Never Records project more than an art show
TBY BOB KRASNER he Brooklyn Academy of
Music has a new exhibition
space, the Rudin
Family Gallery, which is now
showing Ted Riederer’s project
“Never Records.” But when you
enter Never Records, you are
walking into something more
than just an art show – you are
in a performance space, recording
studio, meeting place, art
installation and a setting for the
creation, transformation and
preservation of ideas.
Thanks to the early support of
Arturo Vega, Marianne Boesky,
Metro Pictures and others, Never
Records has been an ongoing
project since 2010. Originally an
exhibit sponsored by No Longer
Empty in the abandoned Tower
Records space downtown, it
works like this: Riederer finds
a space, transforms it to his
liking and then welcomes local
artists to come in and make a
recording.
The performers – who range
from jazz bands to poets to tap
dancers to scientists to country singers
Ted Riederer with his number
one fan, 18 month old
son Theo after speaking at
the opening party.
– record their work with Riederer
supervising the proceedings. Visitors
are welcome to observe any parts of the
activities (quietly, of course).
The artists then sit back and customize
the two album covers that will house the
vinyl LP’s while they wait for Riederer to
mix the sound and then cut the LP’s with
a special lathe bought in Germany. Only
PHOTOS BY BOB KRASNER
two get made – one
album goes home with
the artist, the other
stays in the Never
Records archive. A
digital sound file also
goes home with the
artists and “they can do what they want
with it, sell it, whatever.”
The setting at the BAM gallery contains
L-R Aaron Morrell, Mackenzie Morell recording an original
tune by Aaron.
the entire archive of
the project, almost 600
records in unique covers
that were created
in Kansas
City, Liverpool,
Derry, London,
New Orleans,
Lisbon, Victoria,
Texas and Amman,
Jordan. Instead
of resting
in simple record
bins, Riederer
has fabricated
holders specially
for this location
that look like
coffins.
“That’s about
the resurrection
Ted Riederer, happy guy.
of vinyl as a media, but more about the
transcendence of art and music,” he
explained.
In addition, an entire wall is covered
with album covers that have been painted
over, leaving a word or a phrase uncovered
on each one. When read from one
end to the other, they reveal a poem written
by Riederer.
Another work on view is “The Cosmos
Record,” a turntable covered with crystals
(“the visualization of sound,” says Ted)
that is constantly spinning under a camera
which projects the work onto a screen
on the opposite end of the room, where
the performers record, creating a kind of
visual loop in the space.
Near the stage is where Riederer mans
the laptop for mixing and the lathe that
cuts the records, which are created on
clear PVC plastic. He carefully explains
the process to participants and observers
– sometimes with drawings – who have
varied greatly around the world.
In Jordan, oddly enough, he recorded
a Japanese opera singer, but the high
point there was when a group of Sudan
refugees from the Fur tribe showed up
“dressed to the nines, but very shy and
cautious.” Ted recalled that “the session
began very formally, but as the music took
over they let their guard down.” When he
played their recording back, everyone, including
Riederer, was dancing in the shop.
“It was one of those crystalline moments
where I knew there was nothing
I’d rather be doing and nowhere else I’d
rather be,” said Riederer.
An even more worldly performance
came at the request of a man in Kansas
City whose father had passed away. His
siblings were scattered around the world,
so Ted made calls to Sardinia, Switzerland
and Mexico so that he could record
each of them singing the lullaby that their
father used to sing to them. The recordings
were then blended together to form
a “gorgeous global lullaby.”
Closer to home, there have already
been a variety of performers recorded
at BAM. Performance artist Jorge Clar
re-enacted his piece “Dishwashing Meditation,”
where he explains how he uses his
time at the sink in a positive way.
“Participating in Ted’s ‘Never Records’
project was a dream come true,” Clar
said. “It became a ritual within a ritual.
As a collector of vinyl records and fan
of analog recording, the process was
wonderful for me. And what an honor to
be a part of Ted’s show!”
For more information about the exhibit,
visit www.bam.org/visual-art/2020/
never-records.
Read more at amny.com.
PHOTOS BY BOB KRASNER
Ted Riederer at the Rudin Family Gallery at the Brooklyn Academy of
Music, the current location of his project Never Records.
18 January 23, 2020 Schneps Media
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