Friday June 12, 2009
Black Meteoric Star is the latest project by Gavin Russom of Delia and Gavin fame. The project is inspired by equal parts Euro-disco, wonky early electronic body music from America’s Midwest and an always present fascination with the outer reaches of global psychedelic rock.
Russom expands on the music and concept behind Black Meteoric Star to Kiran Sande of Fact Magazine.
“Later I became very interested in the thematic elements of early Detroit and Chicago electronic music and the cultural environments that surrounded the Warehouse. Of particular interest was the way that a piece of music technology (specifically the Roland TB-303) generated an entire musical aesthetic because of its characteristics and its limitations. The post-apocalyptic vision of a new society, armed with electronic technology, emerging from the post industrial wasteland resonated with my own political ideals, my experiences growing up in Providence and my interest in the post-WWI European avant-garde who had similar ideas.
“Of course I always come back to the fact that it’s simply interesting and powerful psychedelic music.”
Three vinyl 12” singles by Black Meteoric Star will be released on DFA Records with extended original versions in June 2009 along with a full self-titled CD that edits and compiles all six singles. There is an edition of 100 of each 12” hand stamped and accompanied by a series of posters also designed by Russom.
“I think of the three 12”s as a story-book. Each track is like an episode in a narrative. The theme is a journey through night. I’m designing a set of posters that will accompany the first three 12”s. These continue the storybook idea. I think of them as synaesthetic illustrations. What I mean by that is that the tracks conjure up certain images for me and the posters depict some of those.”
Russom debuted the Black Meteoric Star tracks with Assume Vivid Astro Focus at Paris’ Super Festival in April last year.
“For the ‘Super’ festival in Paris (April 5th, 2008) they designed a set for me to debut some Black Meteoric Star tracks as well as some other new solo material. There were giant balloons, day-glo dancers, lasers and video projections, and I was given an elaborate, almost shamanic, cape and hood to wear for the performance. We are talking about re-staging that in Berlin and also, since it seems to work, collaborating on some future projects.”
The first installment of the Black Meteoric Star 12” singles, ‘Death Tunnel’ is available now and you can get it here.
Words by Sarah
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great post – Russom is the sound!