¶ Dan's Isolated Start and Interruption
Hey. Hey, how's it going? It's good. I made it here live. How are you? I'm good. I'm good. I miss you a lot. Feels like you've been gone for way longer than three days. I know. Me too. Time is weird here. It's so far removed from everything. Well, it's kind of what you were looking for. Yeah, I'm getting there. Mostly unpacked. Mostly? Dan, are you seriously just living out of your suitcase? No comment. I bet I was right.
But, I mean, you haven't told me anything about your job. What's it like? It's cool. It's cool. I like the whole process of it. The archiving, the digitizing. It feels monastic, like I'm illuminating manuscripts or something. Oh, cool. And you get to listen to it all, right? Yeah, I mean, the tapes aren't like...
They're just housing records. They're historical, but they aren't that interesting in and of themselves. That sounds kind of boring. I mean, it's important that everything gets preserved, you know? But anyway, enough about me. How's the renovation going? The new floors are in because everybody moving to Brooklyn goes crazy for hardwood floors. Yeah, it's mostly done. I'm just doing some touch-ups here and there at this point.
but it's definitely not as much fun spackling walls without you. Ah, well, just save me a huge chunk of drywall for when I get back. Seriously, though, I will. Don't even joke about it. I mean, well, unfortunately, it is all metal and concrete here, so I can't really practice.
Really? That's so depressing. Yeah, it's kind of cool, actually. It feels like a bunker or bomb shelter. Kind of imposing, like I'm in a military outpost out in the wilderness. I would get so lonely. Are you using the lamp I gave you? I will, I will. I mean, I am allowed to go outside. My vitamin D will be fine. Uh, Tanya, let me put you on hold for just a few seconds. Boss is calling. I'll tell him to call back later. Yeah, isn't it after workout?
¶ Davenport's Rules and Monitoring
This a bad time? Um, I'm actually on a call with my girlfriend, and this is, well, it's outside work hours, so... I acknowledge what you're feeling, but I'm going to have to ask you to call your girlfriend back. Okay. Well, could I just have two or three minutes to say goodbye? Dan, hang up the goddamn phone. Okay. Dan, I'd like to think we've established a bit of a rapport, a sort of understanding.
on mutual respect and trust, wouldn't you agree? Oh, sure, yeah, it seems that way. So you understand that when I see that trust being violated, it really hurts all the more coming from you, rather than some random temp? Mr. Davenport, I... Oh, just let me speak for a bit. When I told you to record everything, do you remember the words that I used? Do you? I... Just let me speak for a bit.
I really don't like being interrupted. I told you that recording everything is your top priority, Dan. So when I got a little automated email in my inbox saying that the recorder was deliberately turned off... for a period of 39 minutes and 22 seconds. I was really perturbed. Could it be a false positive from the monitoring software? Wait, the monitoring software? But no, the monitoring software was fine.
And it wasn't an issue with the battery or the power. No, the recorder was deliberately turned off. Would you care to explain that? Wait, wait, just a minute. I'm being monitored? Dan, I understand your concern. Really, I do. No one is listening in on you. You are not being monitored.
monitored the recorder is if the recorder turns off then i get a little email with an exclamation point next to it in my inbox and that is exactly what happened yesterday so do you have any explanation for me i had a I don't know. It was... It was a mistake. See, the reason that I get a little email with an exclamation point is that if the recorder is off, then we're open to a whole host of liability and legal issues.
If the recorder is off and, well, I'd really hate to think this of you, but you could be doing anything. You could be making off with government property. You could be destroying tapes. You could be engaged in corporate espionage. were you doing any of those things during the 39 minutes and 22 seconds the recorder was turned off no no see i'd really love to believe you dan but i can't know for sure but for now i want i want us to Yes, of course.
is me being sure that you will never turn the recorder off as long as you're employed at the Housing Historical Committee of New York State. Can we come to an agreement, Dan? Yes. That's all I wanted to hear. Okay, now. Nice talking to you. Bye-bye. Christ. Well... Shit. No no no no no no!
¶ Melody's Avant-Garde and Haunting Operas
Typical minimalist bullshit. Got the critics hard, but what the hell is that worth, right? I started the recording, if you don't mind. Hell no, go ahead. I appreciate that. Melody Pendress, February 20th, 1840, floor 6. What did you have for breakfast today? Lucky charms. They're magically delicious. Sound good? Actually...
Could you tell me what time you got up? Okay. Around one or so. You know, night owl. I do my best work when the whole world's asleep. You sound great. Could you tell me your name? Tamara Morris. Thank you. How long have you been living in Visser? A couple years. Two or three. Oh, shit. It's been a while. And why did you decide to move to Visser?
