“I myself create it, edit it, censor it, publish it, distribute it…and get imprisoned for it.” -Vladimir Bukovsky
As one of its core concepts, technology is there for us to makes things easier and more efficient. But after researching the story of ‘bone’ records, I can’t help but wonder if the romance and mystery somehow gets lost along the way. The following is a compilation of various articles and information found in Russian newspapers, online, and from first-hand accounts told by those who lived it. This is the story of the recordings made “on the bones”.
“On The Bones” refers to a practice in the 1950s when dissidents who wanted to bring banned Western music into Russia would go to hospital trash cans, secure already exposed X-ray film and then press a master disk onto the X-rays to make floppy records. It was called music “on the bones” (or “music on ribs”) because the grooves were cut on images of chest cavities and spinal columns.
1. On The Bones (3:29)
2. Apache Tear Drop (3:29)
3. Scarecrow’s Friend (3:24)
4. Punch Drunk (3:26)
5. Claustrophobia (3:30)
6. Dystopian Soul Device (3:13)
7. Oh, Misery (4:41)
8. Phantom Hound (3:24)
9. Kill Or Be Killed (6:14)
10. My Sweet Remorse (4:03)
11. Critical Darlings (9:46)