“Metrophony” | TRS – 47
TRS047 is an atmospheric and underground metro centric release from Italian sound artist, Francesco Giannico, entitled “Metrophony”. On August 6, 2013, Giannico recorded the entire route of the “B” line of the subway in the city of Rome, that connects the “Rebibbia” station with the “Laurentina” station, and the “B1” line that connects the ‘Bologna’ station with the ‘Conca D ‘Oro’ station… Audio samples collected were manipulated and transformed electronically, and enriched with synth and/or musical instruments such as guitars, piano, violins. The result is “Metrophony” which is also an art installation.
For the deluxe limited version, in an edition of just 75 copies, we decided to change mediums and worked in the neighboring Berkeley silkscreening workshop called the Grease Diner. The set of hand silkscreened 6” square prints are renditions of the dark and moody photographs taken by Giannico himself in the subway. Each of these 12 unique prints is printed on a different sort of paper… ancient ledger papers, music sheets, rice papers, antique vellum, cardboard etc. They come in a vintage, hand stamped, 7” 45rpm sleeve from a 60 year old vinyl binder. Each outer envelope is then tied up with a string, from which hangs a used ticket from the Rome metro system. Also included within the set of prints are scraps of paper and ephemeral detritus found on the Rome metro station platforms and trains.
This release is also available in a evocative digipak edition of 150 copies.
