Guy Pettit recently started a poetry music label called Unicorn Evil Records with Michael Barron that is worthy of much admiration. I wanted to hear all about it and share my findings with you, so I conducted a short interview with Guy. My questions are italicized and his answers are....not italicized.
Why did you and Michael Barron create this record label?
Michael and I, through the course of normal conversation, discovered that we were wanting to do similar things - that is, put poets on vinyl. I had already recorded Lucy Ives reading the entirety of her full-length book Anamnesis (Slope, 2009) with plans to press the recording onto 12'' vinyl. Michael was planning to do the same, but in a split 7'' format, with James Copeland/William Rahilly on one side and Alex Phillips/Bill Gillim on the other. It was serendipitous and I think that as soon we discovered the other's project we knew we should be working together.
How did you and Michael choose Lucy Ives and James Copeland & Will Rahilly / Alex Phillips & Bill Gillim for your first round?
I had heard Lucy read a couple of times and I was drawn to the effect her voice had on how I experienced the poem (Anamnesis is one long poem); she sort-of assumes both a robotic and deliberately unaffected voice, in terms of emotion. And I thought hearing that focused my listening to and being moved by the poem. That is all to say that I thought the book should be heard in addition to being read and what better way to hear it than on vinyl. As for Michael's decision to ask James Copeland/William Rahilly & Alex Phillips/Bill Gillim --- I think they were both working on performative pieces that included sound effects, music, video, etc., which Michael was familiar with and wanted to get out into the world.
What is so special about vinyl? I mean I have my own ideas about the tangible art object, but what do you think?
For me, vinyl seems like it has a better chance of surviving than other forms of media. Physically surviving, I mean. That's important to me. I think when you publish or record or film something you are documenting it, and if it's your intention for that thing to be around for as long as possible, you want to consider the resiliency of the medium you're using. It also sounds really good and is fun to play. You know, it's more memorable to put on a record than to search through your itunes playlists. Plus, vinyl and letterpress, which we used to print the jackets, are complimentary. They're both visually striking. Using both is also an attempt to preserve two means of production that are going extinct --- letterpress more so than vinyl ---- for no good reason. Unless efficiency is a priority? But for who's sake?
So, one is a 7 inch and another a 12 inch? What's up with that?
12" fits more audio on a single record. Lucy's record is just over 30 mins. whereas JC/WR/AP/BG is approximately 7 mins. per side. It's like a chapbook and a full-length, right?
Yes, Guy. You're right. How fitting. But where can I find out more about your label and other projects?
Here are some websites with information on Unicorn Evil Records and Flying Object:
This has video of the record release at Flying Object:
