It's officially #DRONEWEEK2024, and we're kicking thing off niiice and sloooow with Alvin Lucier's seminal resonance composition: Music on a Long Thin Wire. Of course, this isn't the original, 5-day Winrock Shopping Center broadcast from 1979, but selected recordings from an installation later that year in the US Custom House.
Let's now turn to modern drone composer Yoichi Ichikawa (aka peeq) (aka nankotsuteacher) and their experimentation with field recordings and just intonation in Sea that has Become Known. I'll admit, this one definitely starts with a bit of a rough edge to it, but when the harmony begins to kick in, the result is nothing short of magical.
Did you know that everyone's favorite drone/doom supergroup had reunited this past year? I sure as hell didn't! Apparently Khanate reformed and surprise-dropped the LP To Be Cruel in 2023. As a side benefit of this, they also digitally reissued the entirety of their back catalogue, meaning we once again get to listen to their self-titled debut in all its glory! Because, after all, sometimes drone music is better with crushing amplifier feedback and indistinct black metal vocals.
Do you like strange combinations of drone, ambient, and experimental noise, all with a heaping dose of shoegaze/post-rock on top? Then by golly do I have an album for you!
I will never get tired of listening to this album. One of the progenitors of drone metal as we know it today. No idea why it ain't on streaming services, but here's a crusty YouTube upload of it!
Today we're starting with the daunting triple album Rainbow Mirror from electronic musician Prurient! I got turned onto this album by a friend of mine and I'm personally looking forward to 200 straight minutes of dark ambient, industrial noise, and drone crammed straight into my skull space.
This is such a weird and neat album. It uses natural sounds and field recordings around the composer's own home to create fascinating musical soundscapes, finding melody and movement within the forgotten notes of everyday life.
Melodic, delicate, atmospheric, and full of crunchy, distant, drones that crash upon the music like waves. An absolute delight.
We can't have #DRONEWEEK without some of the industrial stylings of Justin Broadrick. While definitely a drone metal record, Jesu's debut incorporates a lot of elements of shoegaze and dream pop that would come to define their sound going forward.
One half of the legendary drone metal duo Nadja, Aidan Baker also maintains a prolific solo career. This technically doesn't count as me repeating a composer, and I will brook no argument otherwise. Just enjoy the drone rock, okay?
Starting out today with Corrupted, everyone's favorite drone/doom act that famously refuse to give interviews! Paso inferior is also notoriously difficult to find legally, so, once again, please enjoy a crusty YouTube upload of this atmospheric sludge masterpiece.
This was my first introduction to the strange brainchild of Peter Kember and it absolutely slaps! It's also another one in the "really hard to find" bin, so please listen to it on YouTube.
This is another one of those entries that shows the true power and intensity of drone music. Iranian composer Pouya Pour-Amin crafted this piece to reflect the experiences of a political prisoner, from incarceration to "breaking point." And it absolutely shows--the immediate swing from rage to despair and the ensuing slow build is absolutely harrowing.
Corrupted earlier got me in the mood for some more drone/doom metal, so, here we go, spinnin' up some Orthodox!
Gonna be completely honest with you, I don't even remember how I found this one. Doesn't mean it ain't a good listen, though!
I'm running out of things to type because I'm focusing on writing, but here's my soundtrack for the next few hours: Nurse With Wound!
Another classic from Dream Syndicate alumnus Tony Conrad. Incidentally, I really should get into Faust's other recordings someday. They do cool stuff.
Y'all, do you know how much effort it takes for me not to turn #DRONEWEEK into just listening to GY!BE for seven days straight? It ain't trivial.
Another one from the "I don't remember where I found it but it sure is pretty cool" bin!
This is one I've actually had in my collection for a long time. It was my first introduction to Horseback (over a decade ago at this point), and the launching point for a lot of my love for drone rock and metal.
Just realized it's been a hot minute since I delved into the deeper metal end, so here's a compilation of some early releases from French sludge/doom/drone metal act Monarch!
working on writing, too lazy to write a blurb, enjoy the drone