The concept is the brainchild of Pete Oxley and Stuart Miller of The Spin Jazz Club in Oxford and the first example “Turnaround Volume 1” is now available. A collection of 12 well-recorded live tracks from this year’s performances at the club’s various venues. About a double album’s worth of music plus a Mystery Track that is subject to change from time to time. Streamed via access from a QR code. Priced at £20 (reduced to £15 at club gigs currently)
It comes in the form of a sturdy A5-size hardback book with notes and explanation of the concept in the first few pages.
There’s a two-page spread for each track of the album with pictures and artist details, dates, location etc. just like on an album sleeve, plus a QR code to scan, enabling streaming of the track in question.
After the 12 sets of pages and codes, on an additional page is the code to a “hidden” bonus track which, it is planned, will be changed from time to time. There’s also an invitation to join the club’s mailing list so you know when a new Bonus Track is available (using the same QR code) and what club gigs are upcoming. Finally there’s a couple of shout-out pages (with pix) for those that helped in the production of the thing, which they have decided to call an LSL (Look-Scan-Listen) and to those who have helped the club keep running for the past 22 years.
Seems a very clever concept to me.
There’s a further page with a code to scan and hear the entire album in sequence, if that’s how you prefer to listen.
..and here it is.
https://spinjazz.com/shop/p/turnaround-volume-1
A bit like Lorde’s Solar Power (aka the crack album), where the artwork was sold without a CD but access to a download.
A gimmick I think. A few years ago I remember seeing cardboard albums in stores that contained codes to download them.
HEY!!! I agree with @dai!