The idea is simple...we send a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder to an artist, they record two songs to tape, then mail the recorder to the next artist to do the same. Over the course of three installments of the Polyvinyl 4-Track Singles Series our trusty Tascam has been shared by an incredible line-up of bands and musicians, including Japanese Breakfast, Cloud Nothings, David Bazan, Jay Som, Joyce Manor, Kishi Bashi and many more!
Some artists took the opportunity to record covers of personal favorite tracks while others choose to experiment with new song ideas. A good number of these remain exclusive to the Singles Series 7"s, but a few have since been re-recorded and released on ensuing albums.
Though the physical box sets are all now out-of-print, the records from each volume can be found on streaming services.
Volume 1 (2014) - Listen on Spotify and Apple Music
Vinyl box set limited to 500 with artwork by Jason Munn.
Featuring:
Cloud Nothings
Diane Coffee
Efterklang
Hospitality
Into It. Over It.
John Vanderslice
Josh Hodges (STRFKR)
Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids)
Mikal Cronin
Mynabirds
Porcelain Raft
Thao And The Get Down Stay Down
Volume 2 (2015) - Listen on Spotify and Apple Music
Vinyl box set limited to 1000 with artwork by Jesse LeDoux.
Featuring:
Blikk Fang (MGMT + of Montreal)
Crooked Fingers
David Bazan
Deerhoof
The Dodos
Ducktails
Jacco Gardner
Jonathan Rado (Foxygen)
Kishi Bashi
of Montreal
Skylar Spence
Telekinesis
Volume 3 (2017) - Listen on Spotify and Apple Music
Vinyl box set limited to 750 with artwork by Jay Ryan (The Bird Machine).
Featuring:
Beach Slang
Diet Cig
Japanese Breakfast
Jay Som
Joyce Manor
Modern Baseball
Mothers
Owen
Ra Ra Riot
Sonny & The Sunsets
Tim Kasher (Cursive, The Good Life)
Twin Peaks
Note: In the years after each series was curated, troubling allegations have been made against a couple of musicians who participated. Although we no longer distribute those songs, we have listed all of the artists from each volume here for historical purposes.