Vinyl Record Cutting as a Compositional Tool

About

Avenue Gallery re-opens after the Christmas break with an exhibition by James Kelly, Lecturer in Popular Music at the University of Northampton, who will be presenting his practice-led research project Vinyl Record Cutting as a Compositional Tool.  James will introduce his research at the launch event on Monday 18th January from 6-8pm, where he will be performing a live remix of his records in the Gallery space.

James’ research identifies a methodology for music composition which employs vinyl disc cutting as a compositional tool.   As a turntablist for the last 15 years, James’ music explores the remixing of vinyl using DJ scratch techniques for the creation of new music. The project presented at Avenue Gallery takes his compositional approach in new directions by utilising a disc cutting lathe - a machine which is traditionally used in the manufacture of records. The mechanism and limitations of the lathe itself are used as an artistic tool to shape the music.  The exhibition includes an archive of vinyl records cut during the research process to exemplify a number of experimental disc cutting techniques.