Kristopher Schau’s band, The Dogs, usually release a new album at the beginning of each year.
However, the goal of having the records in stores by the first Monday of the year became impossible this year, due to delayed production.
“Stupid times require stupid actions”, the band writes on their Facebook page, and released a silent version of “El Verdugo”.
– We thought that people expected a product the first Monday of the year, and that they could get the second best. The cover was clear – it was the grooves in the plates that were the problem, says Kristopher Schau to Dagbladet.
– It looks like there are grooves on it, but it is not. If you put it on your turntable, only the needle will slip off and you will probably damage the player.
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Will report to Spellemann
Schau thought the idea of selling a contentless record was initially idiotic, but has later been convinced that it is a good description of cultural life during the pandemic.
He believes it should qualify for a Spellemann nomination.
– We will report this album to Spellemann next year. The silence is the sound of Kultur-Norge in 2021. If it is not contemporary music then I do not know. It meets all the criteria, says Schau.
– The thought struck us after the album was finished printing, it must be said.
SILENCE: It is uncertain whether the empty edition of “El Verdugo” will qualify as music if it enters the Spellemann Prize. Screenshot: The Dogs / Facebook
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– Is free to register the album
Simen Idsøe Eidsvåg is the press contact in the Spellemann Prize. He is unsure whether the release of The Dogs’ album can be defined as music.
– The rules for the Spellemann Prize are that the contributions must contain more than 10 minutes of music. The Dogs are free to sign up for the album, but then the administration must consider whether it is music or not.
Eidsvåg can not answer whether the humor in The Dogs’ marketing stunt will excite next year’s jury.
– The juries are different every year, so it is difficult to know anything about.
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Problems on the assembly line
According to Schau, it has become more difficult to print records during the pandemic. In addition, he believes several artists have focused more on the sale of vinyl as income from concerts suddenly disappeared.
The album by The Dogs was put up for sale on Monday, and on Tuesday afternoon on the way to being sold out.
– Sales have gone so well in hell. Big Dipper has soon sold out its 200 copies. I expect it to be sold out during the day or tomorrow, says Schau.
Andreas Leine Jakobsen is the general manager of the record store Big Dipper. He tells fans of The Dogs buy most of what they bring into the store.
– The album will probably be sold out during the day. It’s pretty wild. We just hope people have realized that there is no sound on it, says Jakobsen to Dagbladet.
Jakobsen says they have not received any complaints.
– There is only one on the internet who has canceled. Otherwise, there is a lot of good feedback at checkout.
Special releases
The Dogs have extensive experience in releasing music in unusual ways, and started by printing their songs on homemade singles.
Later they have started to sell manhole covers, and released one of their albums as one «Wreath cake» of vinyl records.
– There were not that many wreath cakes, 30 copies or something around there, says Kristopher Schau.
– We push up the manhole covers new all the time. They go like hot wheat bread. We just got a new order for 30 lids. So now we are sitting on a ton of iron we are looking forward to selling, says Schau.
– What do you think about people who spend their money on a content-free album?
– I had done the same myself. People want fun things in their record collection. I have many such rarities, misprints and strange discoveries.
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