House of Low Culture
House of Low Culture

Aaron Turner lists his favorites of 2017; House of Low Culture on new split (listen)

In addition to fronting Sumac and playing in the supergroup Old Man Gloom (and previously fronting Isis), Aaron Turner also leads the experimental/drone/ambient project House of Low Culture. The project’s lineup has changed a bit over the years, and it’s consisted of Aaron and his wife/Mammiffer bandmate Faith Coloccia since 2010. They haven’t released anything in four years but that changes this week, with their four-way split with likeminded artists Caustic Touch, Daniel Menche and EMS that comes out on Friday (12/15) via Accident Prone (pre-order). Here’s some background info on how the split came together, via press release:

“The only thing better than playing shows with friends and their friends is getting to make records with friends and their friends.” This sentiment from Andrea K (Caustic Touch, Vice Device) perfectly encapsulates the spirit behind this 4-way split from House of Low Culture, Daniel Menche, Caustic Touch, and EMS on Portland’s Accident Prone Records. In early 2016, the artists on this record played together at Portland’s High Water Mark Lounge as Mamiffer (Faith Collocia and Aaron Turner), Daniel Menche, Caustic Touch, and EMS. Throughout the months that followed, the artists grew closer, and continued to play together in a variety of configurations and acts. After regional dates opening for Sumac, Andrea K asked Aaron Turner if he would be interested in having any of his projects join Caustic Touch as part of a 4-way split that she and Gary Bahen (Accident Prone) had been envisioning. Aaron and Faith signed on as House of Low Culture, and immediately suggested frequent collaborator Daniel Menche join in. When the three got together to decide who would best round out the split, it was a quick, unanimous vote to ask Vern Avola (EMS, Elrond, ex-Prizehog). Despite having recorded separately, the tracks on this split flow together as though the album had been written and recorded as a collaboration. The result is a beautiful, haunting, and extraordinarily cohesive assemblage of experimental noise that stands as a testament to the friendship, respect, and artistic vision these five artists share.

We’re premiering a full stream of the split below.

We also asked Aaron Turner what his favorite music of 2017 was, and he sent a list that includes both albums and live shows (“aside from the albums I had the pleasure/honor of releasing or playing on this year,” he adds). The list includes Moor Mother, Dalek, Godflesh, Oxbow, Circle, Endon, and more. Check it out below.

Sumac, who released the great What One Becomes last year, have an upcoming West Coast tour with Converge (whose Ben Koller also told us his favorites of 2017).

Aaron Turner’s “favorite sights/sounds of 2017”
– Moor Mother “Fetish Bones”
– No Balls “More is More”
– Dälek “Endangered Philosophies”
– Keiji Haino “Watashi Dake”
– Aine O’Dwyer “Gegenschein”
– Godflesh “Post Self”
– Zachary James Watkins – live
– Terry Riley “Les Yeux Fermes & Lifespan”
– v/a – “Tokyo Flashback”
– Deathspell Omega “The Synarchy of Molten Bones”
– Sprickor – s/t
– Oxbow – live
– Circle “Terminal”
– Keiler Roberts “Sunburning”
– ENDON – live