Sunn O)))

Apparently there wasn't a main thread on them yet, which suprises me a bit as I assumed they are loved on here, although I sometimes hear the word 'pretentious' thrown around. So, watmm, are they pretentious or quite good?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90GVrwiE-8Y

I'm going for the latter, first heard them at about age 14 in the midst of discovering a huge range of different styles of music. I started with the White albums (which were just released at that time) and it was completely otherworldly and fresh to my ears but it made so much sense, especially My Wall. It opened up my ears for a lot more meditative (drone) music too, as well as steering me away from metal into more experimental stuff.

Not really convinced by their recent stuff unfortunately. Still have to give Soused another go asap, that was good though. The Ulver collab was a letdown, even though I loved both acts up until a certain point. The last really great thing they (ish) did was the Nurse With Wound remix album imo, or if that doesn't count: Monoliths & Dimensions.

Reason for creating this now is mainly because of the news that they started up a new Bandcamp account in which they uploaded dozens of live recordings from 2002 up until 2015:

https://sunn-live.bandcamp.com/

Separately there was the already existing bandcamp for most of their official albums:

https://sunn.bandcamp.com/

Of the two times I've seen them, one is uploaded so that's nice to hear again but it really isn't anything close to experiencing a Sunn gig in real life... Which I hope to do again soon.

Julian Cope is part of SUNN?

  On 6/11/2015 at 7:36 PM, Joyrex said:

Julian Cope is part of SUNN?

Nah, he just did that track and a few live gigs with them. They collaborated with a lot of artists live and on albums but the core is just Stephen O' Malley & Greg Anderson.

Altar (with Boris) is one of the greatest albums I've ever heard. To me it's unique. Pure sonic art. I don't play it very often, but then Apocalypse Now is my favorite film of all time and I've only watched that a handful of times in 15 years.

The rest of their output? Mmm not sure, nothing that I've been really convinced by. Wether they per se are pretentious is debatable but I do think their music is guilty of being overated by pretentious critics.

Love'em. Mainly live though.

My first ever noise gig was Sunn O))) supported by Russell Haswell (and a dj set by William Bennett) at Camden Underworld on Halloween of 2003.

Camden Underworld is a tiny venue and this was back when you could smoke indoors. I was very, very glazed. Haswell was dressed all in black with a shaved head looking like a member of Project Mayhem. Laying down in front of his laptop on the stage and smoking a cigarette while unholy glitch chaos spewed from the PA. Most of the stage area was empty during his set, everyone fucked off to the bar lol.

I sat on the floor and smoked a joint with my friend and we watched this guy sat in the other corner wearing dark glasses who we assumed was tripping slowly but surely freak out.

When Sunn came on it was just the two of them, wearing their robes. Big fat candles on either side of the stage and lots of dry ice. It was like watching some kind of ritual carried out by a pair of monks who'd stumbled upon some electric guitars. Was hypnotic and halfway through the set the vibrations were so intense you couldn't feel the ground under your feet anymore.

Saw them again at an ATP around the time of Monoliths and Dimensions and it was a completely different experience. Lasers and death metal vocals and trombones! Oh my!

Still had the smoke machines going strong. Realised then that it's main purpose was to mask all the people smoking weed from the security guys lol.

Last time I saw them was in Camden again. Supported by Nurse With Wound in 2012. That one rattled my chest cavity in a most alarming/satisfying manner.

I've still never heard much of their newer output. I bought Flight of the Behemoth (with Merzbow) when it came out and that one is still the one I listen to most. I also have 00Void on vinyl and White1 on a CDr someone gave me years ago.

Really enjoyed Soused also but I'm a huge Scott fanboy (have that on lp too).

got the black one and moniliths/dimensions albums, if you got a decent soundsystem and a big subwooper they are awesome

when i saw them live i was blown away, it was like they drove a huge lawnmower over my soul

they call it drone but 2 me it's just great noise musick

Yeah, agreeing with everyone else that seeing them live is otherworldly. Saw them on the M&D tour and it was insane. Front row with no earplugs. I couldnt hear shit for like 3 days afterward! Overall in my top 5 shows of all time though. It transforms you.