It's cheap. I wanted to stretch the grant money out as long as I, you know, as long as possible. Probably should have moved to Wisconsin, somewhere with dirt that I can't write surrounded by nature. Anyone who says birdsong is beautiful is lying. It's just screaming. It's horny bird screaming. Hmm. Tell me a bit about what you write. I write opera. Oh.
Interesting. I'm sorry. All I know about opera is the fat lady with the... Yeah, the fat lady in the Viking helmet. Sorry. No, it's all right. Wagner's the dude you're thinking of, and he's awful, racist as shit. The opera I write is more... You can take your time. This is gonna sound super pretentious, but whatever. The opera I write is more real.
you know, full of objects and flesh. I like to use sounds you'd hear on the street, everyday sounds, you know, to pave the road between the ear and your vocal cords with wider lanes. Music that doesn't sound like music until you get to this point where it does. Are you following me? Yeah, I get that. People always say that, you know. But, okay, I'll show you.
Okay, so this is a recording I made of a block party in the summer, but I took the tape and I played it at quarter speed, then recorded that, and played it at quarter speed, and on and on, until I slowed it down by about 200 times. If you listen close, you can almost hear the band. It's... unique. Yeah, I know it's difficult to listen to, but see, that's the point. Now...
What's supposed to happen is the song should play on the stage with these hooded figures, dressed in all black, and they're supposed to move so slowly. So it's almost imperceptible, right? In the stage notes, I asked for one of the figures to hold a knife, but all the directors have ignored it because they're fucking cowards. The opera ends when the audience decides to leave, you see. Oh. Yeah.
Whatever, it's an early work. You want to hear something else? Sure. Nice to play for someone that isn't an art critic. What is this? Me being hit. The actors are seated at a table. It's like a party, you know? They're all laughing and joking, but they're all kicking each other hard under the table with boots. The whole thing is called dinner party music. Oh. Eh, it's alright. It's not for everybody. Okay, just one more. I promise.
What's this opera called? Purgatory. It's a cast recording. The whole thing happens in complete darkness. I choreographed the whole thing with a former teacher of mine. This modern dancer from... Argentina. Had to stop reforming it when the union picketed it. What'd you think? I really don't know. I feel a bit dizzy after listening to them. Yeah, they have that effect. It's intentional, though. I'm into giving people a new perspective, you know what I mean? Okay. So, Tamara...
Tell me about your experiences living in this apartment building. I mean, it's fine, right? Don't go on the eighth floor unless you want some really insane drugs from the club kids. avoid the historical society because they're weirdos and who cares about what they get up to. But, I mean, it's not like I really care about the whole thing, right? You don't? Not when I'm working on my magnum opus.
Oh, tell me about your magnum opus. Ah, magnum opus. Worst phrase in the world. Even if it weren't the name of a goddamn condom, it would still be phallic as hell. Yeah, I bet you impress every other dude in the locker room with your big swinging magnum opus. But... It's not finished yet. Just a rough draft. Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't play anything else, but... No. No, I want to hear it.
It's beautiful. Shocked? No, I just... It was fine. I moved here to write it. I was having these dreams. All set to music that I would forget as soon as I woke up. I've been trying to bring the music out. you know, into the waking world. It's easier in Visser. The place has good energy. So what's this piece called? What's it about? I don't know what it's called. It's about...
I'm interested in the totality of human experience and how difficult that is to stuff into a narrative. The ideas can't be expressed in language. How something greater than a story can shift the way we see the world, like calling someone by a wrong name so many times that it becomes the right name. so that they believe it. The idea of the piece is to create music that can demolish barriers and to get people to build their houses with the debris.
Are you starting to feel nauseous? Yes. This song isn't close to being finished, but when it is, it'll be beautiful. And true. It'll change the world. I think I should get a bit disappointed, but yeah, probably for the best. hear it through Hey, Tanya. It's me, Dan. I mean, you probably already know it's me. Sorry, I had to hang up. It was an urgent thing. Anyway, again, I'm really sorry. Just...
Call me back when you get the chance, okay? I like hearing your voice. And say hi to puddles for me. I'll... I'll talk to you soon. Hey, this is Mark Solinger again. So it looks like so far, no one's come forward with any information about Tan, but I've got a lot of audio from him, so I can keep this going for a while. Subscribe in iTunes, leave a review. You can also visit the website archive81.com or follow us on Twitter.
at Archive81. We're also on Facebook. I'm just trying to get this out there to as many people as possible. And if you know anything about what's happened to Dan, email me at archive81podcast at gmail.com. That's archive, the numbers, 81podcast at gmail.com. Thank you.