LISTENING
Many albums were inspirational to me while working on Yellow Sands, but I wanted to write briefly about ten of the many that I listened to religiously during this period and why they were important to the creative process. No art is created in a vacuum!
The Angels of Light - How I Loved You (2001)
A side project from Michael Gira of Swans, The Angels of Light is a neo-folk band that swaps Swans’ pummeling aggression for angelic beauty and quiet. The arrangements are lush and its diverse palette—including hammered dulcimer and lap steel guitar—makes for an endlessly inspiring listening experience. What sets The Angels of Light apart from other folk acts is Gira’s uniquely dark songwriting and use of sound design and space—likely a result of being written immediately after Swans’ experimental opus Soundtracks for the Blind. I firmly believe that “Untitled Love Song” is one of the greatest songs ever written.
Favourite songs: “Untitled Love Song,” “New York Girls,” “Public Embarrassment Blues”
Björk - Homogenic (1997)
Although the beautifully fragile Vespertine is probably my favourite Björk record, Homogenic was a constant reference for mixing the stringed instruments on Yellow Sands. There’s an aggression to Homogenic that is seldom heard elsewhere in Björk’s catalogue, but the hooks are still here in spades and her vocal performances are exceptional, as always. I love the idea that you can make a pop album that’s still brave and bizarre, and it’s something I really strove to do with Yellow Sands.
Favourite songs: “Bachelorette,” “Alarm Clock,” “All is Full of Love”
Sky Ferreira - Night Time, My Time (2013)
One of the most interesting pop albums of the last few decades, Sky Ferreira’s Night Time, My Time is the work of an authentic and confident artist. While Ferreira’s voice has a quality that’s reminiscent of other talented pop contemporaries like Lana Del Rey, the fuzzy and grunge-inspired instrumentation sounds like nothing else I’ve heard in this context. The album cover, shot by acclaimed filmmaker Gaspar Noé, is also exceptional.
Favourite songs: “Omanko,” “You’re Not the One”
Grimes - Geidi Primes (2010)
Grimes’ debut album Geidi Primes, a concept album inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune novels, demonstrates that music is about the ideas rather than the equipment. Made in Garageband and featuring drum sounds created by hitting a pencil against a table, Geidi Primes’s DIY production and aesthetic is charming and unique. The album encouraged me to keep some of the dirtier sounds I was using, like the lo-fi drums in “Dust Eater” and “Heavenly Bodies” (which were recorded on my phone), in the final mixes. I also find Geidi Primes inspiring because Grimes’ success demonstrates that there are many people who want to hear music that’s a little bit odd.
Favourite songs: “Feyd Rautha Dark Heart,” “Shadout Mapes”
Japan - Tin Drum (1981)
The final Japan studio album, Tin Drum is an experimental pop masterpiece. While critically acclaimed for Richard Barbieri and David Sylvian’s pioneering programming work, Mick Karn’s driving fretless playing and Steve Jansen’s tightly knit drum parts steal the show for me. One of those classic albums where every musician’s identity is equally as unique and prominent. The album is also notable for its use of Eastern-inspired sounds and samples, reminiscent of David Bowie’s “Yassassin” or “Secret Life of Arabia,” and similar to what I wanted to achieve with Yellow Sands.
Favourite songs: “Ghosts,” “Talking Drum,” “Visions of China”
King Crimson - Larks Tongues in Aspic (1973)
Larks Tongues in Aspic is my favourite King Crimson album because it feels like their most spiritual and otherworldly. David Cross’ violin and Fripp’s odd guitar sounds seem to transcend space and time, and the songs are awash in mellotron and clusters of exotic percussion. Listening to Larks Tongues in Aspic feels like stumbling into some sort of occult ritual and realizing that you actually want to watch (see: Eyes Wide Shut). As with everything on this list, the album cover is also beautiful and fits the music perfectly.
Favourite songs: “Exiles,” “The Talking Drum”
Massive Attack - Heligoland (2010)
Perhaps my favourite Massive Attack album, Heligoland trades out the group’s sample-heavy approach for live instrumentation. The vocal performances here are electric, with Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Star) being a standout with the cinematic “Paradise Circus.” Massive Attack made me realize that it’s okay to have other vocalists perform your songs! It was originally my intention to have different singers on Yellow Sands until I fell in love with Daisy’s voice and had to feature it everywhere!
Favourite songs: “Paradise Circus,” “Atlas Air,” “Splitting the Atom”
Porcupine Tree - Signify (1996)
While later Porcupine Tree albums are much more popular, have more confidently written songs, and feature slicker production, I often find Signify to be their most inspirational because it sounds like it exists in its own strange little world. The album is nicely balanced between moody pop songs and longer psychedelic excursions, and it has a mysterious and uniquely bizarre quality—helped by the odd samples sprinkled throughout and John Blackford’s fantastic cover artwork. Colin Edwin’s superbly smooth fretless bass playing is on full display here, perfectly supporting Chris Maitland’s elegantly crafted drum parts. The closing track, “Dark Matter,” is one of my all-time favourites.
Favourite songs: “Dark Matter,” “Waiting, “Idiot Prayer”
PS: Colin plays the exact same fretless Wal bass on Signify (and other PT albums during this time period) as he does on most of Yellow Sands!
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden (1988)
One of the most beautiful albums I have ever heard, Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden is a revelation. To me, it demonstrates that you can really do anything with music and you’re never tied down by what you’ve done before. Spirit of Eden is nothing like the earlier Talk Talk records (which are also great, by the way), and its sparseness and use of space is brave. I also admire its jazzy and varied musical palette, featuring oboe, harmonica, trumpet, and the “shozygs.” Regarding Yellow Sands, Spirit of Eden’s influence can probably be best heard on the lengthy post-rock-ish cut “Sleeper,” and the harmonica solo in “Heavenly Bodies.”
Favourite songs: “The Rainbow,” “I Believe in You”
Ulver - The Assassination of Julius Caesar (2016)
One of the most eclectic bands of all time, Ulver’s The Assassination of Julius Caesar proves that you can make an album with obtuse and nerdy historical lyrics and still be quite cool! While other Ulver albums like Perdition City and Blood Inside might be more sonically varied, The Assassination of Julius Caesar is a perfectly crafted dark pop album with fantastically rich synth sounds. Shout-out to the b-sides companion EP Sic Gloria Transit Mundi, which features “Bring Out Your Dead,” one of Ulver’s finest tunes.
Favourite songs: “Rolling Stone,” “Transverberation,” “Coming Home”