GRADO by Zhu Wenbo

Born from malfunction, GRADO is a collection of seven sound compositions, instances of mechanical failure transformed into sonic exploration.

The resulting pieces capture Zhu Wenbo’s study of the internal dialogue of a broken turntable: grinding mechanics, electrical stutters, and a varied palette of sounds produced by a machine operating outside its intended parameters. These seven extended vignettes form a thematic suite without narrative structure, each piece existing as its own sonic territory while contributing to a larger architectural whole.

Starkly abstract yet strangely organic, GRADO documents the hidden music within broken machines, isolating music from malfunction and meaning in breakdown.
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These recordings were done in ten days, from May 22 to
May 31, 2024. The main sound source was a portable turntable.

The turntable is a product from the 1970s. A National SF-321, made
in Japan. I discovered it at a flea market in Beijing that is only open on
Tuesday nights. Because of some problems with the sound, it was left to sit in my home for a few years, until last year, when I sent it off to be
fixed. Soon my wife, Zhao Cong, tried to use it in performance (she
always uses daily objects, and has often worked with rotating light).
During a tour of ours, she found that it was not well suited to her
approach. In Guangzhou, the turntable fell to the ground before her
performance, its arm broken.

Returning from tour, some time later, I tried to use it, with its loose arm.
Perhaps some objects would pull out some interesting sounds, for
example, a glass, some guitar string, or a golf ball. And I wanted to
discover more about it, this turntable. I thought of attempting some
recordings during this discovery period. I set some rules for the
recordings:

- It should be a ten day recording session.
- Each day, I would record three takes, more or less.
- No long takes. The length of each should be like a “song”, but not
an “improvisation track”.
- Before each day’s recording effort, I would test some different
materials or ideas on the turntable. The test should be brief. Allow
possibilities to arise during recording.
- I would use the same setting on recording: one Shure beta 57 hung
over the turntable; and an XY stereo mic on the recorder for the
room, with sufficient distance from the turntable. The turntable
does not have a line out jack.

On the second day, I encountered some trouble. Because the arm was
already broken, the wire linked to the tonearm’s head suddenly, caught
and twisted by the turntable plate. I spent that same night attempting to
fix it.

On day 3, this idea: the wire was already broken, so perhaps I could use that. It became one of those objects I had originally thought about! I removed the turntable head, and affixed a contact mic to the wire. It was a super noisy sound, much wider and wilder than before!

Day 4: I re-situated the contact mic, adding a 6.5 plug-in jack to it, to
freely plug different input sources into it: different sized contact mics, a
small speaker (using as a dynamic mic), a transducer with objects (also
using as dynamic mic), also a microphone and the turntable head.

This would complete the parameters for recording the pieces. With some additional, interesting materials in the room… prepare them with the input source, then turn on the machine. Observe and do a little, not too much.

Sometimes I encountered the feeling of… immersion, or ecstasy.
Observing some rotating things with strange sound, repeating and
shifting… it really made me forget and abandon a sense of time. I found
through this process that I understand more to my wife’s music, by using equipment and gear that I normally do not use.

- Zhu Wenbo, August 2024, Beijing
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Zhu is a self-taught musician based in Beijing. He runs the cassette label Zoomin' Night (燥眠夜).

https://zoominnight.bandcamp.com/

Marginal Frequency is a small batch record label operating in Kitsap County, WA.