In celebration of Third Man Records’ third anniversary, Jack White decided to create something the music world has never seen before: a 3 RPM record. For those who are unfamiliar with records, this means the record spins at a rate of three revolutions per minute. If it wasn’t obvious already, this is virtually impossible to accomplish. TMR’s statement below sums up the entire feat.
The world’s first 3 RPM record is a study in contradictions– it’s cut at the slowest speed yet it plays faster than anything you’ve ever heard. It’s a compilation of 7 inch records but it’s packaged like a 12 inch. But the 12 inch sleeve is made like our 7 inch sleeve (as it is one continues piece of paper folded in half and put into an acetate sleeve). A bit like a snake eating its own tail. It comes with three bumper stickers yet there is no bumper. We gave it away for free yet given what it has fetched on eBay it is proving to be fairly valuable. It’s easy to play but impossible to hear. You put your finger on it to slow it down, but this is no easy task (as evidenced by these YouTube videos) and we estimate it would take 333 days of 33 hours training per day for your finger, hand, and arm muscles to spin at a continuous speed of 3 rpm for X hours and X minutes.
So what do you think of White’s most recent endeavor? Genius and innovative move or simply a publicity stunt? Let us know in the comment section below!
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