This week, experimental singer-songwriter Scott Walker and drone metal outfit Sunn O))) release their collaborative album, Soused, through 4AD Records. Spotify users can also stream the LP in full below.
Walker was originally approached to appear on Sunn O)))’s 2009 album Monoliths & Dimensions, but ultimately declined. However, in late 2013, he returned to Sunn O))) with new music he had written specifically for a potential collaboration. The album was recorded earlier this year and produced by Walker, his longtime collaborator/partner Peter Walsh, and musical director Mark Warman.
In an interview with The Quietus, Walker discussed how he and the band found a common ground in a general aesthetic and overall musical philosophy: “If you look at the last track on my last few albums it’s just me and it’s quite small or otherwise it’s a cast of thousands. They were a great compromise in that way because of the weight they have. I mean they’re so loud. When we recorded them [laughs] it was shockingly loud. We’d go into the studio and … ha ha ha! We all had to wear earplugs. The first day we heard it – that brought new meaning to the phrase ‘guitar levels.'”
He also discussed how not knowing the band was actually a plus for the creative process: “I’d never met them before, we’d never spoken, we just turned up at the studio,” Walker said. “I thought it was the best way to do it. So I thought, ‘If it’s going to be an ugly surprise, it’s going to be an ugly surprise and everyone can just go away and try and forget about it.’ But I like that. I like the risk factor involved in something like this because I didn’t know what was going to happen. But they were an absolute pleasure and everyone got on perfectly. They were serious about what they did but they were funny as well. They were so aware of their sound and how it evolves. And very particular about their sound.”
The five-track, 50-minute effort features slightly different tracklists both the CD/digital and vinyl releases. Initial pressings of the double LP will be available on red vinyl. Pre-orders for the album are ongoing.
Soused (CD/digital):
01. Brando
02. Herod 2014
03. Bull
04. Fetish
05. Lullaby
Soused (LP):
A1. Brando
A2. Bull
B1. Herod 2014
C1. Fetish
C2. Lullaby
