Soused (album)


Soused is a collaborative album between singer Scott Walker and experimental metal band Sunn O))). Announced in early 2014 by 4AD, the album was produced by Walker and Peter Walsh with the help of Mark Warman and released on 21 October 2014. 4AD released a music video for the song "Brando", directed by French filmmaker Gisèle Vienne.

Production and recording

Sunn O))) songwriters Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson had previously contacted Walker about contributing vocals to Monoliths & Dimensions in 2009, but Walker declined due to prior engagements. While developing material for his follow up record to 2012's Bish Bosch, Walker reached out to the band. Walker's decision to incorporate drones came about while developing lyrics. As the singer-composer stated, "I could get those gaps, you see, between phrases. Which I usually fill with silence, but now I had the drones."
Upon agreeing to collaborate, Walker sent O'Malley and Anderson a series of with wordless demos of the tracks produced by Walker and Peter Walsh made entirely with synthesizers, in effect directly outlining the instrumental accompaniments that O'Malley and Anderson were to provide via guitar drones. To record Sunn O)))'s guitar drones, the band brought its entire stage equipment, a large collection of amplifiers, to Walker's London studio space.
Walker initially wanted to name the album Ronronner, French for "purr", "like the noise a big cat would make", but O'Malley said that French audiences would read it as "too cute". Walker then came up with Soused, with the intended meaning of being submerged in water.

Reception

Track listing

CD and digital editions

  1. "Brando" – 8:42
  2. "Herod 2014" – 11:59
  3. "Bull" – 9:21
  4. "Fetish" – 9:08
  5. "Lullaby" – 9:22

    Vinyl LP edition

Side one
  1. "Brando" – 8:42
  2. "Bull" – 9:21
Side two
  2. "Herod 2014" – 11:59
Side three
  2. "Fetish" – 9:08
  3. "Lullaby" – 9:22

    Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.