The heaviest record of 2022 is not a metal album. That accolade goes to Dutch electronica/post-rock sensations, GGGOLDDD, who produced an emotive masterpiece detailing the trauma of rape survival. Singer, Milena Eva, relives the darkest moments of her life in This Shame Should Not Be Mine, but it’s something she needed to put on record to face up to the power of her tormentor.
‘We haven’t heard anything as distressing since Tori Amos revisited her demons on her 1992 masterpiece, Little Earthquakes,’ we said in our review earlier this year. ‘This record picks at the scabs and salts the wounds when meadows and endless green vistas would be the easier option.’
The despicable event that changed Milena’s life at age nineteen needs no contextualisation. This Shame Should Not Be Mine is a candid examination of how the rape changed her as a person. You can hear it in every consonant and feel it in every heart-melting croon of self-remonstration. Fans of the emotive work of Lingua Ignota will feel a kinship with the uneasy listening of GGGOLDDD’s latest work.
But GGGOLDDD is not a solo project of Milena Eva. Guitarist, Thomas Sciarone, co-wrote the songs and drummer, Igor Wouters, mixed the live version of the album. They have an assembly of six musician on stage with three guitarists and a bassist complimenting the electronics and synthesisers. We know a lot about the band’s singer, but not enough about the others. We asked the group to present us with their seven main influences on their latest masterpiece in no particular order… Enjoy!
7. Nina Simone, ‘Strange Fruit’
Isn’t this the most beautiful and heart-breaking song ever recorded? The lyrics, the urgency, the performance, the chord progression… They all come together in a way that’s both magical and natural at the same time. It’s one of those songs that inspire us to put meaning and beauty into our music. To wrap the harshness of reality in something that might seem comfortable from a distance, like a Trojan horse.
6. Singeli Music
Tanzania’s hyper dance scene is amazing. Singeli artists like Duke and Jay Mitta push the boundaries of contemporary electronic music with their insane yet effective BPMs. It’s said that this music is inspired by gabber, the sound that originated from our hometown, Rotterdam. It’s amazing how it all goes in circles to inspire new directions, right?
5. Björk
It’s not broadly enough recognized and emphasized that she’s the greatest musical artist of our times. Such a visionary and radically singular composer. Her productions are always one step ahead of everyone else. And the songs are so inherently pure and original. It’s impossible to predict where she’ll go next, but it will always be 100% Björk. The definition of artistry.
4. Margiela
We are inspired by many different artists and artworks, many of them fashion designers. Martin Margiela revolutionized fashion in the 80s, by designing minimal and original art that emphasized the beauty of every woman that wore it. His solutions were always clever, sometimes cheeky, and never commercial. Something to be very jealous about from a creator’s perspective.
3. Arca
Arca’s production and songwriting is out of this world. We love how she breaks new ground and at the same time makes such intimate and heartening music. It’s amazing how she reaches so many people with such a radical and distinctive sound.
2. Mike Dean
Many of the albums this wizard produced and worked on were material in our wish to explore the world of synthesizers. His heavy Moog lines are wild and commanding. Yet they always leave room for vocals or other lines to shine. That’s perfection right there.
1. The Knife
These Swedish pioneers tickle us on many levels. They never repeated themselves. They made a radically uncommercial album when they were at their most popular. They impregnated their songs with meaning and socio-political views. They had a wild and controversial live show. But above all, they made songs and albums that we want to put on repeat.
*** GGGOLDDD released This Shame Should Not Be Mine via Artoffact Records on 1 April 2022. You can read the SBR review here.
