Media Archaeology: Russ Forster's Vinyl Resurgence + Muybridge + 16mm Soundies +

On Saturday, September 21, ATA Gallery’s OTHER CINEMA presents its annual Media Archaeology show, aka Analog Church.

This rollicking 2-hour program is chock-full of required viewing, to understand and appreciate the myriad fascinating developments in audio- and visual- reproduction technologies over the past century.

The evening is organized into 3 sections: Local DIY hero Russ Forster launching the new issue #102 of his infamous 8-Track Mind 'zine to anchor the audio-history part; Ben Wood—acting as Eadweard Muybridge—to lead the section on motion-picture tech; and an “Incredibly Strange Music” opening launch for Forster’s analog-screed, which features anomalous 16mm Soundies and free beer, books, vinyl, VHS, AND TYPEWRITERS!!

Forster’s lecture-demo, “Vinyl Resurgence,” foregrounds this journeyman maker working between a turntable and an overhead projector in an impassioned argument for the primacy of the LP album. His energized performance is followed by telling audio art-ifacts from Tiny Tim, Harry Partch, Robert Moog, and a 12-min. debut preview of Robert Fantinatto’s “I Dream of Wires” (on analog synthesizers).

Mr. Wood, in his film-history module, introduces three pieces on Frisco’s father of the moving image, the aforementioned Muybridge, preceding marvelous shorts from Max Fleischer, Rick Prelinger, Clint Enns, Will Nold, et al.

Conjuring up a festive ambience for Russ’ release are filmed musical performances by Liberace, Spike Jones, Corinna Mura, Buddy Clark, Pete Drake, Korla Pandit, the Trololoman, and many more ‘"Orphan Film" discoveries!