Lost Wax
[In Development]
Lost Wax is a creative documentary series and a deep dive into vinyl record culture, crate digging and the extraordinary power of music. Vinyl records are more popular than ever however this is not a series about indie vinyl at your local Urban Outfitters or your [grand]dad’s Beatles records.
Each of the 8 episodes will be based on the life changing impact of one record and an exploration of the stories, lives, subcultures and politics surrounding it.
Co-directors: Graeme Mathieson & Chris Flanagan.
For further inquiries, contact Caitie Drewery: caitie@bonfireoriginals.com
eps 1. KILL A SOUNDBOY
Records in Jamaica are very serious business. Coveted “dubplate specials”, exclusive and unique acetates recorded to endorse a particular DJ or Soundsystem have been weapons used to do musical battle since the 1950s before Reggae even existed. In the fiercely competitive musical arena of Kingston Sound Clashes, a single dubplate could make or break a DJ's career. We meet a pioneer of Jamaican Sound System culture who unpacks the unique music, culture and politics of the island and the story of his most prized record. Sound System Culture is now a global phenomenon from Germany to Japan to Brazil, and exclusive dubplate specials are more in demand than ever and as well as a significant source of income for vintage and contemporary artists.
eps 2. THE TORCH
In the early 70s in grim industrial towns in the North of England, a growing subculture of white kids and DJs got their hands on forgotten American R&B 45s by minor artists and became soul music converts. An escape from the mundanity of working class factory jobs, amphetamine-fueled “all nighters” were a place to let loose, dancing the night away to a soundtrack of rare and coveted soul records. Northern Soul DJs soaked the labels off their favourite records to avoid the competition finding out the title of a rare record. DJs could build their reputation and gain a fanatical fan base of soul disciples who would drive for hours to dance to one particular record at the climax of the party. We meet a Northern Soul veteran DJ who reminisces on the glory days of the culture, the unique dance moves, the fashion, the drugs and one very special vinyl record that got away.
eps 3. THE TREEHOUSE OF FUNK
In 1973, an overstuffed Ethiopian Airlines flight en route between Addis Ababa and Montréal ran into trouble and all luggage was jettisoned to avoid disaster. This included two boxes of records by Ethiopian Jazz visionary Mulatu Astatke, who’s albums were sponsored by the airline, or so the story goes. We follow a determined and eccentric collector on a quest across rural Quebec to find the truth of whatever became of these extraordinary records, which now change hands for over $5000 each.
eps 4. BONE MUSIC
During the cold war, music and all creative art forms were censored by the Soviet State. “Decadent and dangerous” western rock records occasionally filtered in through the black-market and were hastily duplicated by defiant music lovers using discarded X-Rays as the source material. “The X-rays were cut into 7-inch discs and the centre hole was made by burning it with a cigarette”... “quality was awful, ...the disks could really only be played five to ten times”. Behind the iron curtain, these glimpses of a radically different life were sacred and coveted objects and being caught in possession of this contraband was a dangerous prospect. We meet a Ukrainian “bone music” collector who guides us through the history and importance of these deeply important objects.
eps 5. A LOVE SUPREME
In Japan just about every music subculture has an army of dedicated fans who have devoted their lives to it.
Since the 1950s, Japan has had an almost spiritual love affair with American jazz music. Imported records were expensive, typically costing a day’s wages, so dedicated, underground jazz cafes known as Kissa popped up in major cities in post-war Japan where customers could pay a fee to sit and listen to this radical new music. The Kissa were based in the city’s red light districts, smoke filled sanctuaries from conservative hierarchical daily life where time stopped and jazz lovers, sex workers and Yakuza all rubbed shoulders.
“Jazz was the soundtrack for this new artistic and political world. Activists and artists would congregate at jazz Kissa to plan revolts and performances over endless cups of coffee.”
The Kissa are now fading in Tokyo but we meet a veteran café owner who is still fanatical about jazz music, who shares the story of one particular jazz record and how it changed the trajectory of her life forever.
eps 6. BRING THE MUTHAFUCKIN’ RUCKUS
“Once Upon A Time in Shaolin” was recorded in secret over six years by the fabled hip hop crew, the Wu Tang Clan, and is the most expensive piece of music ever sold. Only one copy was ever produced and it was bought by the loathsome
“Pharma bro” Martin Shkreli - best known for hiking up AIDS medication prices to extortionate levels. The sale of the record rubbed many fans the wrong way and it appears the choice to sell to the evil billionaire was even regretted by the Clan themselves.
Thankfully there may be a way to get the disc out of Shkreli’s undeserving clutches as rumours of a bizarre clause in the contract states: "The buying party also agrees that at any time during the stipulated 88 year period, the seller may legally plan and attempt to execute one (1) heist or caper to steal back Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, which, if successful, would return all ownership rights to the seller," the text reads. "Said heist or caper can only be undertaken by currently active members of the Wu-Tang Clan and/or actor Bill Murray, with no legal repercussions.”
This episode will be a hybrid of fact/fiction, imagining this theoretical heist via animation/live action and studio built models and figures.
eps 7. DEAD WAX
To serious record collectors, sometimes our obsession with tangible objects can feel like a way to stave off our own mortality. For those of us who don’t prescribe to organized religion, there is something akin to deep spirituality surrounding these inanimate plastic objects. We follow a UK based company who provides a service whereby a dead person’s ashes can be pressed into a playable vinyl record. We also meet a record lover who has made the decision to be immortalized as music.
eps 8. MUSIC ETERNAL
In 1977, NASA blasted two gold records into space, an intergalactic calling card to showcase the best of humanity. Unfortunately, the music contained on the platters was mostly Eurocentric and many of the “ethnic” music selections were mis-titled or even attributed to the wrong groups. Based solely on this eternal selection, aliens who somehow encounter the records may just decide to stay clear of us. We imagine radically different pasts and futures from the musical selections locked into the golden grooves.