What is 'Music on the Bones'?

Great film piece by Russian correspondent Alex Kan on the project on BBC NEWS today. It was shot at The Horse Hospital in London inside out exhibition and on the day of an an amazing live event when we recorded thereminist Lydia Kavina  to x-ray.

 

X-RAY AUDIO ON BBC RUSSIA

BBC Russia made a short video piece on our live event at The Horse Hospital with thereminist Lydia Kavina last week.

 It translates:

"In London, they are listening to  the sound of "music on the bones”

Today we can easily download thousands of songs to our phones and iPods without thinking about the process of recording and playback. But a little more than half a century ago in the Soviet Union, fans of forbidden music - jazz, rock and roll and emigre  songs - had to resort to almost unbelievable means - they recorded music onto the surface of X-rays.

Thus was born the unique socio-cultural phenomenon, known as "Music on the bones", "rock on the edges" or "roentgenizdat."

In Russia, this story is almost completely forgotten. In the West, nobody knew about it. Until now when a few British enthusiasts, accidentally came across "music on the bones,” have engaged in a deep and serious study of this phenomenon.

They not only hold exhibitions, publish books and are preparing to release a documentary, but they have revived the process of recording and playback of music on X-ray film.

Alexander Kan, columnist of the Russian Service for Cultural Affairs visited the London exhibition of the project"

You can watch it HERE