Vaguely reminiscent of the idea of potlatch 1, and devised around a relation of exchanges between organiser and participants that implies some sort of retribution, a party is organised, for which the attendants are invited to bring the vinyl records they detest the most, being these exchanged for drinks, and played afterwards, as the party’s ‘soundtrack’.
As the party attendants demonstrate their displeasure towards the music, playing is stopped and the records thrown to the dance floor, for the attendants to do whatever they please with them.
The record breaking party is an ongoing series of projects that develop in two distinct phases, with the party acting as a common starting point, leading to different outcomes that deal with specific elements and context of where they take place.



1 In George Bataille’s essay The Accursed Share he mentions potlatch as a ritual destruction of riches in the form of a sacrifice, where goods lose their orientation towards a future use and are consequently free of utilitarian domination.
As in celebration, the host would distribute gifts according to each guest’s rank or status. Between rival groups the potlatch could involve solemn giving and destruction of riches, as a display of superior wealth and as a provocation demanding an answer. That answer should take the form of a new potlatch, a short time later, which would have to be forcibly more generous than the first: he must pay back with interest.                                        
When a rival failed to answer another’s provocation he was dishonoured as he was showing that he attributed the most value to physical property.

10 cc 2pac a-ha abba adamo alan o’day alfons bauer alfons zitz und der bergsteiger chor alison moyet almenrausch alphaville andi kamen andrea jürgens andrew lloyd webber andy gibb angie st. john baccara baldo & his guitar bangles barry white bay city rollers bee gees belle epoque bergsteigerchor bergzigeuner berlin bino blind date blondie bob-a-rela boney m. boney m. and bobby farrell with the school rebels bonnie tyler booker t & the mg’s bouzouki disco band bugles butterfly carl douglas chic china crisis christian anders christina cindy und bert claude lazarro cliff richard & the young ones clout cock robin contempt conti eckert costa cordalis cozy powell danny mirror dave stewart diana ross & the supremes die fidelen inntaler dj cam meets métisse dolgelin donna summer donovan eddie money eddi e holman edelweiss sextet ellen dorien elton john eric carmen erika köth ernst mosch und seine original egerländer musikanten eruption feat. precious wilson facedown fleetwood mac floyd cramer first choice fischer chöre four tops francis goya frank farian corporation gene autry genesis georgie red gerd böttcher gerd kadenbach geschwister fahrnberger und rudi knabl trio gilbert bécaud & ireen sheer gilbert montaignée glenn medeiros gratt miggitsch greta carlsson grips theater hannes kröger hansl krönauer duett harold melvin & the blue notes häringer buam heavy metal kids heino hello henry de vivie henry mancini herbie hancock hey fever! horst jankowski hot butter hot chocolate howard carpendale howard grace hues corporation hugo montenegro inner city innspatzen trio iwan rebroff and balalaika-ensemble „troika“ jason donovan jimmy ruffin joachim hübner john asman john finten john regros john travolta & olivia newton-john kadow kenny masters kiss konrad grewe kovriga balalaika orchestra lacy j. dalton lake laurent voulzy london aircraft love unlimited ludwig van beethoven luv mac and katie kissoon marianne mendt maria stoaner buam martha reeves & the vandellas marvin gaye maurice andré mfsb mike & the mechanics modern talking mondschein trio mozart mr. acker bilk mr. bloe münchener freiheit nicole mccloud nilsen brothers nils son o’jays oliver onions olivia molina opus orchester udo reichel paolo filici pavel negrescu penny mclean peter alexander peter janda petra pascal pet shop boys phil collins prince raffaella carra raggio di luna richard claydermann ricky king robert knight roland moree rubettes ruby james rupie edwards ryan simmons sacha distel sade sailor samantha fox sam cooke santana scholz schumann sebiwirt sepp viellechner sheila b. devotion sheila e.silver convention sires smittbern smokie space spitzstoaner status quo stefanie stefano pulga sunrise supertramp susie dorée sweet sweet sensation sybill wagner sydney youngblood symphony nova teeny the alan parsons project the cars the christians the dolls the drifters the eagles the ferko string band the flirts the intruders the irish rebels the isley brothers the koala news thelma houston the other ones the outfield the pipes and drums the s.o.s. band the staple singers the surfers the swingle sisters the temptations the tokens the tymes thomas rebensburg timmy thomas tina turner t’pau trammps udo lindenberg van halen ventires vicky leandros walter färber wastl fanderl trio wirbel wolfgang kubach yvonne elliman   [2007]
 

10 cc 2pac a-ha abba adamo alan o’day alfons bauer alfons zitz und der bergsteiger chor ..., installation views at daimlerstrasse 32. 2007

installation conceived as the outcome of the record breaking party that took place in Frankfurt.
vinyl, dim. of the cube: ± 26 cm side; white plinth; typewritten text, A4 format; label with title

instalação concebida como desenvolvimento da record breaking party que teve lugar em Frankfurt.
vinil; plinto branco; texto dactilografado, formato A4; moldura; tabela com título

 

After the party, the whole of the records’ debris were collected, alongside with the records’ cover sleeves.

The shattered record pieces were transformed into a solid cube of vinyl of approximately 26 cm side, displayed on top of a small plinth.

A framed typewritten text, composed as a cut-up assemblage of the titles of all the destroyed records, hung on the wall.

The title of the work was printed on a label and consists of an alphabetically ordered compilation of all the artists’ names that featured in the destroyed albums.

The installation was presented in a space other than the one where the party took place.

Após a festa, os fragmentos dos discos destruídos foram recolhidos, sendo depois transformados num cubo de vinil, com aproximadamente 26 cm de lado. Este cubo foi exposto em cima de um plinto.

Na parede, emoldurado, encontrava-se um texto dactilografado, composto como um cut-up a partir dos títulos de todos os álbuns destruídos.

O título do trabalho é uma compilação, ordenada alfabeticamente, dos nomes de todos os artistas constantes nos álbuns destruídos. O título encontrava-se impresso numa tabela afixada na parede.

A instalação foi apresentada num espaço diferente daquele onde a festa decorreu.