This tape is an ode to the unparalleled Swiss artist Dieter Roth’s (1930-1998) piano relay race Lorelei (1978). Dubbed “The Long Distance Sonata” Lorelei is a sweeping edition, each containing 38 cassettes of piano improvisations performed by Dieter and his children Björn and Vera. Hansjörg Mayer showed me his copy of the edition (he helped publish) in his studio last year in London. What a beautiful box, adorned with Roth’s drawing and markings: the object also includes a mounted tape player and radio (rigged to bleed the tape and radio simultaneously). The radio element is ignored here, but rather the brutal and honest ethos of Roth is held high in spirit.
The deluxe edition comes with an original artwork made by Schmid and Ryan Nault. Various objects sealed in a plastic bag: watercolors, a pizza box, rice, stained paper, drawings, flowers etc. Their book Ethos Headz, documenting all the objects, is also included. Eric wanted to keep this special edition affordable for anyone to be able to buy, so we have kept the pricing low.
– Sean McCann, July 2020