Newsletter : June 2009

New Release
"Whether you have ever actually experienced a baptism or not, whether you are a believer or not, these pictures and the music that accompanies them transmit all the emotional information: the excitement and the serenity, the fellowship and the warmth, the wind and the water. They are about theatre, pageantry, holiday; inclusion, transformation, enveloping love and transporting joy. They show a great many people in the midst of one of the peak experiences of their lives. Even the calmest scenes are electrified by the ecstacy of the actors. You would have to have heart of tin not to recognize this as one of the happiest collections of archival photographs ever assembled."
— Luc Sante, from the Introduction to Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950



Take Me to the Water: Immersion Baptism in Vintage Music and Photography 1890-1950
DTD-13 / One CD / 96 Page Hardcover Book
Release Date: May 26, 2009
In 2006, folk art collector and connoisseur Jim Linderman contacted Lance Ledbetter of Dust-to-Digital with the following email: "I've been collecting antique photographic images (originals) of people being baptised. That is, dunked. In the late 19th and early 20th century, as you can imagine, the whole town turned out to watch. I have well over a hundred, they range in size from 4 feet (yes) to snapshots. EACH has someone, either an individual or a large group being prepared to get saved. The collection is unique, quite extraordinary and i've never shown them to anyone. Interested?"

After viewing several of the incredible images that Linderman sent, Ledbetter saw the potential for a release focusing on a theme that had not been addressed on Goodbye, Babylon — the act of baptism. Two and a half years later — with Linderman supplying the imagery, Ledbetter compiling the audio, and writer Luc Sante providing a beautiful essay to contextualize it all — the result is a 96 page hardcover book with a 25 track CD tucked into the back (click here for audio samples). We hope that it becomes more than a CD and book in your collection and that it serves as a time machine to another time and another place. Take Me to the Water is available for purchase in the Dust-to-Digital online store, and details about a forthcoming exhibition can be found below.

Au Clair de la Lune: The Earliest Sound Recording Identified to Date
PT-1001 / 45 rpm record
Release Date: August 2009
As previously announced, Dust-to-Digital will take its first step into the world of vinyl when it issues Edouard-Léon Scott's April 9, 1860 recording of an excerpt from the French folk song "Au Clair de la Lune." We are producing the record with David Giovannoni, a driving force behind the First Sounds project. The record will be the inaugural release on our new vinyl imprint Parlortone.

Last year, it was believed the voice being heard was that of a female singing. Since then, David Giovannoni and Patrick Feaster have realized that it is actually the voice of inventor Edouard-Léon Scott. The words are from "Au Clair de la Lune" as was originally determined, but the speed that was used during playback was double the speed at which the audio was recorded. As David told us, they were trying to hear audio recorded with an 1860 frame of mind through 2008 ears. Details about their new discoveries can be heard in this recent NPR interview and will be included with the Parlortone 45, which is at the pressing plant and should be available late July or early August.

Upcoming Events
Two recent compilers of Dust-to-Digital projects are on the road in the Northeast playing records and screening films. Billed as "Unusual and obscure 78rpm records from the dawn of time and around the world," the shows are presented by Robert Millis (Victrola Favorites, DTD-11) and Ian Nagoski (Black Mirror, DTD-10).
Here are the dates and times:
6/19/2009, 8pm at Weirdo Records 17 Edinboro St, Boston, MA
6/20/2009, 8pm at Albany Sonic Arts Collective 247 Lark St, Albany, NY
6/21/2009, Rochester Contemporary Art Center 137 East Ave., Rochester, NY
More details and information can be found on the Black Mirror Myspace page.

Next Wednesday, 6/24/09, the Athens Folk Music & Dance Society will present "A Celebration of Art Rosenbaum & the Art of Old-Time Music." There will be a reception from 6-8pm with a screening of Desperate Man Blues at 8:00 and a 10 minute trailer from the forthcoming film about some of the women artists from the Art of Field Recording box sets. For more details visit the Athfest site.

Tony Bryant is planning a follow-up to the event Dust-to-Digital held in March. Billed as "A Night of the Blues," Tony told us the show would serve as a history of the blues and explore the changes in styles the genre has experienced over the years. The music will be provided by Mudcat, Little Brother, Vern Edwards and Tony Bryant. The show will take place on 8/14/09 at the Highland Inn Ballroom and will cost $7. For more details, email tonybryantblues@yahoo.com

The International Center of Photography has told us that the exhibition of Jim Linderman's collection of baptism photographs will occur next year. "Take Me to the Water: River Baptism Photography" will run from 5/14 - 9/5/10. The museum is located at 1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street, New York, NY. We will keep you posted with any updates.

New Sites and Sounds
The Dust-to-Digital website received an overhaul this past month. Our goal is for the new design to make the content more accessible. In addition to the small changes in layout, we have added several new categories: Audio, Radio, and Video, as well as an Image Gallery. Feel free to look around and let us know what you think, and as always we thank you for your continued support.