The Music of Erich Zahn

[Yoginispirit]

A ghoulish and tortured scent, suffused with the blackness of space illimitable: ajowan, vetiver, black musk, opoponax, mimosa, and tamarind.

Vetiver, vetiver, vetiver...whistles, looks at watch...yep no changes here.
That sucks! I loved this story too.

[tragedy]

In the imp I get at first the vetiver with a touch of tamarind, then the minute this touches my skin it goes all vetiver on me.

on drydown its more tame, but still just vetiver and that’s all… not for me

[juniperus]

bottle: sharp, dark, sharp. did I mention sharp?

wet: darker, still, less sharp. waiting for the vetiver to start beating me up.

dry: hello, vetiver. nothing but vetiver.

later: an interesting juxtaposition of mimosa and burnt motor oil. vetiver, I hate you.

[steelfaerie]

Alas, this may as well just be a vetiver single note for all it does for me. I can't even smell anything else when it's wet in the imp.

 

Where are you, musk and tamarind? Wahhhhh.

[fairnymph]

Sniffed: Deep amber coloured oil. Harsh, bitter, biting; vetiver and ajowan and maybe a pepper of some sort, a very bitter strain of mimosa, some drak resins - and a fake, revolting sort of vanilla-cocoa foodiness underneath at all, maybe the black musk? Truly acrid. I'm afraid to skin test it!

 

Wet: Spicier, darker, woodier - a bit less sweet. Vetiver and ajowan and opponox reign, and I swear there is black pepper in this. LEss of the gross almost nutty foody note (hazelnut maybe? oh yeah, that's what I think it is). Mimosa still bitter, but in less unpleasantly so. Tart limey tamarind is so faint it's barely worth comment.

 

Dry: Now it reminds me sort of curry - spicy Indian curry over woody resins and loads of sweet black musk. It's much less harsh due at least in part to the settling of the vetiver - but I still find it revolting.

 

Summary: Dark, smoky, spices wood, and foody-sweet curry with a little tamarind chutney. The vague mimosa holds, but overall this is bizarre, and I can't see a woman wearing this. Strong throw & longevity.

 

 

 

[caffinatedangel]

imp- scary. dark. tangy.

Wet- Hi there vetiver, you're looking mellow today. What's that? Opoponax got you down? Fancy that.

Dry- o_O this must be tamarind. I smell like... food. Pepper, cumin, curry something sort of... nutty? potatoy? I dunno you're straaaange tamarind. Maybe it's the ajowan thing though. Very strange. All slathered ontop of the vetiver/opoponax basement stench. What fun!

 

Drydown- I was hoping for more amusement from Mimosa, but I think it got absorbed into the vetiver/tamarind/whatever oddness. It's basically a sort of spicey nutty curry blend. Very interesting, very unappealing to be on me. If you were food, with some kind of creamy looking topping, I'd consider you. The musk does, I guess, peak out. It's just sort of holding everything together in a velvety cushion.

 

So weird though. Dark, ghoulish, creepish, and edible in a strange manner o_O. Big throw, of course, and lasts a while too o_O

[voodoocatwoman]

Do Not Like.

 

Wet: Acetone... like in fingernail polish remover.

 

Dry: acetone and ashes. Yuck.

[starfish327]

I LOVE this blend. This is my long standing favorite and it's the only blend that I have actually hunted down so far.

 

In the bottle it's definitely masculine- it's dark, heavy and smoky. It's almost intimidating, but I like incense type scents. This is definitely not a light blend at all.

 

On- oh my. It's heavy,rich, spicy, and smoky. It dries down to remind me of autumn and woodsmoke, which are two of my favorite scents. I don't get any food type smells from it, but there is a definite spice aspect that balances out the smoke that I get. The musk gets stronger the longer that it's on and helps to balance out the smoke and the other notes.

 

This is not a subtle blend but it works really well for me.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Definitely vetiver with a light floral overtone

 

On Application

Vetiver with a little musk and opoponax

 

Dry Down

This reminds me so much of Smokestack to start with - all bitter, smoky creosote - which I like. This softens as it dries down but effectively doesn't morph. I ike it but not enough for a bottle purchase, which is academic now anyway since it has been discontinued.

