Nirnaeth

Nirnaeth was founded in October 1994 under the name Araunthar. From the outset, a single creator stood behind the project – Piotr Wójcik, also known as Smŕtan. That same month saw the recording of the debut demo, “Sorrow”, featuring approximately 30 minutes of solo piano music strongly influenced by classical music. Due to the unsatisfactory recording quality, the material was never officially released, and the tape itself was lost over the years. In early 1995, the project adopted the name Nirnaeth, entering a new creative phase. With the introduction of synthesizers and violin, Piotr began developing material with a somewhat different character. The result was “Opus Nirnaeth”, recorded in June 1995 at Fors Studio in Český Těšín. Running for almost an hour, the recording combined classically inspired electronic music with solo violin passages and distinctly black metal-style vocals. The cassette was released in August 1995 through Piotr’s own label, Dagdy Music, and quickly received a positive response from both the Polish and international underground scenes. This led to a recording contract with the Spanish label Abstract Emotions, marking the beginning of a collaboration that would last more than 25 years. Later in 1995, Nirnaeth recorded its debut album, “Haudh 'en' Nirnaeth”. Released on CD in February 1997, it featured rearranged tracks from “Opus Nirnaeth” alongside two new compositions. The second studio album, “Nirnaeth Arnoediad”, was recorded in October and November 1998, with guest contributions from members of Themgoroth and Vim Patior. It was first released on cassette in February 1999. In July 2000, Nirnaeth performed with an expanded line-up at the Castle Party festival in Bolków, Poland, receiving a very warm response from the audience. The project returned for the festival’s eighth edition the following year, before going on hiatus. In autumn 2020, Nirnaeth returned, once again as Piotr Wójcik’s solo project. At the end of that year, Abstract Emotions released a remastered edition of “Nirnaeth Arnoediad” on CD, followed by an LP edition in 2021. The third album, “Auta i Lome”, followed in late 2021, available on CD, cassette and LP. It completed the trilogy begun in the 1990s and marked the end of the longstanding collaboration with Abstract Emotions. Alongside this, Piotr was working on material for a fourth album that took a markedly different stylistic direction. These recordings became the foundation for Nirnaeth: Xperimenta, an offshoot that gradually evolved into an independent project under the name Xperimenta. Nirnaeth is currently preparing to return to the stage in 2027 and working on a new album, scheduled for release in late spring or summer of the same year.

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