Exhibit “X-ray Music: The Bone Records of Soviet Russia and the Art of Bootlegging”

The culture of pre-communist Russia included a rich and vibrant music scene, but with the rise of socialist realism, the state became progressively involved with even popular culture. Bootleg recording pioneers emerged to disseminate banned music, salvaging discarded technology to circumvent state censorship by creating and spreading pirated physical media. Due to the odd medium used in their creation, exposed X-ray film, they became known as “bone” or “rib” records. Images in the discs include broken ankles, ribs, skulls, and other damaged body parts. This exhibit explores aspects of these recordings and includes several examples of bootlegged bootlegs, modern artifacts meant to exploit the collectors of history.

Materials on display are from a private collection.