Zach Phillips, ideologue and prime mover behind experimental haven OSR Tapes, has announced via a Facebook statement, that his record label will be going offline starting Jan. 1. Thus, from the new year onward, all orders, new batches, and interactions with the label will have to be carried out through physical mail and/or telephone. Phillips insists this is not a luddite gesture, but the consequence of an artistic vision/life philosophy that has proven to him that building a creative community today stands at odds with the cultural consumption/discursive environment fostered by the internet. He was already known for preferring to conduct all his music collaborations/production work in person rather than online, using 4-reel tapes and old consoles for the actual recording process. So, while not entirely unexpected, the decision is no less radical/commendable/brave/suicidal. You can read the whole statement here, including detailed instructions to keep in touch with OSR Tapes.
The batch of vinyl/tape releases the label is spreading at the moment is as follows:
On vinyl:
Hartley C. White — This Is Not What You Expect
Blanche Blanche Blanche — Hints to Pilgrims
Chris Weisman — Monet in the 90s
Ruth Garbus — Joule (a 7-inch EP)
On cassette:
CE Schneider Topical — Look Who Showed Up Out Here
Jimmie Packard — A Time to Look Back
Palberta — Shitheads in the Ditch
The Dream Scene — New Emotion
Ed Askew — Rainbow Bridge
Moth Eggs — Recursive Surfing
V/A — Music on a Tape : Songs by Chris Weisman
Ian Kovac Jr Jr — You’ll Know It When You Feel It
Kateboard — That’s Not a Helicopter
As you can see, that’s a damn fine list to go offline with, including several artists you may know already (Ed Askew, Chris Weisman, The Dream Scene, Blanche Blanche Blanche) and plenty of new music to discover while you find your way to the post office.
The cassettes are out now; the vinyl releases will be out on Nov. 17. See you offline, OSR!
• OSR Tapes: http://osr-tapes.com