Various – The 78 Project – Volume 1

Vinyl, LP, Compilation

Inspired by the field recordings of Alan Lomax, The 78 Project is on a mission to record today’s musicians with yesterday’s technology. With just one microphone, an authentic 1930′s PRESTO direct-to-disc recorder, and a blank lacquer disc, musicians are given the opportunity to cut a record anywhere they choose, finding in that adventure a new connection to our cultural legacy.

The 78 Project records musicians as they perform early American songs – exactly as they were originally recorded, instantaneously onto 78rpm lacquer discs. With one microphone, one 1930’s Presto direct-to-acetate disk recorder, and one blank 78 record, artists have a chance to cut a record anywhere they choose. It’s a haunting, magical time travel experience when we play back our freshly cut acetate – we’re hearing a sound almost a century old, but recorded only moments earlier.