Record of the Month Club

The Tascam exhibition series has been dormant for awhile due to COVID. But, we still have a mailing list we had built up over the years, as part of our mailed-invite-only policy.

An example from Tascam 2:

Also, I've been stalling on a new painting series that I began during the 2020 shutdown, on chipboard folded into 45 single sleeves. I'm still into it after all this time, but I need a bone fide occasion for it, or I'll pick at it forever.

So here's my plan:

In the spirit of Columbia House-type record clubs, the folks on our list will receive a paper mailer inviting them to access their Selection-of-the-Month 45 single/EP (as an image, not an actual vinyl record) and accompanying audio, plus any other writings/images/video/etc. that other artists feel like chipping in that month.
 

The monthly mailer

This will be sent out to our entire snail mail membership list each month, with an invitation to access that month's SOM, audio, and other artworks/inclusions.

I'm trying to decide if the digital part should be a zipped file, or if I should make a web-based package, like I made for a recent Krampusnacht bulletin, or an old 2015 ASCII project.

I'm leaning towards the latter idea, because the web design part is fun. There could even be exclusive password protections.

The monthly digital package

• The SOM image, from myself
• Audio tracks (more about that below)
• Writings (emergent narratives)
• Images (photos, drawings)
• Video (experimental textures...?)
• Nerdy research materials/collections

The audio

A monthly record club needs fresh, original audio to share.
I had originally been thinking of abstract electronic music with some sort of vintage vibe.

On my own mind lately:

1. Early New Age private press releases — along the lines of JD Emmanuel, Randall McClellan or pretty much anything on the I Am the Center compilation.
2. The Environments series (particularly Tintinnabulation) or mood-shaping field recordings.
3. Therapeutic and utilitarian electronics, and bioacoustic/biofeedback research driven efforts — Ami Shavit, Eliane Radigue, David Rosenboom, Hafler Trio, binaural generators, etc.

Although all the examples above suggest lengthy, evolving recordings, I was also thinking about the 7" format, and how early hardcore bands would squeeze as many short songs as possible onto a small disc (or, 30 songs into a cassette). Short, sweet, urgent practicality.

Of course, artists contributing audio can steer this in any direction they want...