Decibrity Playlist: Wolvserpent

Featured, Interviews, Lists Wolvserpent.

Wolvserpent was busy on the road in support of its recently released sophomore LP Perigaea Antahkarana, but it was guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Blake Green’s other job that made him wary of even taking the time to put together a playlist for us. We’ll let the man himself explain the side effects–which, fortunately for us, he was able to get past–of his latter gig: “When I was first invited to provide a playlist for Decibel, I had to politely decline. My new night job as a front of house sound engineer had rendered my enjoyment of music impossible. I found myself preferring darkness and silence to my usual darkness and music, giving my ears a break from the cymbals, guitars, drunks and assholes. Lucky for me as since that time I have overcome this very real occupational hurdle and my love and enjoyment for music has been rekindled. I am sure it has nothing to do with working at better clubs with better bands, but I am glad either way.”

Green’s playlist covers his band’s favorite selections, including four that cover 20th century/classical influences on the new record (which you can pick up here) and four spanning the dark/ambient/metal side. Feel free to listen along here.

Arvo Pärt’s “Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten” (1977)
A highly influential composer from Estonia. Master of minimalism and breath. This piece is based on early chant music and is an elegy mourning the death of English composer Benjamin Britten.

Lou Harrison’s “Double Concerto For Violin And Cello With Javanese Gamelan: I. Grandly, but moderate” (1981-1982)
An American composer known for integrating non-Western styles into his compositions. Often using just intonation as opposed to equal temperament.

Henryk Górecki’s “Symphony No. 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs): I. Lento—Sostenuto tranquillo ma cantabile (1976)
An avant-garde Polish composer famous for using slow repetitive progressions. The second movement of this piece uses the words of a teenage girl that were written on the wall of a gestapo prison cell invoking the protection of Mother Mary.

Krzysztof Penderecki’s “Polish Requiem: II. Kyrie” (1980-1984)
Another amazing Polish composer/conductor. Polish Requiem is a beautifully horrifying piece. Written to accompany the unveiling of a statue at Gdańsk shipyards commemorating those killed in the Polish anti-government riots in 1970.