Stylus contributor Nirav Soni claimed that “there’s a great pleasure in getting all wrapped up in” Daniel Menche’s Skadha. And it’s to clear why when listening to nearly any of Menche’s enveloping noise releases. Menche’s brand of noise is a varied one: he’s just as likely to pummel as he is to crush. But what does he listen to for pleasure? Stylus decided to find out.
Roosevelt Charles– Let My People Go, [Angola Prison Spirituals]
Whooaa! That voice! HOLY MOSES! Did the earth crack open and started to speak? Or is it Roosevelt Charles. What an amazing deep voice. Very little is known about this poor soul singing while in prison and recorded sometime in the 50s. Not even sure what got him in prison but Oh Lordy what emotion within that voice. This is the voice of total isolation. This song is from the Angola Prison recordings and I do highly recommend all of these recordings. It doesn’t get any heavier than this, folks.
Recommended environment to listen to this: Lying on your back in a open grass field and gazing into the sky.
[visit Arhoolie Records’ website here, buy Angola Prison Spirituals here]
Geinoh Yamashirogumi– Shoumyou, [Symphonic Suite AKIRA]
There are two different soundtracks to this film available but this symphonic suite version has rarely been heard and it’s the only version I can recommend. There’s a lot of very strange vocal sounds and arrangements on the entire recording that build up into a epic sound storm. This track is a good example of that, but the rest of the album is amazing as well. The recording production must have been massive, I would love to see making of this recording.
Recommended environment while listening to this: Walking and running up a
long flight of stairs.
[buy Symphonic Suite AKIRA here]
Cliff Burton– (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth, [Kill ‘Em All]
“Cliff Burton bass solo take one” Amazing! there wasn’t a take 2 or take 3. It was just fucking perfect the first time. This track is from the Kill ‘Em All album. And it does just kill.
Recommended environment while listening to this: A perfect iPod track to listen to while walking the streets at night giving strangers the thousand mile stare. Try it and maybe you’ll feel bad-ass-evil as Cliff was (Just don’t air guitar to it in public—tempting yes, but not very evil looking).
[buy Kill ‘Em All here]