A number of artists on last year’s SHAPE Platform roster have teamed up for a new release called Trans Europe Postal Express.
The release, which is credited to Prague-based electroacoustic composer Oliver Torr, was put together with the use of a four-track cassette recorder that was sent on a journey around various locations in Europe to a number of artists, along with a couple of blank tapes, a sketchpad and an instruction sheet. The case eventually made it back to Torr in Prague full of location-specific material and original music recordings, which were used as a starting point for the final record.
The artists featured are Clara de Asís, Elvin Brandhi, Fausto Mercier, Kӣr, Moesha 13, Peter Kutin & Rojin Sharafi, Poly Chain, and Širom. Each was given three days to record sounds onto a tape, draw in the sketchbook, and leave their mark on the project before the case was sent to the next destination. The project was inspired by the limit on real-life collaboration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The reason for using a four-track tape recorder is to limit the artist’s creative process," Torr says, adding, "it is my form of meta-collaboration because I use this technique to make music in some instances."
The artists on 2021’s SHAPE roster were revealed last month.
Trans Europe Postal Express is out now.
