Another package from ‘the little label that could’ from Chicago, the Ballast label from Blake Edwards, aka Vertonen. A small label with limited editions that keeps on releasing stuff to make you think. I have written the words ‘Art Package’ instead of the format presented in the top line as I believe it is a complete Art Package and not a combination of a 7″ lathe cut, several flex discs and a CDR. The reason why will become apparent to you if you continue reading.
Maria Chavez is a well-known name in the experimental scene and the world of turntablism and has been featured in Vital once before. Devin Kenny is someone whose name I hear for the first time. Still, he is ‘an interdisciplinary artist, musician, writer, and curator who takes an experimental, multidisciplinary approach to analyzing the contemporary Black experience.’ Together they worked on this release for which they made two flexis with original sounds, which they perforated with a little device, leaving them all mutilated and inducing random jumping points for playing back. Then they had a few sessions creating the weirdest warped mangled recordings, and with those recordings, they made the goal of this project: a 7″ lathe cut.
Being unfamiliar with everything, turntablist is new territory for me. I must say, when it comes to the music, it is not something I would have bought myself when I would have heard the 7″ lathe. But (!!!). Remember what I wrote about this release? It is not about the 7″ lathe, that’s just a part of the complete package. The package contains the lathe, two unharmed flexi discs, two significantly harmed flexi discs, and a CDR containing untreated recordings of the sessions Maria and Devin did together. So instead of a release, you get a documented journey through sound by two people who have a message and who – through the means of art – decided to share this journey with you. And Blake provided their platform for which they – and we – should be grateful.
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