  On 6/11/2015 at 7:46 PM, Ivan Ooze said:

got the black one and moniliths/dimensions albums, if you got a decent soundsystem and a big subwooper they are awesome

 

when i saw them live i was blown away, it was like they drove a huge lawnmower over my soul

 

they call it drone but 2 me it's just great noise musick

I always just thought of them as really heavy ambient music, I really need to see them live...

  On 6/11/2015 at 8:48 PM, ghOsty said:

 

  On 6/11/2015 at 7:46 PM, Ivan Ooze said:

got the black one and moniliths/dimensions albums, if you got a decent soundsystem and a big subwooper they are awesome

 

when i saw them live i was blown away, it was like they drove a huge lawnmower over my soul

 

they call it drone but 2 me it's just great noise musick

 

I always just thought of them as really heavy ambient music, I really need to see them live...

 

when i saw them it was just after blackend one and the stuff they played sounded exactly like on the album

so yeah noise is maybe not a good way to say it, whatever i experienced it was really, reaaally heavy awesome shit

rarely listen to them on LP (Monoliths/Dimensions and the Boris Alter album are brilliant) but live they are just unbeatable. If you've not seen them then make it your mission.

Seen them live more than I have had hot shits.

Off to see them in August playing with Phurpa, which will be something.

Personal favourite is the Iron Soul of Nothing collaboration with Nurse With Wound, specifically "Ra At Dawn Part 1". It's so effortlessly & utterly immersive - a transcendental blend of moods, strings & whatever else is involved, that envelops your mind & senses to the extent that by the time it's finished your reality is significantly altered (and i use the term transcendental with justifiable deference). Never caught them live, but from grizzled site reports here that anomaly should be remedied sooner rather than later

(u-tub quality here, sry)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqZeKwwkxKI

i need to see them live so fucking bad. they never come anywhere near me.

yeah sunn live are amazing, saw them with earth & boris, was 10/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYM2mm68_QQ

Sunn O))) and Earth were hanging around at the back of the audience when my prog band played in Tasmania last year for the Dark Mofo festival. I didn't get a chance to talk to them but I thought it was pretty cool that they checked out some of the other gigs.

Anyway, I love the Boris collab, and Black One is one of the bleakest albums I've ever heard.. but haven't really given the rest enough time. I tried to listen to Soused but the vocals are just too ridiculous for me.

I'm waiting for them to collab with Current 93. They've done something with NWW and C93 has done something with Om, so it's only a matter of time, and it's going to be glorious.

  On 6/12/2015 at 5:12 PM, cwmbrancity said:

Personal favourite is the Iron Soul of Nothing collaboration with Nurse With Wound, specifically "Ra At Dawn Part 1". It's so effortlessly & utterly immersive - a transcendental blend of moods, strings & whatever else is involved, that envelops your mind & senses to the extent that by the time it's finished your reality is significantly altered (and i use the term transcendental with justifiable deference). Never caught them live, but from grizzled site reports here that anomaly should be remedied sooner rather than later

(u-tub quality here, sry)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqZeKwwkxKI

Oh that youtube link is nice! Perhaps a good starting point for me then.

https://instagram.com/p/4qEF4yDQZq/

new shit: imminent

Did see them live 2 times. The second time it was so loud that we had to leave as it made me feel physical pain in my head

  On 7/4/2015 at 3:37 AM, petina said:

https://instagram.com/p/4qEF4yDQZq/

 

new shit: imminent

https://twitter.com/IdeologicOrgan/status/618496660654522368

It is!

And Sunn O))) are curating the Le Guess Who festival, the festival that was curated by Michael Gira of Swans last year (and got Autechre). Thusfar not many acts announced yet except Arthur Brown and Aluk Todolo, amongst a few others. Glad I can see them again soon, due for a proper bass massage.

Weird not seeing a single post on the new album yet. It's online now for everyone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAyByThyyn8

All I can say so far is that I'm disappointed it's only 33 minutes. Same with the Ulver collab...

seeing 'em early next year

  On 6/14/2015 at 10:27 AM, ThatSpanishGuy said:

lol

People keep asking me if I'm gonna go, but I've seen them twice already and I think that's probably enough—I don't imagine they're gonna do anything different to the last two times. Great live sound though.

wouldn't you do it for the chance of seeing someone stage-dive at a Sunn o))) show?