The Space - Peel record box project

[Paul Webster]

Text below from http://thespace.org

Curator's Introduction
John Peel is the perfect curator for The Space – tireless in seeking out new talent, bold in searching beyond the fashionable and obvious places, determined to search internationally and always open minded. His record in spotting not only radical original talent, but also new sorts of music, is unsurpassed. He not only spotted the stars of tomorrow, he created them, and for millions of audience members and fans, as well as for artists themselves, he changed the way we saw and experienced the world. How sad that he can't be our curator on The Space, but how brilliant that his archive has been digitised, and his influence and inspiration can continue. This great project, the runaway hit of the pilot Space, has returned to inspire, delight and surprise us all.

Artistic Summary
In collaboration with The Space, the John Peel Archive is to begin exploring the cultural context of what lies on the shelves, as we delve deeper into John’s treasure trove with the help of key figures involved with the music. The “Record Box' format will allow their musical selections to be heard and stories told – like a kind of super mixtape with the curator’s scribbles splashed around the casing of our virtual D90s. 

These Record Boxes form the foundation of our vision to create thousands of interrelated Record Boxes – openly compilable by anyone – spanning the knowledge and everyday experiences of the diverse musical history that has come to define a nation’s counter-cultural identity.

Record Box One: Joe Boyd
In September, the first of the six Record Boxes commissioned by The Space will be compiled by Joe Boyd, legendary producer and founder of the UFO club in the 1960s; discoverer of Pink Floyd among others and producer of many seminal records from Fairport Convention to Nick Drake.

Expect more at http://www.johnpeelarchive.com/boxes.html

Paul