AN IMAGINARY COMPILATION ALBUM : #308: THE SOUND OF VIOLENCE

A GUEST POSTING by OUR SWEDISH CORRESPONDENT

Jim,

The other day when driving my daughters to school it so happened that my phone, connected to the audio system of the car, even if in shuffle mode played 3 songs in a row that all contained the word “violent” or “violence” in the title, and this struck me as a topic for an ICA – even if not necessarily presenting anything new to the TVV crowd. The current situation along the Ukraine border had an uncanny touch to the sudden appearance of so much violence from my media library…

Rules were simple, I had to have the music myself, and it was the song not the artist that should contain a form of the word violence. So no Violent Femmes included.

Side A:

Violently Happy – Björk.

Violence as a reinforcement for feelings. No further introduction needed.

Violence – Grimes feta. i_o.

A bit ambiguous lyrics, somewhere in-between good and bad I guess. Makes me want to dance, from her latest album, Miss Anthropocene.

Violent Delights – CHVRCHES.

IMHO the best new thing out of Scotland this last decade, with a patent sounding track about being left with just haunting dreams.

A Violent Noise – The xx.

IMHO maybe the best new thing out of England this last decade, with a patent sounding track about being left with just haunting longing. Am I repeating myself?

Shining Violence – Chromatics.

Like an extension of the two preceding tracks, words are unnecessary.

Side B:

Lost In Violence – Siglo XX.

The Belgian cold wave act heavily influenced by Joy Division. Dark and moody, the influences are not exactly subtle.

Violent Playground – ionnalee.

2020 saw ionnalee release a compilation (Kronologi) of re-recorded tracks from her 10-year career as iamamiwhoami and ionnalee. This was one of the oldest tracks on the album (and a bit of a joker in the deck) dealing with men’s violence.

Quiet Violence – Hante.

French darkwave artist Hélène de Thoury delivers a haunting vision of hiding quietly in the dark, waiting for something bad to happen.

Violence Of Truth – The The.

Matt is upset. Matt makes great music when he is upset.

Violent Playground – Jonna Lee.

You guessed it, this is the original version by Jonna Lee which is her given name, and the only track on the aforementioned Kronologi album originating before the two electronic monikers of hers. Her two albums as Jonna Lee, 10 Pieces, 10 Bruise & This Is Jonna Lee, are much more traditional guitar based indie records. This track was however only released on a compilation album by her then label, Razzia Records.

Love & Peace

Martin