Although Arthur Russell died in 1992, the experimental disco cellist has since risen in popularity thanks to a series of vaults-mining compilations and reissues, plus a series of tributes. The latest album to emerge is Corn, which consists of unreleased music from 1982 and 1983. These songs will finally be released on June 9 through Audika Records.
This project was put onto test pressings in 1985, but there was never a formal release. Audika's Steve Knutson told The Vinyl Factory last year, "The material [on Corn] is for the most part solo, and to the left of [2004 comp] Calling Out of Context. Programmed drum machine, heavy metal cello, multi-layer Casio drones, and all very rhythmic." Knutson put Corn together using Russell's completed master tapes.
The album is primarily a solo work, Pitchfork reports, but Russell is also joined by Mustafa Ahmed on percussion, Rik Albani on trumpet and Peter Zummo on trombone. Interestingly, Calling out of Context contained four songs from these same sessions, but the nine tracks here are unreleased. Many of them are alternate versions of songs that appear elsewhere.
Scroll past the tracklist below to hear "Ocean Movie," with pairs loudly rustling noise and abstract cello with some subtle, pretty keyboards.
The album is available to pre-order here on CD or vinyl.
Corn:
1. Lucky Cloud
2. Corn
3. Keeping Up
4. See My Brother, He's Jumping Out (Let's Go Swimming #2)
5. This Is How We Walk on the Moon
6. Corn (Continued)
7. Hiding Your Present from You
8. They and Their Friends
9. Ocean Movie
This project was put onto test pressings in 1985, but there was never a formal release. Audika's Steve Knutson told The Vinyl Factory last year, "The material [on Corn] is for the most part solo, and to the left of [2004 comp] Calling Out of Context. Programmed drum machine, heavy metal cello, multi-layer Casio drones, and all very rhythmic." Knutson put Corn together using Russell's completed master tapes.
The album is primarily a solo work, Pitchfork reports, but Russell is also joined by Mustafa Ahmed on percussion, Rik Albani on trumpet and Peter Zummo on trombone. Interestingly, Calling out of Context contained four songs from these same sessions, but the nine tracks here are unreleased. Many of them are alternate versions of songs that appear elsewhere.
Scroll past the tracklist below to hear "Ocean Movie," with pairs loudly rustling noise and abstract cello with some subtle, pretty keyboards.
The album is available to pre-order here on CD or vinyl.
Corn:
1. Lucky Cloud
2. Corn
3. Keeping Up
4. See My Brother, He's Jumping Out (Let's Go Swimming #2)
5. This Is How We Walk on the Moon
6. Corn (Continued)
7. Hiding Your Present from You
8. They and Their Friends
9. Ocean Movie
