Spheres Collapser by Stephen O'Malley
XKatedral in collaboration with La Becque Editions are proud to present a new album release from Stephen O’Malley, co-founder of SUNN O))). This record contains two long-form compositions for pipe organ by Stephen O’Malley, which he performs alongside Kali Malone and Frederikke Hoffmeier.
The album was recorded on Les Grandes Orgues (Scherrer (1777), Walker (1867), Kuhn (1995)) at Église Saint-François, Lausanne, Switzerland, on Christmas 2021, initially composed by Stephen within a suite titled Les Sphères (effondrez-les) Phases I-V, for a collaboration with Belgian/Swiss choreographer Cindy Van Acker.
Stephen O’Malley is a guitarist, producer, composer, and visual artist who has conceptualized and participated in numerous drone and experimental music groups for over two decades – SUNN O))), KTL, and Khanate being among his best-known creations. Wildly prolific, O’Malley’s oeuvre is defined by its remarkable breadth, complexity and multidisciplinary interests. It includes collaborations with a wide range of experimental artists, including Scott Walker, Kali Malone, Alvin Lucier, choreographer Gisèle Vienne, the authors Dennis Cooper and Alan Moore, Peter Rehberg, Fujiko Nakaya, Jim Jarmusch, Johan Johansson, experimental music research centers IRCAM, INA-GRM (Paris), EMS (Stockholm) and many others. O’Malley is also a vigorous live performer and has toured around the world since 2000. His live performances feature a reverberating fog of electric guitar minimalism – sorcery that challenges boundaries of space and time.
Tracklist
| 1. | Phase I Organ | 26:44 |
| 2. | Phase II Organ | |
Credits
Composed by Stephen O’Malley
Performed by Stephen O’Malley, Kali Malone & Frederikke Hoffmeier
Recorded by Stephen O’Malley on the Les Grandes Orgues (Scherrer 1777, Walker 1867, Kuhn 1995) at Église Saint-François, Lausanne in December 2021.
Mixed by Stephen O’Malley at EMS, Stockholm & by François-Xavier Delaby & Tristan Mazire, Paris, February 2022.
Mastered & lacquer cut by Rashad Becker, Berlin, June 2025.
Perfect pressing at Optimal, Germany.
Artwork by Stephen O’Malley & Kali Malone
300 copies on curacao transparent vinyl
700 copies on black vinyl
XK032
License
All rights reserved.
A guitarist, composer, producer and visual artist since the early 90s, Stephen O’Malley co-founded the Southern Lord and Ideologic Organ record labels. He’s known for his landmark drone-metal work with Sunno))) and a far-ranging series of solo recordings and collaborations in the worlds of modern composition, performance art, soundtracks and ballet.