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Dark Night of the Soul is a collaboration between Sparklehorse and Danger Mouse. Add to this already impressive pairing a dream team of assembled guests (Frank Black, Suzanne Vega, Gruff Rhys, Jason Lytle, Nina Persson, Iggy Pop, Vic Chesnutt, etc.), promised visual accompaniment by David Lynch, and details released on April Fools’ Day, and it is tempting to doubt the existence of something so potentially amazing.
Recent reports about the project suggest that skepticism is justified, though not because the project is bogus. Some “ongoing dispute” between Danger Mouse and label EMI is blocking the official release of the album. This dispute is possibly related to EMI’s disagreement with Danger Mouse over his Grey Album.
In what must be a music industry first, Dark Night of the Soul is being sold as a blank CD-R, and the following message appears at the store section of the project’s website: “Due to an ongoing dispute with EMI, Danger Mouse is unable to include music on the CD without fear of legal entanglement. Therefore, he has included a blank CD-R as an artifact to use however you see fit.”
NPR is streaming the album in its entirety as well as offering individual tracks. The album is also showing up elsewhere on the Internet, apparently allowing those purchasing the blank CD-R to “use however [they] see fit”.
The CD-R (with poster) is available for $10.00, and another edition (CD-R plus exclusive book of original photographs by David Lynch) is limited to 5,000 copies and available for $50.00.
Various Artists
Dark Night of the Soul [Stream]
