In Other Worlds: Tim Burgess' Favourite Albums | Page 9 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

8. Ariel PinkBefore Today

In 2010, when this came out, I’d moved from Los Angeles to London, and I was sharing a warehouse space with The Quietus, and Factory Floor – basically, they took me in. It was a nice time in my life. It was kind of a time when I needed a bit of repair work, and this album was the soundtrack.

There’s moments, especially on side two, that are disconcerting – intensity builds, lots happens in a short space of time, it’s got a jarring-ness. It’s on the verge of being erratic, but actually it’s done in a very concise way; it made other records at the time seem boring. Maybe it’s somewhere between Frank Zappa and Prefab Sprout – extended musicality, incredible pop nuances and sensibility, but there’s a humour there too.

Like the Prefab Sprout one, Ariel’s Twitter Listening Party was a highlight. Tim Koh said “Ariel’s influenced a lot of music, and most of it’s really bad.” [Laughs] I thought it was hilarious.

Selected in other Baker’s Dozens: Cate Le Bon
PreviousNext Record

The Quietus Digest

Sign up for our free Friday email newsletter.

Support The Quietus

Our journalism is funded by our readers. Become a subscriber today to help champion our writing, plus enjoy bonus essays, podcasts, playlists and music downloads.

Support & Subscribe Today