Arthur Russell - Not Checking Up

A: Arthur Russell
S: Not Checking Up

If you’re a certain strain of music fan, myself included, the intimacy of hearing an idea as it’s still being captured holds a certain romance that a studio track can’t match. Arthur Russell, who left nearly 1,000 hours of unreleased tapes when he died in 1992, could be the patron saint of the demo. He released only one solo album, 1986’s World of Echo, but his influence has only grown after his passing. When Devendra Banhart announced he was curating a compilation of other artists’ demos, the inclusion of Russell felt preordained. Demos encourage that type of mysticism. Russell’s music does, too.

... I still wanna know you, some way.