Blake ButlerMusic / States of IndependenceBlake Butler's playlist to stop thinking toListen to "Sometimes I Cut My Penis Off In My Sleep" – a musical odyssey from the writer that even his own publisher is a little scared ofShareLink copied ✔️July 21, 2014MusicStates of IndependenceTextGiancarlo Di TrapanoTextBlake Butler As part of our new summer US project States of Independence we've invited our favourite 30 American curators, magazines, creatives and institutions to takeover Dazed for a day. Kicking off State of Literature week is New York's Tyrant Books – the publishing house founded by Giancarlo DiTrapano that's behind some of the most exciting and controversial releases of recent times. DiTrapano lays down his perspective on the future of publishing, Megan Boyle and Atticus Lish share exclusive extracts, and – as if that wasn't enough music to your ears – Blake Butler has created a playlist to help you stop thinking altogether. GIANCARLO DITRAPANO ON BLAKE BUTLER: Blake Butler is a writer from Atlanta [and editor of alt lit blog, HTMLGiant] who I published in the Tyrant magazine and then published one of his novels, Sky Saw, at Tyrant Books. He has a new novel coming this October from Harper Perennial called 300,000,000 and it's one of the most original, twisted, and beautiful books I have ever read. Blake is a dear friend and was a big part of forming Tyrant's identity, but the fact that he has what it took to write this book inside of him has rendered me frightened of him and I'm not sure I can be comfortable or feel safe hanging out with him again. Oh well. The read was worth it. I asked him to put together a playlist and write an intro to it and this is it below. SOMETIMES I CUT MY PENIS OFF IN MY SLEEP I only want to listen to music that makes me unable to think. This must be interrupted with an advertisement for the company who will kill your parents. You shouldn’t have to be the one to kill your parents. We’re only ever really ever listening to unreleased Madonna. If you can still keep thinking then it didn’t happen. I can’t believe I’m typing. I can’t believe I have to have hearing still. Don’t listen to anything. Don’t read. Don’t do anything but eat so much food you can’t move and the uncreation is all inside you like 87687qyw o8ed7aoiusedfi uayspiud fp;iuahsi o;dufha;ksj df;kjhas;l djfh;lajkshdl ;fj a;lskjhdf ;ljahs ;dljfhao;js dhlfij asiludhfao ;iusyd ;ofuhas ;odiuyf powu8yeo f8uywpeo;ifu ;aousyd f;ouahs;o df;ajskhfk jahds lkjfh lkasjhdf lkjahs difuhaops udhf pouasdpfouyepw9oerufypauyd pfiuay spdoufy aosdfy. This soundtrack is for sunlight on the elderly. Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MORENourished by Time: ‘Music should be fun – but it can’t be fun all the time’K-pop has an AI problemOnMeet the creatives turning up the heat in Lagos with Burna Boy and OnCoals are kickstarting Poland’s dream pop sceneEvilgiane’s camera roll from his tour with Snow StrippersFinnish alt-pop star Pehmoaino: ‘Art helps us survive this dark country’10 great albums you may have missed in the last three monthsLamb is making ‘electronic lyrical’ music that sounds like no one elseArabic shoegaze duo Kiss Facility speak a language deeper than words‘Nazis can’t dance’: Photos from London’s House Against Hate protest rave5 tracks you can’t miss from March 2026ADL: The best and worst tracks on Yeat’s new albumEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy