An Experiment With Music

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Some regular Turntabling readers know that Turntabling isn’t just a blog, it’s also a micro-label featuring projects including Paisley Babylon, Thelema USA, Electronic Penis Choppers and other unusual electronic music delights.

I’ve long been fascinated by the decline of the music industry, the rise of the independent artist, and the whole indie music scene in genearal. From fascinating indie labels like Beta-Lactam Ring Records to the insanely prolific Legendary Pink Dots, there is plenty of life in indie music even as the majors crumble into nothing.

But I personally haven’t seen any site that has really taken full advantage of some of the tools and tricks other online retailers use to sell Widget X or Service Y. I have a theory that with the right kind of presentation, even a teeny tiny more or less unknown micro-label like Turntabling could get some new fans by presenting music in interesting, left-of center (but fan-friendly) ways.

So Turntabling begins an experiement with the micro-label stuff.

We’ll be posting a variety of individual tracks, singles, EP packages and full albums available for purchase and digital download. No postage to worry about (yet–we plan on offering some flexi discs and other novelties at some point) just pure digital downloads. At a buck per song, what’s the risk?

The toughest part about any experiment like this is cross-referencing unfamiliar music with better known artists to give people an idea of what to expect. Some Paisley Babylon tracks sound like the two-headed mutant offspring of Nurse With Wound and Brian Eno. Electronic Penis Choppers can be Aphex Twin-esque, but veer off into Coil territory with regularity. Thelema USA has an sinister ambient vibe but also winds up in Coil’s musical zip code…

But suffice it to say that this experiment will be quite interesting from both a musician point of view and a music sales point of view. It’s tough to make any kind of living at all from music, art, any creative pursuit. I’m hoping that this experiment gives Turntabling Records projects some added exposure to people who would enjoy these sounds and become part of the audio cult that is Turntabling Records.

Off we go!

–Joe Wallace

Rek-O-Cut Portable Vinyl Record Lathe

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Yes, I’m obsessed with these portable vinyl record cutting units! I fully intend to purchase the first multi-speed unit that works I can find, and start cranking out strange lo-fi electronica. In the meantime I have to content myself with viewing vids like this and trolling places that might sell a unit like these:



If you happen to be selling a unit like this or want to chat about record lathes in general, please drop me a line…would love to get price lists or learn more about DIY record cutting.

Turntabling Presents Homeless Download: Chicago Indie Electronic Compilation

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A hand-crafted and hand-lettered CD case, plus a dozen tracks of curious, left-of center electronic music from Chicago is what you get when you buy Homeless Download, the new compilation project from Turntabling.

Homeless Download features 12 tracks from a variety of Chicag0-based electronica projects including Paisley Babylon, Electronic Penis Choppers, Thelema USA, Satan’s Tea Boy VS. Toilet, and a surprise appearance by Texas sound manipulators Post-Mortem Telepathy.

Homeless Download ranges from Aphex Twin-style bouncy synth to distorted, near Power Electronics type electronica and a few shades of grey inbetween. This album is definitely the soundtrack to some kind of futuristic big screen madness, we’re just not sure what.

At press time this release is ONLY available as a physical CD purchase via Etsy.com in the Turntabling shop. It is a limited edition package, hand-crafted and lettered. No more than 250 of these editions will be made. Each one is hand crafted to order and may require 2 weeks to complete and ship based on order volume.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Robes Off
— Thelema USA

2. Ever Hear Me Screaming?
— Paisley Babylon

3. I Did I Number Two for the Republican Party
— Electronic Penis Choppers

4. Do You Question the Religion?
— Paisley Babylon

5. French Kissing Jack Kervorkian
— AUDITORTURE

6. Eternal Surveillance
— We Are Delicious

7. Play Now, Honey
— Satan’s Tea Boy Vs. Toilet

8. Watching The Golden Girls On Ketamine
— The Velvet Underdog

9. The Naked Pentagram
— Thelema USA

10. Cream Fist
— Murder City Devils

11. Savior Noise (Epic Quarter Hour Version)
— Paisley Babylon

Plus one “hidden” track by Post-Mortem Telepathy.

All material is copyright 2011 Turntabling Records except Post-Mortem Telepathy which appears courtesy of the individual artists.

Peter King’s Home-Made Record Lathe

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Lately a lot of my free time has been dedicated to researching how to build a home-made DIY record lathe. I’m fascinated by the video clips I’ve seen of people making their own records using sheets of acetate or transparency film for flexi-discs, cutting records on compact disc, even plastic plates!

The thing about home-made records that is the most intriguing–the end product does not have the indefinite lifespan that ordinary vinyl does–every play potentially reduces the lifespan of the DIY recording. This ‘destructible music’ is a wild concept–and one that is strangely attractive to me. I plan on investigating this further as it would be great to put out some crazy Turntabling Records RECORDS and see what happens.

In the meantime, here’s a look at Peter King–who apparently has a very good reputation in these circles and even cuts records for others using his setup–operating his own DIY record lathe. Amazing stuff. This video is a bit chaotic and crazy, hoping to locate some more instructive or informational clips to pass on here. I think the band having its record cut is some kind of Power Electronics noise outfit, like you’d find in the pages of As Loud As Possible.