Bone music is back.
Los Angeles-based label Blank City Records is investing in X-ray audio and vinyl records pressed on medical X-rays. The last time people were listening to records on X-rays was 1950s Russia, during the cultural blackout of government censorship.
The founders of Black City Records, Marc Sallis and Brandon Burkart, are finding success as the old becomes new. As musicians themselves, they have plenty of experience putting music out through labels — but not on X-rays.
“I came across ribs recordings. Back in the 40s and 50s in Russia when they couldn’t get access to Western music, they would put it out on these X-rays,” says Sallis. “And I thought, wouldn’t it be great to do a record label pressing on X-rays?”
Their founding partner, Kawika Campbell, jumpstarted the process with a $5,000 investment in the label committed to the niche business. Their first EP sold out in under 24 hours, with their subsequent releases achieving similar success. Blank City Records announced Pair of Arrow’s new EP called Walls, out September 29, and the presale of the X-ray edition of the title track single sold out completely.
But considering the current boom of records, it’s not surprising that vinyl with a vintage twist is taking off. According to Nielsen, vinyl LP sales reached 13 million in 2016. Records are projected to sell 40 million units this year, the seventh year of consecutive double-digit growth.
With almost half of all purchasers of vinyl record customers under 25, according to MusicWatch, records are massively appealing to consumers who grew up on streaming. But since customers get a virtual record along with each physical copy, Sallis sees the result spanning the divide. The nature of the X-ray audio lends itself to ephemerality. After being donated from doctors’ offices and contributors no longer attached to their X-rays, the record can only play a few times.
“You’re only going to get so many plays out of it,” says Sallis. “I like that the physical product crosses into the digital world.”
And yet, the added layer of creative functionality establishes the product as multifaceted and innovative. Rather than just throwing out an old X-ray or keeping it in an attic, people can connect their bodies to their music.
“X-rays normally just get put in landfills. They go by the ton,” says Sallis. “Everyone thinks they recycle now, but we really used to recycle. If people want to donate, we’d love that.”
The label intends on bringing their community together through their crowdsourcing approach — Sallis and Burkart accept X-rays from anyone and don’t discriminate against different genres. Their only request? That the bands on the ribs recordings have a connection to L.A.
“We want to actually root ourselves in the local community, given that we want to support local music,” says Burkart. “It’s really been a labor of love.”
