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 sunn o))) interview
 to access audio and video on collective you need real player.Black light. So jealously do Californian “power ambient” outfit Sunn O))) guard their anonymity that they wear voluminous cowls on stage and agree to be filmed only with a guarantee that their faces be completely blacked out. In these celebrity-obsessed times it’s a highly unusual stance, but then Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson are the lynchpins of a very singular band.Sunn O))) (their name is that of a vintage amp) play doom metal of a monolithic power and almost apocalyptic intensity, using waves of loud, hypnotic drone, overlapping, feedback-affected chords held for what seems like an eternity, and layer upon layer of sludgy, psych-rock soundscapes. They’ve sacrificed the traditional elements of rock – melody, harmony, song structure – in favour of improvisational freedom and, in many ways, have more in common with minimalist composers like Steve Reich than, say, the black-metal fraternity.  “We’re definitely really interested in the physical side of sound waves and the way they affect the body and fill space,” claims O’Malley. “But the emotional and psychic sides of sound are something that each listener figures out for themselves, rather than what we’re trying to project. Details like power and strength, subtlety and beauty become more obvious when there’s either a contrast or a differentiation within the music. We’re not like early Swans [legendary NYC avant noiseniks], where there was a feeling of a full-on, deliberate assault all the time.”  It’s not only the ceremonial effect of discreet tonal variations and the pitch-dark ambience that make Sunn O))) a cultish concern; there’s the doomy record sleeves and infamous hooded cloaks, too. Says O’Malley, “The cowls are very important to our live show, as is some of the imagery on the albums, but that’s just one aspect of what we do. A lot of our fans are interested in the fact that there are many different facets to our music, including the possibility that we might be painting pentagrams on the walls, or whatever. I don’t think our fans are that silly, but maybe it’s just a nice, fantastical way to think about it. If I step back from Sunn O))), it can seem like a strange type of music, but compared to a lot of other things that are going on, we’re really not that extreme.”
Sharon O'Connell
Sunn O))) & Boris – Altar, released 24 October 06 on Southern.
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comment by LightningBrother
Nov 8, 2006
Sounds like Penny Slinger and Eno in a darkened room, on a bad hair day. It's cool - I'd listen again
comment by davidjennings
Oct 28, 2006
I'm glad to hear (in the interview) that Sunn can see the absurd elements of what they do and say they don't take themselves too seriously. That sense of humour was missing when I saw them earlier this year: as they anxiously pulled at their slipping hoods, I felt the urge to tickle them and see if I could wring a smile out of their po-faced demeanour.It was also evident that some in the audience were taking them way, way too seriously.
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