Insect Ark
photo by Chris Carlone

Insect Ark discuss 10 records that influenced their new album

Instrumental doomers Insect Ark are now officially a duo, with band leader Dana Schechter (who also is/was in Swans and Angels of Light) joined by former SubRosa drummer Andy Patterson, and that lineup released the very good The Vanishing on Profound Lore earlier this year.

We reached out to Dana and Andy and asked them what music influenced the new album, and they put together an eclectic list that includes Slint, Oranssi Pazuzu, Sade, Pink Floyd, Mark Lanegan, Melvins, Daniel Lanois, Caspar Brotzmann Massaker, and more. Each member also provided commentary on their picks. Check out their lists below.

TEN RECORDS THAT INFLUENCED INSECT ARK’S NEW ALBUM

Dana’s list:

Caspar Brotzmann Massaker – Koksofen
I always hear this record and it flips my head upside down. It’s permanently embedded in my head. I first heard it when it came out and it broke my brain. I can never get
enough of the textures, the power, the thrust, the space in between. Magical.

Khanate – Clean Hands Go Foul
It does’t get much bleaker, much emptier. It fits with my state of mind much of the time, but despite it being difficult for some folks, I personally find Khanate to be a very relaxing band to listen to.

Pink Floyd – Dark Side of The Moon
I was in a tripped out place all of 2019. The whole year was pretty intense. I need not preach to the choir about Pink Floyd, you all know their magic. This album brought me a lot of solace when I felt unstable.

Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
These guys were / are one of my favorite new(er) bands, and getting to tour with them was a dream. It’s really about how they pull it all together… but Toni’s bass playing is so totally crushing, there’ve been several times where I was intensely jealous of his basslines. Masterful.

Daniel Lanois – Goodbye to Language
Many people haven’t heard Lanois’ swirling pedal steel/lap steel albums, but I can’t recommend them enough. He used a lot more production and effects on his steel guitar work for this LP, making for a dense, heady swirl.

Andy’s list:

Slint – “Good Morning, Captain”
This song has been a huge part of my life for so many years.
At first it influenced me musically for what a bamd could sound like outside of conventional popular sounds. Then later in life is somehow attached itself to 2 major events in my life (the passing of my mother and my favorite dog in the same year). This song will never not make me cry.

Sade – “By Your Side”
First of all, I just love Sade. But this song signifies the time when I met my wife 20 years ago. I put it on a mixtape for her to let her know where I stand and how I felt about her.

Mark Lanegan – “I’ll Take Care of You”
Again, another sappy song that makes me think of my wife. We both love Mark Lanegan so much. There was a QOTSA documentary where Mark Lanegan just killed a first take and Josh Homme said “Fuckin’ Lanegan.” This has become an inside joke for us any time we hear him.

Melvins – “At The Stake”
Melvins are GOD!!! This whole album is a desert island record for me. But this song is just so atmospheric and doomy deliciousness. It really woke me up to a band creating tension and space at the same time.

Pink Floyd – “Pigs (Three Different Ones)”
This song continues to blow my mind. I absolutely love the writing and arrangement. I kind of think it’s the perfect song. And the lyrical content somehow is even more relevent today than when it was written in 1977. It’s almost like it was written last year.

Before you go, watch this video from Insect Ark’s album release show at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus this year: