New Arthur Russell Album Corn On the Way; Hear “Ocean Movie” Now

Front page photo by Tom Lee // courtesy of Audika Records

Steve Knutson started Audika Records in 2004 to release officially sanctioned archival material by the late Arthur Russell. The last one was 2008’s Love Is Overtaking Me. On June 9, the label will release Corn, a collection of nine previously unreleased Russell recordings from 1982 and 1983. Listen to “Ocean Movie” from the album below.

Knutson put together Corn using Russell’s original 1/4″ tape masters. This material made it to test pressings in 1985, but none were released. The songs are largely solo works with Russell providing cello, keyboards, rhythm machine programming, vocals, and production. The album also features Mustafa Ahmed (percussion), Peter Zummo (trombone), and Rik Albani (trumpet).

The songs were recorded between 1982’s 24→24 Music (as Dinosaur L) and his 1983 works Tower of Meaning and Loose Joints’ “Tell You Tooday”. The 2004 album Calling Out of Context featured four songs culled from the same sessions as the nine tracks on Corn (“The Deer In The Forest Part 1”, “The Platform on the Ocean”, “Calling Out Of Context”, and “I Like You!”).

Last year, Russell was honored in a Red Hot tribute compilation featuring Sufjan Stevens, Robyn, Hot Chip, Blood Orange, Phosphorescent, Jose Gonzalez, Devendra Banhart, Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry, Scissor Sisters, Cults, and others.

Corn:

01 Lucky Cloud
02 Corn
03 Keeping Up
04 See My Brother, He’s Jumping Out (Let’s Go Swimming #2)
05 This Is How We Walk on the Moon
06 Corn (Continued)
07 Hiding Your Present From You
08 They and Their Friends
09 Ocean Movie