za Frûmi
Za Frûmi is a Swedish music group that was formed in 2000. The Group creates dark, fantasy inspired music.-History:Za Frûmi came about in 2000 and was formed by Simon Heath, Donald Persson, Simon Kölle; Donald Persson left in 2001. This kind of fantasy/dark waves/neo folk music, the Za Frûmi...
, Cryo
Cryo
The word cryo or cryos is Greek and means "icy cold" . The word is also known from cryobiology. Cryos or Cryos International is also an international network of sperm banks...
, Balaghan, Alvskugga, Autumn tears
Autumn Tears
Autumn Tears is an American Neoclassical Dark Wave band from Billerica, MA. They are sometimes considered gothic.-History:The band was formed in September 1995 by Erika and Ted...
, Musterion, Encryption
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...
, Patrice Deceuninck, OverCoat
Overcoat
An overcoat is a type of long coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment. Overcoats usually extend below the knee, but are sometimes mistakenly referred to as topcoats, which are short coats that end at or above the knees. Topcoats and overcoats together are known as outercoats...
, Atrium Carceri
Atrium Carceri
Atrium Carceri is a Swedish musical project by Simon Heath, released by industrial record label Cold Meat Industry. Six full-length albums have been released so far.- Description :...
, Rising Shadows
Rising Shadows
Rising Shadows is a Neoclassical band formed in Stockholm, Sweden by composer Fredrik Klingwall in 1996.-Biography:Rising Shadows was originally started by Fredrik Klingwall as a one-man project under the name 'Shadow of the Concealed'....
, Vurpa, The Soil Bleeds Black
The Soil Bleeds Black
The Soil Bleeds Black is a pagan Neo-Medieval band from Ashburn, Virginia.-History:The Soil Bleeds Black was conceived in the year 1992 as a project that focused on the experimental visions of twin brothers, Mark and Michael Riddick...
, Vox Vulgaris, Unto Ashes
Unto Ashes
Unto Ashes is a musical ensemble based in New York City that incorporates madrigal, folk, and elements of neo-medieval and dark wave. Founded by Michael Laird and Susanna Melendez in 1997, the band has released five full-length CDs on the Projekt label...
, Abnocto, Sagor & Swing
Sagor & Swing
Sagor & Swing were a Swedish instrumental duo that fused disparate musical genres such as jazz, electronic music, and Scandinavian folk music. The band consisted of Eric Malmberg , and Ulf Möller . The band's sound was defined by Malmberg's distinctive organ playing...
, Volstoj, and Vagrant's Steps.
Radio Rivendell Compilation (2007) musicians include: Markus Holler, Erdenstern, Sean Beeson, Wilbert Roget, II, Gargrim The Liar, Dimitrij Volstoj, Sibelian, Tom W Hall, Abnocto, Balaghan, Lost Kingdom, Rising Shadows
Rising Shadows
Rising Shadows is a Neoclassical band formed in Stockholm, Sweden by composer Fredrik Klingwall in 1996.-Biography:Rising Shadows was originally started by Fredrik Klingwall as a one-man project under the name 'Shadow of the Concealed'....
, Tincolindo, Project Morfeo, Morgan the bard, and Helen Trevillion
Helen Trevillion
Helen Trevillion is an English independent musician. After releasing her songs for free for several years , she released her first album in 2007. Inside Myself / Once Upon A Time was produced and recorded by Trevillion herself. It was sold via online music stores such as iTunes and CD Baby...
.
Radio Rivendell Compilation, vol. 2: The Book of War (2008) musicians include: Sean Beeson, Zmei Gorinich, Erdenstern, Sully Koba, A journey of the mind, Unto Ashes
Unto Ashes
Unto Ashes is a musical ensemble based in New York City that incorporates madrigal, folk, and elements of neo-medieval and dark wave. Founded by Michael Laird and Susanna Melendez in 1997, the band has released five full-length CDs on the Projekt label...
, Gargrim The Liar, Sibelian, Markus Holler, Dimitrij Volstoj, Za Frûmi
Za Frûmi
Za Frûmi is a Swedish music group that was formed in 2000. The Group creates dark, fantasy inspired music.-History:Za Frûmi came about in 2000 and was formed by Simon Heath, Donald Persson, Simon Kölle; Donald Persson left in 2001. This kind of fantasy/dark waves/neo folk music, the Za Frûmi...
, Lost Kingdom, Anabasis, Peter Szwach, Encryption
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...
, Ataraxia
Ataraxia
Ataraxia is a Greek term used by Pyrrho and Epicurus for a lucid state, characterized by freedom from worry or any other preoccupation.For the Epicureans, ataraxia was synonymous with the only true happiness possible for a person...
, and Dråm
Dram
Dram or DRAM may refer to:As a unit of measure:* Dram , an imperial unit of mass and volume* Armenian dram, a monetary unit* Dirham, a unit of currency in several Arab nationsOther uses:...
. Story by Simon Kölle and Kris Swank.
Two Worlds: Anabasis & Gargrim The Liar (2009) musicians include: Gargrim The Liar, Anabasis. Cover art by John Howe.