A problem most small independent bands face is getting their music noticed, especially with the huge number of other bands out there all trying to do the same. Shout Out Louds, a Swedish indie band, has developed a new format for its latest single, a record made out of ice.
As it would be difficult to distribute a frozen record, the band has made a special kit that consists of a silicone record mould and a bottle of distilled water. All one needs is a record player, a freezer and some patience to make the ice record.
To make the ice record, the owner needs to pour half the supplied bottle of distilled water into centre of the mould and place it in the freezer for about 6 hours. Once frozen, the resulting ice record needs to be carefully pried from its mould. This ice record can then be played on a record player just like a regular vinyl record.
As shown in the video, the sound quality is quite impressive and it's surprising how long it plays with very little skipping considering how fragile ice is and the narrow pitch the needle must follow on the ice. The band was even told by professors at different universities that this could not be done, but the band eventually succeeded after trying various techniques.
The song is appropriately named Blue Ice, which is due for public release in February. The band has so far delivered the ice record kit to ten select fans, friends and journalists to try out.
