Academic recognition of metal possible

[born for banning]

We have made contact with a professor in the University of Texas library system, which has a 200,000 record archive of popular music recordings. They are kept under museum conditions in a climate/humidity controlled building on the UT Austin campus, and digital copies are made of each recording so they are available to academics.

They lack death metal and black metal, but they keep any other kind of underground, ethnic, mainstream or classical music. They need you to send them original recordings of death metal and black metal, especially rarities which will be kept in perpetuity in a safe environment.

Send to:

Dr. David Hunter
Music Librarian and Curator, Historical Music Recordings Collection
Fine Arts Library (DFA 3.200)
University of Texas Libraries
1 University Station (S5437)
Austin, TX 78712

Office: (512) 495-4475
Fax: (512) 495-4490
Library: (512) 495-4481
david.hunter@mail.utexas.edu

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/

Steps to Follow

1. Use this search form to see if they have a copy of the recording:

Search Form

2. Put rare metal CD, LP, tape or flyer in secure packaging and mail to the address above, care of Dr. David Hunter.

That's it! You helped metal and yourself.

[oscar the cat]

So we send this guy metal, and it goes into an archive for academics to study? They aren't going to see it any other way. I have a spare copy of Onward to Golgotha I'm gonna send.

[kontinual]

I tried the Search Form to see a random sample of what is currently in the archive.

MORBID ANGEL and DEICIDE, for instance, are not; but BLACK FLAG, DRI, and DEAD CAN DANCE are.  Only one SLAYER album is present (Live Undead)

There definitely is a lack of keystone stuff in this collection and it could use some help.

[David_Ravel]

I think I'm gonna buy some album I already have and send them, it's worth the price if they don't have anything good.

Lets hit some Summoning, it's worth it a thousand times.

PS : They don't seems to have Man-Machine from Kraftwerk... silly texan.

[The Ancient One]

Well, thanks to Thamuz's post about the good deals on "Speckmann Project" CDs, I'm going to buy a copy of that album on Amazon.  I could, however, buy two copies and send one to Dr. Hunter...unless someone is already in the process of sending that particular album.  If not, I'd be more than willing to buy the two copies.  Feel free to tell me if anyone is already sending that cd, otherwise I'll order the two at the end of the day.

[Vajra]

It's definitely a good idea to post what you're definitely going to send/have sent here, like the old Burzum booklift.

Should we send DLA reviews with them (if applicable to the album)?

[wEEman33]

Another low-cost classic:

Napalm Death's "Scum" can be purchased for $6.66 (with free shipping to US customers) over at the Earache webstore:

http://www.earachestore.com/store/product133.html

[David_Ravel]

It's definitely a good idea to post what you're definitely going to send/have sent here, like the old Burzum booklift.

Should we send DLA reviews with them (if applicable to the album)?

That's a good idea IMO.

Maybe they'll throw it away, or maybe they'll read it.

If we send a shitload of them, they won't have the choice but to try to read them.

[chrstphrbnntt]

Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick

Have me down for that one. As soon as I sell this extra tuba I have, I'll have some excess cash and will be able to buy more. If I end up with an extra few thousand dollars I could use a fraction of it to help the cause.

[The Ancient One]

Well, I've ordered the copies of "Speckmann Project". Good suggestion about sending DLA reviews, Vajra.  I'll be sure to stick that into the package before I send it to the Archive.

[K. Sear]

I am curious, do they absolutely need original copies?  Is the purpose to preserve the entire piece (ie. artwork and recording medium) or just the music itself?  Obviously, original copies are preferable for LP's but CD-R duplicates of CD's are a different breed.

If copies were sufficient, then literally thousands of recordings are available from just members of this board alone at nearly no cost (no cost means people would be more likely to contribute).  On the other hand, I suppose copyright issues become involved.

[kontinual]

I am curious, do they absolutely need original copies?  Is the purpose to preserve the entire piece (ie. artwork and recording medium) or just the music itself?  Obviously, original copies are preferable for LP's but CD-R duplicates of CD's are a different breed.

If copies were sufficient, then literally thousands of recordings are available from just members of this board alone at nearly no cost (no cost means people would be more likely to contribute).  On the other hand, I suppose copyright issues become involved.

As far as I can tell most of the digital media in their catalog is available for check-out, so that is one reason.  Also, even though there are probably copyright issues as far as receiving material goes they probably have more liberty with intellectual property as an academic institution - it looks like they are making their own digital copies as it is.  I'm curious about their methods of preservation.

[Vajra]

On a related note, I was thinking about sending in At The Gates - The Red... but the latest Peaceville digipak re-issue doesn't have a lyrics booklet (or fold out). With something like this, would it be best to have an older pressing sent with full lyrics available?

edit: answer - oh yeah, digitial copies, so no.

[born for banning]

I'm curious about their methods of preservation.

After talking to Dr. Hunter, these are the facts:

- Records are stored in a separate building from the main library. It is climate controlled.

- They are kept on shelves in protective packaging (plastic, inserts removed from acid-producing papers) until needed.

- When needed, they are taken down by a research librarian, copied to digital form and then the digital copy is sent on. The student/faculty never touch the actual object.

- For CDs, the methods are simpler as they can be directly copied. LPs get the most care as they are older and more likely to flake, but if the CD is fragile it will be protected.

Their annual budget is in the tens of millions and they've been doing this since the 1940s, so I think it's a safe place to send. Although I think UT is a glorified high school, you can get a good education there and their graduate departments are often excellent. This is a good place for metal to make it into the academic stream.

I routinely find excellent death metal and black metal CDs on sale or in used racks, and always want to buy another copy because I like the CD so much. Now, I'm going to buy and ship it to Dr. Hunter so he can archive it.

I'm including this:



If you right-click, save as..., it will be in full size (300 dpi) so when you print it it will be the right size.

Should we send DLA reviews with them (if applicable to the album)?

That's a good idea. I'll start doing that too. It might be an even better way of "branding" these as part of a real metal movement.

The collection contains more than 300,000 musical recordings, including archival material related to Texas symphonies, classical radio stations and contemporary composers.

http://www.utexas.edu/opa/pubs/oncampus/01oc_issues/oc010320/oc_music.html

Guideliness of the Historical Music Recordings Collection at the University of Texas at Austin

[buckets_of_rain]

If all music is accepted and studied, then there really isn't much hope.  It will be just like all of society except at a smaller scale.  I thought you were refering to some specific study.