@hypermasc asked for a playlist based on the words “unease” and “sacrifice.” Making a playlist with as dark a mood as this one was intimidating, but the process taught me a lot and was actually less difficult than expected.
the end justifies the means. [Spotify] [YouTube]
2. Raua Needmine - Veljo Tormis
3. Glittering Clouds (Locusts) - Imogen Heap
4. Dead body found A - Masafumi Takada
5. NEW A.A. (Ch. 1) - Masafumi Takada
6. Applebite - Soundgarden
7. Jane Cum - Japanese Breakfast
8. Tell Me the Truth - Låpsley
9. 1990 QUADRILLIONS DE TONNES - Gojira
A little about the songs in the playlist:
(Some titles differ between Spotify and YouTube. “Hikari” is not available on Spotify.)
1. “Anxiety”—This song, by Lena Raine, is from the soundtrack for the (deservedly) popular indie game Celeste. I chose this to set the mood for the playlist.
2. “Raua Needmine (Curse Upon Iron)”—This is an aggressive and desperate choral piece originally composed by Veljo Tormis in 1972. The text comes from The Kalevala, a nineteenth-century epic poem and one of Finland and Karelia’s most significant literary works.
3. “Glittering Clouds (Locusts)”—This song is from a compilation titled “Plague Songs” featuring many different artists. Each song represents one of the ten plagues the Lord set upon Egypt as told in the book of Exodus. This song, of course, represents the plague of locusts.
4. and 5. “Dead body found A”; “NEW A.A. (Ch. 1)”—The Danganronpa franchise is a treasure trove of eerie, unusual music. Masafumi Takada’s soundtrack for Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony includes these two selections.
6. “Applebite”—”Applebite” is a reference to the Biblical fall of man, when Adam and Eve bit into the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and doomed mankind to a sinful nature. The lyrics express the futility of human means to achieve salvation and the imminent reality of eternal torture.
7. “Jane Cum”—This song comes from Michelle Zauner’s solo project Japanese Breakfast. In an interview, Zauner said that this song makes her think of a man’s voice “screaming in longing” for a woman he’s lost. She also prizes this song as one of her most dynamic vocal performances.
8. “Tell Me the Truth”—This song is about a failed relationship.
9. “1990 QUADRILLIONS DE TONNES”—This song comes from the French heavy metal band Gojira. I couldn’t find a song creepier than this. In fact, I didn’t find it myself; I asked my brother for help with the playlist and he supplied me with this song and “Applebite.” “1990 QUADRILLIONS DE TONNES” is a reference to the weight of the sun. The tormented screaming heard throughout the song can be interpreted as the pain of burning in the sun, or one might interpret the sun reference as a metaphor for Hell’s lakes of fire.
10. “Hikari”—Language is a wonderful band, but sometimes hard to locate. Their discography is not available on Spotify, but this may be a good thing for this playlist, because I think the video should be watched to appreciate this as a part of the “sacrifice” theme. The video can be found here.
If you got this far—thank you! You can follow me on Spotify @Bladesing3r if you’d like.
send me two words and I’ll make you a playlist based off of them!
