Sunn 0))) - No limit
After witnessing their show as the most brutal thing I had ever seen I was lost in a psychedelic trance. Everywhere you looked there was smoke, and not all of it came out of a machine if you know what I mean. And somewhere in that smoke I found mister Stephen O’Malley willing to answer some questions for me.
1. How do you compose your songs?
We don’t rehearse. We usually have ideas, guidelines to what we want to do and we just soundcheck and record it. It’s usually based on an idea that either one of us may have. It just builds from there, in the studio or on tour.
2. So this was a somewhat improvised gig?
Yes. Well, most of the riffs are not improvised, maybe in a live show it changes, due to feedback or something.
3. So, what’s the tuning of your guitar?
We are tuned in drop A, the same as Earth. It’s basically a baritone guitar tuning. Like a baritone guitar tuned to drop E. Or a seven-string tuned to drop D. We take it just a bit further.
4. Do you have some kind of on-line discography of everything that Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson have ever released?
I try to keep one updated on my own website, but Greg, I don’t know. I don’t think so. Mine is pretty accurate, maybe missing like five or six or so. I thinks it’s updated till last summer.
5. How many fans do you think Sunn 0))) has worldwide?
I don’t know how many, but it’s becoming more and more. It seems like it’s growing. One of the cool things is the broad range of people we attract. We have a pretty divers crowd, which is really awesome to see.
6. How do you find all those guest musicians and how do you create songs with them?
It’s usually people we got in contact with that we respect and like. We’ll just invite them and sometimes we’re lucky enough to record something with those great artists. They’re also all very diverse which is really cool. They’re given a bit of direction from Greg and me, but there’s a lot of free range to fill in for them selves. We really value musical charisma so they bring something that grows the music.
7. So, was that Atilla Csihar from the White2 album on stage there tonight?
No that was actually Boris’ drummer there. We have done quite some shows with Atilla actually, he is really keen on playing it live.
8. Aha, okay. Have you ever seen anyone actually getting sick during one of your concerts?
Hehehe, I’ve heard about it but I’ve never seen it. People puking I’ve heard about.
9. I can imagine hehehe. About the Roadburn festival the. Are you going to open the extra heavy stage?
Yeah I think we’re playing first, but I don’t care about playing first or last.
10 How long are you going to play there?
I don’t know, they usually tell us the time there.
11. But if you get just a half an hour…?
Then we’ll be able to play one riff, haha! No, we’ll probably play like 45 minutes up to an hour. Like we usually do. Tonight was one hour too.
12. Now, I know you're not in the band, but do you know something about the next Goatsnake album?
I don’t know. There might not even be a next album. Greg keeps going back and forward about it, I don’t know. It has an uncertain future at the moment.
13. I have the word limit written on my paper here but I haven’t got the slightest clue about what I was gonna ask regarding that. But after seeing you live, I understand that there is no limit to Sunn 0)))!! Hehehehe!! Thanks for the show and the interview man, I had an awesome experience!!
Hehehehe! Yeah thank you too and we’ll see you next time!