Arthur Russell Open Vocal Phrases.... Vinyl LP Due Out 18/04/25

Please note this is a pre-order item due for release 18th April, 2025

Tracklist:

LP 1

1. That’s The Very Reason
2. Tower Of Meaning/Rabbit’s Ear/Home Away From Home
3. Happy Ending
4. All-Boy All-Girl/Tiger Stripes/You Can’t Hold Me Down

LP 2

1. Introductions
2. Hiding Your Present From You/School Bell
3. Too Early To Tell + from Sketches for World of Echo
4. Changing Forest
5. Sunlit Water

“Open Vocal Phrases, Where Songs Come In and Out" offers an intimate unedited solo live performance recorded at Phill Niblock's Experimental Intermedia Foundation in Downtown NYC on 12/20/85.

Phill curated and produced with Arthur two concerts at EI that would become an integral part of the foundation for the final World of Echo album. Arthur titled this performance "Open Vocal Phrases, Where Songs Come In and Out". This extraordinary performance was recorded by Steve Cellum and overseen by Phill and Arthur. Arthur would later edit sections from this performance merging it with studio material recorded at Battery Sound to finalize the World of Echo album released in 1986.

"Some of it sounds so pure and clear and I am picturing him huddled around all that gear, simply magical. In my memory he didn't play "for" the audience but was rather trying to perfect these various permutations of sound within himself...and a few of us just happened to be present" - Tom Lee

The double vinyl LP includes the complete nineteen minute plus version of Tower of Meaning/Rabbit’s Ear/Home Away along with the previously unreleased songs That’s The Very Reason, and Too Early to Tell. Side four includes two instrumental tracks from the previously unreleased in the UK “Sketches For World Of Echo” Changing Forest and Sunlit Water
(+ full colour insert and liner notes)