Composer/producer Ben Chatwin, reveals the first and last records He bought and the one he reaches for in an emergency
FIRST
Guns N’ Roses
‘Use Your Illusion II’
(Geffen, 1991)
“I remember asking my mum if I could get the cassette tape of ‘Use Your Illusion II’ when it was released in 1991. I was 9 and I’d seen ‘The Terminator 2’-inspired video for ‘You Could Be Mine’ on MTV. For some reason I was convinced she would say no, but she didn’t and with that started a life-long obsession with music. Thanks Mum!”
LAST
Caterina Barbieri
‘Patterns Of Consciousness’
(Important, 2017)
“I’m a big fan of minimal synth explorations and this record is on another level. Beautiful and intricate, repetitive melodic lines twist and turn around each other forming these huge spaces to exist in. It’s even more impressive given it was made with an extremely small modular synth set up. It’s a record that sounds like intelligent machines performing Steve Reich.”
ALWAYS
Bonnie Prince Billy
‘I See A Darkness’
(Domino, 1999)
“This is a record that, for me, seems to suit any mood, medium or environment. As with all of Will Oldham’s music there’s something remarkably honest and intimate about this collection of songs– but he also brings both a wisdom and humour that sums up the human condition. I mostly listen to instrumental music, but Oldham’s lyrics on this record really speak to me. I’ve never not been moved putting this one on.”