Rating (0-5)

3

 

[milica]

A lot of smoke, a bit of musk and flowers. Over the time, it becomes sweeter but not in a good way, and stays too smokey, like those inscence sticks that realy don't smell like anything exept smoke. It made me sick in the end.

Edited February 25, 2010 by milica

[gingiemay]

In the imp this is VETIVER OMG EXPLOSION but once applied it calms down and there is a smoky, black musk and opoponax blend. Not as harsh as I thought, but it's definitely not for me.

[moon_lemming]

Somehow I've accumulated quite a few imps of The Music of Erich Zahn. I'm not sure why, since judging by the notes I'd never wear it, but I figure it's worth a try.

 

In the imp, I smell sort of a smoky hollow wood. Not horrible. On my skin, it reminds me of some chile limon peanuts I had a while back, minus the limon. As it dries, it hits that high-pitched acetone note that makes it unwearable. The vetiver is way too strong on me, and I think the black musk is amplifying the sharp parts of it, and it turns the blend into a combo of smoky leather and acetone.

 

Sometimes an overabundance of imps is just a fluke and not a sign, I guess.

Edited May 16, 2010 by karen

[thebirdofhermes]

In Vial: Dark orangish brown oil. Very strongly vetiver and black musk, to the point where it almost smells like pure smoke and circus peanuts to my nose. (And by circus peanuts, I mean those awful squooshy "candies" that look good and smell tempting, but taste and feel like trying to eat a chunk of foam.)

 

Wet: I may die from the vetiver. My tombstone shall say, "She shuffled off her mortal coil at the hand of vetiver." Strong vetiver is strong, and apparently making my spell-check freak out to boot. So I'll try and find a different note to talk about, although if this doesn't dry and hopefully morph soon, I may not have much to talk about.

 

Dry: Huh. Slightly sweet and almost creamy. A hint of something that reminds me of cumin. (That would be the ajowan, I believe.) Still very much a vetiver and black musk blend, with a suggestion of oppoponax on my skin. However, it is quite wearable and I do very much like this. If it weren't discontinued, I think I would at least purchase another imp, if not a bottle. Alas, it is discontinued, and while I do like it... there are people around who love it, so I don't think I'll be seeking any more out from sales pages. Very nice, though. Definitely a strong, dark blend.

[Argentwolf]

Okay, to be honest, whenever I see 'The Music of Erich Zahn', I think of staying up late at night and coming across a commercial advertising Erich Zahn's Greatest Hits, available on eight-track and cassette for two easy payments of $9.95 (plus S&H). Or, alternately, staying up late at night and listening to Art Bell and the freaky music he'd have as a background.

 

But that has nothing to do with how it smells.

 

To me, Erich smells like sticky plug tobacco and musk. In fact, he smells kinda like the Black Temple Burlesque Troupe, only slightly less chocolately...but only slightly.

 

It's a really nice smell. I like it a lot. Mmmm. It has good throw and healthy staying power, to boot, making it extra-lovely.

[voorishsign]

I'm a huge fan of Lovecraft but it's a rare day when one of the Lab's Lovecraft scents work on me, nevertheless I keep trying Besides, ajowan, vetiver, musk, opopnax and tamarind all sound great to me

 

In the imp and on wet, this is straight-up musky vetiver, smelling almost identical to Iago from the Illyria line. On drydown, it becomes a mildly spicier, lighter vetiver. It reminds me a lot of Mr. Vandemar in the sense that it almost has a curry-like scent to it. The vetiver is still a bit too heavy for me to reach for a bottle, but still, a really interesting scent.

[impolight]

:::THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZAHN:::

 

This one was difficult to find!

The onset of overstimulation happened quickly: Here is a fragrance based on one of H.P. Lovecraft's spookiest stories!

The Music of Erich Zahn probably best adheres to the human psyche because of it's keen attendance to one of humankind's oldest fears; the fear of the unknown.

