Unsane. An overdue appreciation (and mix)
TL;DR VERSION: I was an uptight square and didn’t start listening to Unsane until 2017. Scroll to the bottom for NO REPRIEVE — a best-of Unsane playlist.
I was shocked to see that my 2018 Spotify Wrapped had Unsane as the band I listened to more than any other (beating out the 2 years straight of Kowloon Walled City). Not because I wasn’t aware of how much I was listening to them but because I couldn’t believe this band that had been around for 30 years had become an all-time favorite in the span of a year. The sad truth is that I avoided them.
You know how Kids These Days are all freaked out about who can and can’t listen to due to their politics, interpersonal relationships or something they might have, possibly said back in 2003? Well, coming out of the bizarre confluence of straight edge and mid-90s ultra-PC hardcore scene I was the same type of insufferable person (now I’m insufferable on the opposite end of the spectrum: I seek out all the shit that nerds tell me I “can’t” listen to because such and such is obvs a “fascist” or “so not okay”).
So, the name “Unsane” and the fact that their bloody artwork didn’t read as some Ebullition-type commentary in the vein of Struggle. or Manumission basically meant that I wasn’t fucking with them. I was very earnest young man who didn’t explore beyond the scene* (I seriously stopped listening to any music I was into before hardcore and wouldn’t give the time of day to something on a major label). By the time I grew up and actively started divorcing image from output I was mostly seeking out “problematic” noise so it didn’t occur to me that Unsane and The Jesus Lizard (same insufferable reasons) should be priorities 1 and 2. This is very clearly my loss.
I finally checked them out in 2016 because of this quote:
Bands like Unsane [influence us directly as musician] Basically, just the band Unsane.—Jon Howell, Kowloon Walled City
Wait, the first band to blow me away in years is basically saying that Unsane is the best band ever? I went straight to their recent output but it didn’t click. I don’t know if its because I had an idea in my head of what they should sound like but I poked around and moved on. I just didn’t get it.
A year later and I’m driving to work listening to one of theose Spotify “Your Daily Mix” playlists (for the unfamiliar Spotify makes 5 dynamic playlists a week based on a combination of artists and songs that you’ve been listening to heavily and suggestions of new stuff that you may dig) and this song comes on that sounds so familiar, like I must have this on a 7” somewhere but what is it? Sounds like it could have been an early Gravity release buts it so much meaner. Of course, it turns out to be Unsane: “Committed” from the 1998 album Occupational Hazard which I then listen to for days straight.
Then I explored the rest of their discography and well, now you know how I listened to them more than anything else in 2018 (I’m guessing ’19 will be no different).
Unsane founder Chris Spencer announced last month that the band is done after 31 years. I might be annoyed with myself that I was so late to the party but I’m not disappointed that he called it. Unsane gave us more than enough: 8 albums and a slew of other projects (and its not as though Spencer has quit music—there’s a new band called Human Impact with Phil Pulel and Chris Pravdica who both played in last incarnation of Swans. Uhh. Can. Not. Wait. And who knows, maybe we got some new UXO material?). Its kind of like the deal with Unwound or Lungfish: of course, I want more I just don’t necessarily need it. The statements have been made.
Earlier this year I made an introductory Best of Unsane mix. I wanted to create something that felt like an album and and included songs from throughout their lifespan. I think I succeeded. “No Reprieve” is 55 minutes of Unsane that captures the dominant moods of the band. If you’ve never heard them, this is the place to start.
*I think this is why I hate scenes now.
Notes:
http://thesludgelord.blogspot.com/2012/12/interview-with-kowloon-walled-city.html