Angora in F Major

Undercover footage from France captures the cruelty behind angora production. Among the screams, a radio drifts in - Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, eerie and incongruous, giving this track its name.

Angora wool is prized for its softness, but its production involves the repeated plucking of live rabbits - a routine kept hidden from public scrutiny. During a covert investigation in France, a radio in the background played Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, a composition that moves between lightness and disquiet. That accidental soundtrack gave this track both its name and emotional weight.

Shostakovich’s String Quartet, written in the shadow of war, shifts between irony, mourning and unsettling quiet, themes that eerily mirror the hidden violence of the angora trade.

These animals are not killed for their fur. Instead, their coats are torn from their bodies repeatedly while they scream. Their ears are tattooed like serial numbers, and they are confined to small cages until the next plucking.

This is perhaps the most delicate track on the album, quietly immersive and surprisingly listenable. But beneath its stillness lies a discomfort that’s hard to shake.

Field recordings sourced from investigations in France by Tracks Investigations.

One billion rabbits are killed each year worldwide for the their fur.