Lovecraft accomplished this by a stately underwriting of the thing that came to visit Zahn and his guest at the balcony window...

One can only guess as to why the viol wasn't splintered between zahn's knees out of fright!

From the Bottle: This stuff is absolutely amazing! The stink of fear! This is meant in the best of possible ways.

The Vetiver is certainly identifiable here, but it is not as aggressive in this formula as it might behave in others.

Though it's not included in the notes, there seems to be Yuzu or some other Grapefruitish element that is a bright and shiny needle of a fragrance that serves to push the envelope of the smell of fear further.

The Ajowan is flipping brilliant. Here, it totally embodies Caraway, which is genius because it indirectly alludes to Zahn's German ancestry.

The dark, pasty brown of the Tamarind used in The Music of Erich Zahn is really great because it evokes an association with Lovecraft's gargoyle imagery he uses to describe Zahn.

It also conjures the vision that the story's narrator experiences in response to Zahn's music that details a bacchanalia and a, "Satyr" (another jolly-good formula!).

The Black Musk is pretty genius. It could not be described as at all assertive in this formula, but it does wonderfully hang.

Imagine a black nylon stocking stretched over a camera lens.

On the Skin: All of these notes slam together like galaxy's colliding. The effect is unreal.

Zahn can be seen!

Bright-eyed and bent.

Gritty, tanned skin.

A caricature of mischief.

There is also a distinct feeling of a spartan, scholarly miser of a man.

The combined essences of this formula remind of several things: Violin-varnish, catgut, Leather, dusty books, teabags, sweet cigars, vodka, and super-strong coffee. The self-loathing of handicap clashes with a smug sense of superiority deriving from otherworldly proficiency, skill, and talent. This is made all the more complex by the knowlege of the nightmarish things that have come to ply Zahn with their unwelcome attentions so great, so uncanny, so unparalelled are the scale of his frequencies... The intergalactic symphony of dinner or, perhaps, a beckoning slave.

The Music of Erich Zahn is a fabulously provocative fragrance. The fragrance has all of the qualities that make it perfectly suited for representing a rippingly good, frighful fireside yarn.

This would be a marvelous addition to anyone's colletion and would be a surefire hit to break out and annoint the self for some Holiday bragging-rights, come All Hallow's Eve.

Spectrally, The Music of Erich Zahn is cosmos black, cocoa, granite, tinsel, amber, lavender, evergreen and maroon.

The Music of Erich Zahn would serve either of the sexes equally well.

On Her, The Music of Erich Zahn is a wizened muse who has the unsettling ability to appear as though floating when she walks.

On Him, The Music of Erich Zahn is diabolically dapper in a deranged and dismal sort of fashion.

 

Definitely worth seeking out!An easy 5 out of 5!

[bloody sore]

Mostly vetiver with a little sometin sometin. But not much. Glad I don't like this!

[zmulls]

Interesting. This doesn't smell like vetiver on me, not specifically, and I like vetiver. But it must be there, underlying.

 

This scent is just gorgeous on me, the vetiver loves my skin, and it propels the mimosa and tamarind forward. It smells like a cool weather scent, for autumn.

 

I don't have tons to say because it's discontinued, and I have 1.5 imps of it, and one more on the way. I'll use them sparingly so they last.

[Missy_killer]

To my nose: There is something hazelnutty about this..

 

On me: This is black, smokey, burnt vetiver. The kind of vetiver that turns into really burnt coffee on my skin. Ugh. That is really all I can say, I don't get any of the other notes at all.

After half an hour: Smells like an old, cold candle. Stearine again. Why skin, WHY do you want to smell like a candle?!

Edited April 24, 2012 by Missy_killer

[Poenari]

I discovered this untried in my imp stash while looking for some "masculine" imps to enable my nephew before I take him to the BPAL booth at C2E2, but realized that it's discontinued so I decided to try it myself.

 

Vetiver is the strongest note for sure, followed by the same black musk as in Dracul. I happen to like vetiver as well as black musk, so not off-putting to me at all. In fact, I find this to be quite similar to Dracul in tone as well as scent. Dracul minus clove, a little less citrus, plus vetiver = Music of Erich Zahn. So for those disappointed that this was dc'd, I suggest that you give Dracul a try.

[tharsei-thanate]

Purchased an imp from the fabulous MuskWitch!

 

The Music of Erich Zahn is my favorite Lovecraft story, so I had to snag an imp even though the notes are iffy. I mean, the two blends that I've tried with vetiver and black musk (namely Hurricane and Black Temple Burlesque Troupe) worked on me, and I don't ever recall having problems with opoponax, but I'm not familiar with ajowan at all and I have no idea what the heck mimosa and tamarind might do on my skin. Hopefully it all works!

 

In the imp: Oooh, that's dark. Definitely catching the vetiver and black musk, but there's also a sort of sweetness. I guess I can pin that on the tamarind? It's also cold. I can imagine it smelling like this outside of Zahn's window. It's certainly an unsettling scent, and unlike any bpal I've ever sniffed.

 

Wet: Vetiver and black musk dominant, but then the other notes emerge and encircle the vetimusk (I'm calling it vetimusk for as long as they stay combined) like a belt. My understanding is that ajowan has an herbal smell, which I'm catching a bit of. I'm also getting the incense from the opoponax. The tamarind is faint, and I'm honestly not sure if there's any mimosa in here. The colors I'm getting are blacks and greys.

 

Drydown: Similar, but there's more of a sweetness (tamarind??), though it doesn't smell like straight-up sweetness- it's like sweetness obscured by a cloud or a sheer dark cloth, if that makes any sense. Vetimusk is still reigning supreme. This is surprisingly wearable for such a strange scent.

 

Dry: This smells better now, but it's hard to articulate how. I think the black musk and vetiver have separated and the vetiver took a step back. Vetimusk as a unit was fairly strong, but separate the blend becomes more reasonable. Other than that, it's still much of the same. There's still that obscured sweetness from the tamarind and the opoponax incense is still wafting. Still no mimosa as far as I can tell, and the ajowan is very vaguely lingering far in the background.

 

This is a good blend. Is it a great blend? Well, I'm not sure. I like it very much, but I can't say I love it, at least not yet. Though I can say for sure that I'm super glad I have an imp. (:

[savage_rose]

I know why I never tried this before: vetiver. But this is one of the rare blends where the vetiver is resinous and not to overwhelming. It adds a dark, slightly dirty (but in a nice way) note to this masculine blend. Not for me, but surprisingly nice.

[LexieBlom]

The Music of Erich Zahn imp

 

Wet/Bottle - Sweet resin, probably the lightest vetiver blend i've ever sniffed. I'm not familiar with ajowan, but i think that may be the culprit of the light floral notes.

 

Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - It's very gentle, which I wasn't expecting from black musk and vetiver. Very sweet - almost sickly, something floral, something spicy, but not quite foodie. More like a medicinal numbing agent.

 

Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - It smells just like the numbing agent they rub on your skin before you get stitches at the hospital, and that just evokes bad memories.

 

Far too medicinal for me, which is unfortunate as I really enjoy it in the imp itself.

[Casablanca]

No idea how old this imp of discontinued scent is.

 

On the wand, I get vetiver musk and general darkness. I think I catch a side of tamarind.

 

On my skin, the oil is a ghoulish olive green and makes me think of Weenies. Mostly, I get a dark and green-smelling vetiver. I think of something like Troll, but more medicinal, and just a little fruity-sweet from the tamarind.

[Juliamon]

This scent and I have a tumultuous relationship. At times it is beautiful, dark and smoky; at times it is sour and armpit-sweaty. Sometimes there's too much vetiver for me, and sometimes it's the opoponax that's dominating. I love it and I hate it, sometimes I think I want to hunt down a bottle and sometimes I want to give away my imp.

 

The one constant is the gorgeous drydown of vetiver, opoponax, and ajowan. It has decent lasting power too. Worth hunting down an imp if you want something dark and strange, even if you haven't had the best luck with vetiver in the past.