Welcome back to Selections, a series of exclusive artist-curated Spotify playlists from those in the know.
Australian composer and producer Ben Frost is celebrated for his uncompromising sound design, his works frequently channelling monolithic themes that demand a visceral response. His latest album, The Centre Cannot Hold essays the current state of global politics in a barrage of sound and fury (sample track titles: “A Single Hellfire Missile Costs $100,000” and “Healthcare”), recorded over ten days with Steve Albini in Chicago. But despite the seismic heft, Frost’s strain of noise rarely lack a sense of beauty at its molten core.
This exclusive Selections playlist makes explicit Frost’s own attraction to both violent bombardment and sublime release – whether it be V/Vm’s artillery of distortion or the confrontational noise of Merzbow, the choral music of Julia Wolfe and the looped incantations of Julianna Barwick. It may not be an easy listen – what did you expect – but it’s essential stuff.
Ben Frost appears at Le Guess Who?, Utrecht, 9-12 November.
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