Derelict World is something as unusual as a dark ambient saga of tragedy on the high seas with apocalyptic repercussions.
As False Mirror, Tobias Hornberger mans a bank of synthesizers, bespoke software, field recordings and the odd gong or flute to conjure a vivid, though sepia-toned portrait of a maritime adventure going slowly, but inexorably wrong. The field recordings come from diverse and unlikely sources and he cleverly uses a rusty-hinged old barn door to similate the creaking timbers of the ancient vessel. The narrative is queasily conducted over a full seventy-four minutes and is told with a restraint and aplomb that makes it that much more engrossing.
Malignant Records continues to make its strong case for the survival of the physical CD package, as the glossy six-paneled digipak comes with a twenty-page booklet, including the short story "Account of the Dreadful Happenings" by author Bjørn Springorum, painterly photography by Steve Payne and detailed track-by-track notes (including the very date inspiration for each track struck him) by Hornbeger. There are even said to be "hidden messages which will lead on a quest for a secret bonus world" secreted in the compact disc.