Sunn O))) on why David Pajo is the “master of playing quiet”
Few bands have ventured down a non-conforming path with as much success as Sunn O))). Since their debut in 2000, Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley have persisted in their unique musical odyssey, boldly challenging traditional forms and profoundly resonating with fans, shaking them to the core.
Blending doom and black metal, drone, dark ambient and noise rock, with O’Malley tuning all the way down to drop A, Sunn O)))’s formless and all-encompassing sound has seen them rise as one of the contemporary era’s definitive cult acts. They undoubtedly aided this status by donning cloaks and filling the room with smoke when playing live, a visual decision which adds more to the enigma.
Straddling a countercultural approach to music and armed with a dark, almost pagan aesthetic framework, this hypnotic but deeply unsettling sound has continued to fascinate listeners. Sunn O))) have drawn immense reverence in a world where so many acts once hailed for their deviation from the norm gradually fall in line in search of commercial validity.
The duo are authentic artists in an industry where the contemporary desire for instant gratification so often affects creativity, with their restraint and dedication to making the listener work for fulfilment an undoubted triumph. It is for this reason that Sunn O))) boasts fans from across the cultural spectrum, many of whom are united in their deference to musical resistance.
Despite their sound being extremely distinctive, Sunn O))) pulls from a host of familiar areas to create it. One man who significantly impacted their vision is renowned guitarist David Pajo. Best known for his work with the widely influential post-rock pioneers Slint, Pajo plays with Gang of Four and has various solo projects.
When talking to Bandcamp for their ‘Big Ups’ segment, Anderson and O’Malley listed some of their favourite releases on the distribution platform. One of these was 2018’s The Piano Sessions, which Pajo released under his moniker Papa M. During his appraisal of the record, Anderson called the Slint man a “master of playing quiet”, with the restraint shown on his most famous records clearly impacting the work of Sunn O))).
“There’s this really fragile beauty to what he’s playing. He’s basically a master of playing quiet, which is a really difficult thing to do,” Anderson explained. “All my life, most of the stuff I’ve been drawn to and listened to has been played loud. When you hear somebody that can pull off playing quiet and write these things that are as dark and heavy as anything that would be, that’s extremely unique.”
Listen to ‘Hand in Hand’ by Papa M below.
